Charles County Board of Commissioners Meeting - September 1, 2026

On September 1, 2026, the Charles County Board of Commissioners convened with Commissioner Bowling absent. The board held two public hearings: one on the proposed $100 million 2026 bond issue and one on proposed Bill 2026-07 / Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 26-190, which concerns retail sales establishments over 100,000 square feet and retail parking requirements. Both items were approved.

Public Comments & Testimony

2026 bond issue public hearing

• No members of the public signed up or spoke. The board closed the record, ended the hearing, and approved Resolution 2026-12.

ZTA 26-190 public hearing

• An unnamed public speaker said the ZTA was "not a bad amendment" but questioned whether commissioners knew it originated from Bill 2017-01, which he described as anti-business and as signaling the county was "closed for business" at the time. He urged that any passage be in the best interest of businesses.
• Nancy Shurtler, a former Planning Commission member, opposed the ZTA as written. She argued that removing the two-story requirement without replacing it with a meaningful condition creates an inverted result, and that adding big-box retail to the AUC zone is incompatible with that zone's transit-oriented purposes. She requested denial or amendment and a 30-day open record.
• Roderick Lewis, who identified himself as Roger Lewis, a Waldorf homeowner, opposed the ZTA, saying it would be a step backward from the Downtown Waldorf Vision Plan and the community's walkable, transit-oriented goals.
• Greg Waring opposed the ZTA, associated himself with the Charles County Conservancy and Smart Growth Alliance, and criticized the process for proceeding despite the Planning Commission's unanimous denial. He said the public deserves more transparency and identified an unnamed "shadow applicant" he alleged is involved.

Discussion Items

• Jake Dyer, Director of Fiscal and Management Services, outlined the bond issuance timeline: rating agency meetings on September 30, bond sale on October 27, and closing on November 10. He presented allocations of $47.8 million for water and sewer infrastructure, $16 million for Board of Education maintenance and facilities, $8.9 million for new school construction, $17 million for government facilities and parks, $3.3 million for environmental projects, and $7 million for road projects. The bond is structured with $67.5 million in 15-year bonds, $9.5 million in 10-year bonds related to school excise tax projects, and $23 million in 30-year bonds.
• Tony Phelps, Assistant Chief of Planning, explained that ZTA 26-190 resolves an inconsistency in the MX and TOD zones, would allow retail sales establishments over 100,000 square feet in the AUC zone, would remove the two-story building condition, and would reduce minimum parking requirements by 20% for all retail uses across all zoning categories. He noted the Planning Commission recommended denial on June 1 after its public hearing on May 4.
• Commissioner Collins asked how the proposal fits with the Waldorf Urban Redevelopment Quarter goals and public parking options. Planning Director Charles Race acknowledged the amendment is not 100% in keeping with the original transit-oriented development vision, but framed the decision as whether to keep rigid regulations or allow some flexibility while transition continues.
• Jason Groth, Director of Planning and Growth Management, said the ZTA offers flexibility after roughly 17 years of slow movement in the Waldorf area, called the two-story requirement a deterrent for businesses, and noted that building and site design standards would still apply. Several commissioners expressed support for flexibility and discussed possible incentives such as solar parking canopies, while one commissioner emphasized consistency with how the county handles residential zoning changes and the need for more commercial revenue.
• One commissioner said the comprehensive plan would not be ready until after the next board takes office, observed that residents testified in opposition, and favored keeping the record open for about 15 days. Staff responded that adding a solar requirement or incentive would require sending a revised text amendment back to the Planning Commission, but that the idea could be studied as part of the comprehensive plan update.

Key Outcomes

• Approved Resolution 2026-12, the Charles County Government 2026 bond issue. The motion carried with no recorded opposition; Commissioner Bowling was absent.
• Closed the ZTA 26-190 public record and hearing, then adopted Bill 2026-07 / ZTA 26-190 by voice vote with no recorded opposition, despite the Planning Commission's recommendation of denial.
• Next steps for the bond issue: rating agency meetings on September 30, bond sale on October 27, and closing on November 10.
• Staff indicated that adding any new incentive or requirement to the ZTA, such as solar panels or solar parking canopies, would require another Planning Commission review; the feedback was noted for the comprehensive plan process.