Charles County Planning Commission Meeting - March 2, 2026

The Charles County Planning Commission held its regular meeting on March 2, 2026. Commissioners approved routine items, held a work session on a data center zoning text amendment, received a briefing on accessory dwelling units, and heard staff updates. No public personal appearances were scheduled.

Consent Calendar

• The meeting agenda was approved as written by unanimous voice vote.
• The January 12, 2026 meeting minutes were approved; Chair Kevin Wettding and Commissioner Dave Wood recused themselves because they were absent from that meeting.
• The February 2, 2026 meeting minutes were approved by unanimous voice vote.
• New clerk Ashley Staten was introduced to the commission.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public signed up for personal appearances outside agenda items.

Discussion Items

Work Session: ZTA 25-187 - Data Centers

• Staff reminded the commission that its role is to make a recommendation to the county commissioners; it can recommend approval, denial, or changes to the zoning text amendment. Substantive changes recommended by the commission would likely require a revised ZTA to return for a new public hearing if adopted by the county commissioners.
• Mark Thompson from Economic Development said the county has not received additional details about TerraWolf's plans beyond its press release and public FAQ. The disclosed plan for the Morgantown site, subject to FERC approval of the sale, is environmental remediation, then power generation with battery storage, and then a data center.
• Commission members expressed support for allowing data centers only in appropriate industrial zones, with several members urging heavy industrial only and excluding business parks. If data centers were placed near residential areas, one member said they should require a special exception to provide another layer of public discussion.
• Concerns included potable water use, the need for self-generation of power, infrastructure costs being borne by the data center owner, and aligning the ZTA with the Maryland Next Generation Energy Act of 2025 and a state data center study expected to be completed in September 2026.
• Commissioner Samaya Hackett raised concern about cumulative quality-of-life impacts if data centers are added without limits, while noting that each future site development plan would return to the commission for review.
• Jason Groth, Director of Planning and Growth Management, cautioned that heavy industrial zones are not always remote and that the ZTA includes setbacks, buffering, water use, and noise requirements independent of zone choice.
• A motion to deny ZTA 25-187 as written, with recommended changes, was made and seconded. The recommendation includes requiring self-generation of power, eliminating potable water use for data center operations, assigning infrastructure detail and cost solely to the data center owner, limiting the use to heavy industrial zones, and referencing the Maryland Next Generation Energy Act of 2025 and the state's September 2026 report. The motion carried by voice vote.

Briefing: ZTA 25-189 - Accessory Dwelling Units

• Tony Feltz, Assistant Chief of Planning, presented. State legislation (HB 1466) requires counties to allow ADUs with limited restrictions by October 1, 2026. Charles County's 2025 policy feedback survey found 64% of respondents supported ADU policies.
• Staff estimated that 1-2% of annual building permits, or about 9-18 units per year, would be for ADUs. Anne Arundel County has seen a modest rise in ADU permits, with only about half of applications ultimately issued and about one-third on private well and septic systems.
• The proposed ZTA would allow attached and detached ADUs, reduce size limits to align with state law, eliminate additional off-street parking and storage requirements, and allow internal ADUs in townhomes under certain conditions. ADUs would be capped at 1,000 square feet or 75% of the primary dwelling floor area on lots under three acres, and 75% of the primary floor area on larger lots; they may have up to two bedrooms and a maximum height of 24 feet. Mobile homes would not be allowed.
• Internal townhome ADUs would require planning at the plat stage, a separate entrance, a maximum size of 33% of the townhome, and occupancy of only one floor. Detached ADUs for townhomes would not be allowed.
• The county is not proposing affordability incentives or rent regulation; landlord-tenant laws would still apply.
• In response to questions, staff said existing legal ADUs that exceed new limits would become legal nonconforming and could continue unless abandoned for a year. Staff will request the Board of County Commissioners set a planning commission public hearing for March 16, 2026.

Director's Comments & Next Steps

• Staff noted the next meeting on March 16, 2026 will have a packed agenda, including the ADU public hearing, ZTA 25-188 on encroachments, MedStar site plan approval, Shepherd's Creek Manor preliminary subdivision revision, Horizon Neighborhood Center site plan, Falcon Ridge time extension, and Park Lens farm stand site plan.
• The county has conducted two comprehensive plan outreach meetings with roughly 30 attendees each; the next is March 12, 2026 at Mount Hope Nanjemoy Elementary. Members were reminded that no more than three commission members may attend an outreach meeting to avoid an Open Meetings Act quorum.

Key Outcomes

• Agenda and minutes for January 12 and February 2, 2026 approved.
• ZTA 25-187: commission voted to recommend denial of the current draft and to forward recommended changes to the county commissioners.
• ZTA 25-189: briefing received; public hearing requested for March 16, 2026.
• Next regular meeting set for March 16, 2026.