Calvert County Planning Commission Public Hearing - September 16, 2026

On Wednesday, September 16, 2026, at 7:00 p.m., the Calvert County Planning Commission held a hybrid public hearing (in person at the County Administration Building in Prince Frederick and virtually via Microsoft Teams and telephone) to consider six proposed text amendments (TA #26-25 through TA #26-30) to the Calvert County Zoning Ordinance. A quorum was present, with Chair Freeland presiding alongside Commissioners Gadway, Kernan, McQueen, and Weems. Staff from the Department of Planning & Zoning (Will Hager, Planner 3; Rachel O'Shea, Deputy Director of Zoning; and Beth Rimmer, Division Chief) presented each amendment. The Commission closed the record and voted to recommend adoption of all six amendments by the Board of County Commissioners. No members of the public provided oral testimony during the hearing.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No testimony was given on any of the six amendments. One individual signed the in-person speaker sheet but did not indicate which amendment they wished to address, and no speaker came forward when called. Staff confirmed for each amendment that there was no public comment or no one online to speak.

Discussion Items

• TA #26-25 - Section 29-5, Permitted Signs: Would allow electronic message centers (reader boards) at public recreation areas with reader boards in existence as of the effective date of March 1, 2025, in any zoning district. In response to commissioner questions about new recreation areas, staff noted that a prior text amendment exempts county- and school district-owned properties, but this amendment would also apply to public recreation areas not owned by the county (such as the fairgrounds).

• TA #26-26 - Section 31-5, Exception Lots and Family Conveyance Lots: Extends the sunset date for obtaining preliminary approval of exception lots by one year, from March 1, 2027, to March 1, 2028. Staff stated the extension responds to recent conditions that have not been conducive to perk testing, providing fairness to property owners who have been unable to complete perk tests; after the new sunset date, the ability to create exception lots would end.

• TA #26-27 - Section 22-3, Limited Developed Area: For clearing of 30 percent or more but less than 50 percent of existing natural vegetation, the amendment would require replacement planting at two times the area of the entire clearing. Staff stated the current replacement planting requirement is too burdensome and costly for property owners and that the Critical Area Commission agreed to relax the requirements in these specific circumstances to lower the financial burden on property owners.

• TA #26-28 - Section 18-7, Business and Personal Service (Home Occupations): The amendment explicitly exempts in-home daycares and home commercial kennels from the condition that a home occupation be conducted entirely within the dwelling or an enclosed accessory structure, and it adds a special exception requirement before the Board of Appeals for home occupation kennels operated commercially. Staff explained the special exception process notifies neighbors, gives them an opportunity to comment in writing or at the required public hearing, and allows the Board to impose conditions such as minimum setbacks. In response to commissioner questions, staff clarified that the indoor kennel area is limited to 600 square feet; the entire yard may be used for an outside run area, but the dogs must be housed in the indoor area; standalone kennel buildings are defined separately with their own setback requirements; and noise complaints would be addressed through the Calvert County noise ordinance by the Calvert County Police Department and/or animal control, since the zoning ordinance does not regulate noise. Staff noted past neighbor complaints about commercial kennels operating at residences and framed the special exception process as a way to resolve potential disputes before they become problems.

• TA #26-29 - Section 4-2, Agricultural Preservation District (APD); Section 18-2, Use Tables; Section 18-11, Industrial: A companion piece to the updated agricultural preservation rules and regulations, tentatively scheduled for public hearing in October. The amendment removes provisions from the zoning ordinance that are now more appropriately placed in the updated rules and regulations, adds conditions for land clearing debris and landfills to the zoning ordinance, and removes the special exception requirement for sand, gravel, or mineral extraction without processing on APD parcels because Agricultural Preservation Advisory Board approval is already required, making Board of Appeals approval unnecessary.

• TA #26-30 - Section 255, General Design Requirements (Dunkirk Town Center): Restores the setback policy for new lots in Dunkirk Town Center that was in place prior to the zoning ordinance update effective March 1, 2025. Staff stated this simply corrects an omission made during that update.

Key Outcomes

• The Planning Commission closed the public record and recommended adoption of all six proposed text amendments (TA #26-25 through TA #26-30) by the Board of County Commissioners. Each motion passed by voice vote with all commissioners in favor and no opposition or dissent noted in the transcript.
• The Board of County Commissioners will take final action on the recommendations. The companion update to the agricultural preservation rules and regulations referenced in TA #26-29 is tentatively scheduled for a public hearing in October 2026.
• With no further text amendments to consider, the public hearing ended and the Commission took a five-minute break before moving into its next session.