Calvert County Planning Commission Regular Meeting - May 20, 2026

The Calvert County Planning Commission held its regular meeting on May 20, 2026, at 7:00 PM in the Chesapeake Hearing Room of the County Administration Building, Prince Frederick, MD. All commissioners were present and a quorum was established. The meeting covered approval of prior meeting summaries, a request to remove an intra-family designation on a minor subdivision, the FY2027 Program Open Space annual program, review of the FY2027 capital budget, public comments on data center regulations, and the commission's annual meeting including officer elections.

Consent Calendar

• Action on Proposed Agenda: Motion to approve the May 20, 2026 agenda carried unanimously.
• Action on Proposed Summary of Actions: The April 15, 2026 Special Meeting minutes were approved. The April 15, 2026 Regular Meeting minutes were approved without change. The April 21, 2026 Regular Meeting minutes were amended to correct two errors: line 45 changed from "45 feet DA at the property line" to "45 DBA at the property line" and a sentence stating Commissioner Gadway suggested "45 DBA with a 55 in the day" was struck as he did not suggest 55 DBA. The minutes were then approved as amended.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Jeff Dixon (Chesapeake Ranch Estates resident) opposed the proposed data center amendments, arguing that the 1,200-foot setback and sound walls are ineffective based on his experience living near the Dominion LNG facility. He stated that low-frequency noise penetrates walls and is not captured by standard dBA meters. He urged the commission to reject the amendments.
• Patrick Flaherty (District 1 candidate) urged the commission to recommend stronger protections including a 12-month moratorium on data center applications, prohibition of data centers in all districts, strict noise limits, and no groundwater use for cooling. He called for independent studies on impacts.
• Dylan Johnson (St. Leonard resident) supported data centers with appropriate mitigation, suggesting closed-loop cooling, underground stormwater tanks, and internal fire suppression. He encouraged the commission to consider adding public waterfowl hunting land at the Biscoe Heritage site within the LPPRP.
• Teresa Ruhlmann read excerpts from a May 17, 2026 letter from PJM to the U.S. Secretary of Energy requesting authority to develop customer-owned backup generators to avoid blackouts (EEA Level 3), highlighting reliability concerns.
• Megan Farringer (Lesby resident, virtual) implored the commission to delay permit approvals for data centers, particularly AWS, until the Board of County Commissioners receives the Environmental Commission's recommended text amendments on June 2, 2026. She also noted that data center vibrations and noise impact wildlife.

Discussion Items

• MSDFP-138189, Old Anchor Farm – Request to Remove Intra-Family Designation: Planner Jay Cousineau presented the request to allow intrafamily lots 3 and 4 to be conveyed to non-family members under a change of circumstances. This would be a precedent-setting decision as no similar request had been approved before. Commissioner Gadway noted confusion over which lots were involved and expressed concern about precedent. After clarification from the applicant's agent, Commissioner Gadway moved to defer the item to allow staff to bring back proper information (as the presentation mistakenly cited lots 4 and 5 instead of lots 3 and 4). The motion carried 6-1 with one commissioner voting against.
• FY2027 Program Open Space Annual Program: Deputy Director Lydia Wells and Coordinator Courtney Clark presented the annual program required for state funding eligibility. The plan includes acquisitions (future LPPRP planning and a parcel adjacent to Solomons Town Center Park) and development projects (Dunkirk District Park restroom improvements, Hallowing Point Park pathway and lighting enhancements, Chesapeake Beach Kellam's Park expansion, and North Beach waterfront bike path repaving). An 80/10/10 allocation strategy (county/Chesapeake Beach/North Beach) was introduced. Commissioner Gadway asked about Chesapeake Beach's multi-year funding plan and Hallowing Point stormwater management consistency with stricter future county standards. The commission unanimously (7-0) found the plan consistent with the Comprehensive Plan and the Land Preservation, Parks and Recreation Plan (LPPRP) and recommended forwarding it to the Board of County Commissioners.
• Planning Commission Review of Proposed FY2027 Capital Budget: Danielle Russell presented the CIP projects requiring review under Land Use Article Section 3-205. Of 371 CIP projects, 81 require planning commission action. Commissioner Gadway flagged the Eastern Loop Road in Prince Frederick, noting the design must still undergo future review for compliance with steep slope and soil regulations. Commissioner Weems questioned the HVAC replacement cost at Calvert Pines Senior Center and the $50,000 estimate for small buildings. The commission unanimously found the projects consistent with the Comprehensive Plan and recommended the budget to the BOCC.
• 2025 Planning Commission Annual Report: Ruth Davis-Rogers presented the report summarizing the commission's 2025 work in planning, zoning, development review, and administration. The report was accepted and a motion to forward it to the BOCC carried.
• Review of Operating Documents: The commission reviewed the Planning Commission By-Laws and Rules of Procedure and confirmed no changes were needed.
• Election of Officers: Commissioner Wilson Freeland was elected Chair (6-0). Commissioner Chris Gadway was elected Vice Chair.

Key Outcomes

• Old Anchor Farm request: Deferred (6-1) to allow staff to correct lot identification and re-present.
• FY2027 Program Open Space Annual Program: Approved unanimously (7-0) consistent with Comprehensive Plan and LPPRP; forwarded to BOCC.
• FY2027 Capital Budget projects: Approved unanimously as consistent with Comprehensive Plan; forwarded to BOCC.
• 2025 Annual Report: Approved and forwarded to BOCC.
• Officer Elections: Chair Wilson Freeland, Vice Chair Chris Gadway elected.
• Meeting adjourned without further business.