Calvert County Planning Commission Regular Meeting - September 17, 2025

The Calvert County Planning Commission met on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, at 7:00 PM at the Harriet E. Brown Community Center and via Zoom. Six commissioners were present initially (C. Gadway, G. Kernan, J. McQueen, D. Weems, W. Freeland); Commissioner D. Bury joined later via Zoom but had technical difficulties. The meeting addressed two long-range planning items: a Priority Funding Area (PFA) certification for the Calvert Elementary and Calvert Country Schools site, and presentation of survey results for the Huntingtown, Owings, and St. Leonard Town Center Master Plan updates. The commission also heard public comments.

Consent Calendar

• The proposed agenda was approved unanimously.
• The Summary of Actions for the August 20, 2025 Planning Commission Public Hearing was approved unanimously.
• The Summary of Actions for the August 20, 2025 Planning Commission Regular Meeting was approved with an amendment: Commissioner Freeland corrected the name of the state program to "Maryland Rural Legacy Program" (previously listed as "state led as legacy"). The amended summary was approved.

Long Range Planning: Priority Funding Area (PFA) Certification

• Shashida Warner, Director of Planning and Construction for Calvert County Public Schools, presented a request for PFA certification for the site at 1450 Dares Beach Road, Prince Frederick. The site is currently occupied by Calvert Elementary and Calvert Country Schools and is planned for redevelopment, including replacement schools and potential swing space or regional programs. The Maryland Department of Planning advised that the site is eligible under Section 57B03 of the State Finance and Procurement Article because the principal use is employment (school) and it is served by public sewer (planned for connection in 2031). The site is designated Tier 1A (growth, non-residential) on the county's tier map, which is referenced in both the 2010 and 2019 Comprehensive Plans. The Department of Planning and Zoning recommended a finding of consistency with the Comprehensive Plan.
• Vote: Commissioner Freeland moved to find the PFA designation consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously (6-0). Commissioner Bury joined after the vote and did not participate.

Long Range Planning: Town Center Survey Results

• Tay Harris, Long Range Planner, presented results from an online survey conducted July 23–August 25, 2025, for the Huntingtown, Owings, and St. Leonard town centers. Key findings:
  • Huntingtown (389 participants; transcript states "390 or 89"): 60% favored changing the designation to Rural Commercial; main draws were basic services, sense of community, and rural character; top challenges were traffic, infrastructure, and opposition to growth; top priorities were land use, environment and natural resources, and parks and recreation.
  • Owings (214 participants): 60% favored changing to Rural Commercial; draws were basic services and rural character; challenges included traffic, overdevelopment concerns, and flooding; top topics were land use, environment, and parks/recreation.
  • St. Leonard (488 participants): 61% favored retaining the Town Center designation; draws were local restaurants, small businesses, and community atmosphere; challenges included infrastructure, aging buildings, and business attraction; top topics were land use, environment, and economic vitality.
• Staff outlined four potential options: retain the Town Center designation, retain with a distinction between major/minor town centers, convert one or more to Rural Commercial and Residential, or create a new small-town center district (e.g., community mixed-use or village district). Upcoming public outreach meetings were announced: October 6 (St. Leonard, Crossroads Church), October 14 (Huntingtown, volunteer fire department), and October 20 (Owings, Grace Brethren Church). Staff noted that this presentation is informational and that no action was required, but the commission sought guidance.
• Discussion: Commissioners discussed notification methods (digital vs. mailed postcards) and the timeline for any zoning changes. Commissioner Gadway expressed hesitation about proceeding with the master plan updates as outlined without further information from the public meetings. He made a motion to defer further action and direct staff to provide information on the public hearings and the steps needed to change a town center designation to rural commercial, to be presented at the November meeting. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously (7-0, with Commissioner Bury participating via text).

Public Comments

• Sheila Kufa (from Lesby): Recommended that the county mail paper notices (at 24 cents postage) to residents rather than relying solely on digital notifications, as not everyone uses social media. She also noted that the survey results indicate residents wish to remain rural.
• Teresa Rulman: Addressed the proposed repeal and replacement of Agricultural Preservation District (APD) rules from the prior meeting. She argued that existing APD landowners should be grandfathered under the terms they originally agreed to, and that applying new rules retroactively may be illegal (noting that the County Attorney had acknowledged legal concerns at the August 20 meeting). She questioned why developers are allowed to proceed under older zoning rules while APD landowners are not, and requested the board reconsider its approach.

Key Outcomes

• The PFA certification for the school site was found consistent with the Comprehensive Plan (6-0 vote).
• On the Town Center Master Plan updates, the commission deferred action and directed staff to report back with information from the October public meetings and the steps required for potential rezoning to rural commercial (7-0 vote).
• The meeting was adjourned on a motion by Commissioner Freeland.