[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6622197,"mediaKeyId","2787421-33097230bf51f80d328dd50aaf5411be","parentId",2787421,"title","Chesapeake Beach planners narrow options on business flags, electronic signs; staff to rewrite ordinance","audioSeconds",5622,"startMs",189000,"endMs",5811000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2787421-33097230bf51f80d328dd50aaf5411be&start=189&end=5811","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2787421-33097230bf51f80d328dd50aaf5411be/thumbnail_189000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6622197/Chesapeake-Beach/Calvert-County/Maryland/Chesapeake-Beach-planners-narrow-options-on-business-flags-electronic-signs-staff-to-rewrite-ordinance","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6622197-aa53ab3da82efad14d27596ec0febef1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771171820&Signature=F0XAfPd2OK5yndQVifRQbNzxHQBkJpSwSD~9zimH6vLtUSnTI2lI-UgU0cboKB9X~Hg7UZlHxFFlh6qVrHaGloZXSQArl5zyG20AzhOgW3ZHkgedlwpfn67bg1OW4EPf~36jVPW9fKwYE2wDAqchnHQqT8Z0VXQ9oq7Bhiq9ipZRYX~-y7lWr5QQBHGeotsWcwdeBLnChmKoitGxDQMUUy3lQP~-9z-wn0bkHUlr7sliFSCwB87XmOozS5k7QEdvLb7E-tMGBUi11uh9DtDw~5TQ-eAg0YyYXUXcFBDq0ISSpFpsWFp4GkZDJykLAWCJnyfEts3UADsskoniiFeLSg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Town of Chesapeake Beach, Maryland","date","2025-03-27T00:15:31.567Z","article","At the March 26, 2025 meeting, the Chesapeake Beach Planning and Zoning Commission revisited proposed changes to the town sign ordinance, focusing on business flags, electronic messaging centers and rules for real-estate signs, and asked staff to draft clearer ordinance language for a future meeting.

Commissioners said they were trying to limit visual clutter and avoid permitting very large, perennial advertising flags while maintaining options for small businesses. Town planner Sarah Franklin said the larger flag at Veterans Park measures 15 feet by 25 feet and contrasted that with a standard household flag of 3 by 5 feet.

Why it matters: commissioners said unchecked flag and electronic sign allowances can increase “sign clutter,” create enforcement burdens and raise public-safety concerns if signs are poorly placed or excessively bright. The commission’s discussion set policy direction — not final code language — and staff will return with rewritten ordinance text that implements the group’s agreed guardrails.

Commissioners converged on several practical limits for commercial flags. The group generally supported allowing a single, exempt commercial flag limited to 3 by 5 feet; that flag should be counted as part of a business’s total permitted signage area, must be placed off the public right-of-way and may not project above the bottom of the roof eave. Commissioners discussed but did not finalize standards for detached flags; in the discussion some commissioners said detached flagpoles might be allowed at greater heights in limited circumstances, with one participant noting a 30-foot detached-flag possibility for certain lots.

On electronic messaging centers, commissioners reviewed a detailed draft of technical controls. The commission discussed permitting EMCs in commercial districts subject to a formula-based area limit (the draft ties allowable EMC area to linear street frontage, with an absolute cap of 100 square feet), automatic dimming tied to ambient light, a maximum nighttime brightness differential (the draft referenced a 0.3 foot-candle difference), and display/transition controls to reduce visual distraction. The draft sets a minimum display time for a single message frame (the commission settled on 10 seconds as a minimum), requires at least a three-second transition for fades/dissolves, and prohibits continuous scrolling or traveling text. The draft also exempts temporary, state-required devices such as Maryland State Highway Administration road-closure signs.

Real-estate signs drew shorter discussion but a clear direction: open-house signage should be limited to the day of the open house and only while an agent is present at the property; other real-estate display rules would remain tied to the town’s standard removal and enforcement timelines (the draft retains a five-day removal rule for signs related to settlement or lease in one formulation, and staff discussed enforcement options such as fixed collection days).

Planner Sarah Franklin summarized the practical enforcement challenges. \"This is a sign that doesn't need a permit ... the flag at Veterans Park is 15 feet by 25 feet, and that compares to the standard flag of 3 by 5 feet,\" Franklin said, underscoring why commissioners wanted explicit size limits instead of leaving the draft exemption open-ended. Commissioner Rachel Weaver said she \"think[s] they should be limited in size and should go towards total square footage,\" reflecting the majority view that allowance of flags should not create uncounted additional advertising. Commissioner Kelly Hahn added, \"I agree with Larry. Limit on size, but I don't know that I would add it to the overall structure of the total signage size,\" voicing the small-business concern that flags can help visibility for small storefronts.

Commissioners also asked staff to tidy and simplify other sign-code language the draft had borrowed from different code sections; for example, the EMC size formula and the wording on measurement procedures were described repeatedly as awkward and in need of clearer, step-by-step drafting so property owners and enforcement staff can apply the rules consistently.

What comes next: staff will rewrite the sign ordinance language to reflect the group’s guardrails and return a revised draft for additional review; commissioners indicated they expect to continue the discussion at the next meeting and to move toward a public hearing after the draft is clarified. The commission also agreed to replace the word \"neon\" with \"illuminated\" in the open-sign provision, per a councilmember suggestion recorded in the meeting.

Ending note: the commission’s votes on the meeting agenda and on routine minutes were procedural and carried by voice vote. No final ordinance changes were adopted at the March 26 meeting; the item remains under active staff revision and will return to the commission for formal review.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","March 26, 2025 Planning Commission Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","At the March 26, 2025 meeting, the Chesapeake Beach Planning and Zoning Commission revisited proposed changes to the town sign ordinance, focusing on business flags, electronic messaging centers and rules for real-estate signs, and asked staff to draft clearer ordinance language for a future meeting.","taxTitle","Chesapeake Beach, Calvert County, Maryland","taxId",71658,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6622192,"Chesapeake Beach commission asks staff to study allowing backyard chickens after resident interest",913,5771000,6684000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2787421-33097230bf51f80d328dd50aaf5411be&start=5771&end=6684","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2787421-33097230bf51f80d328dd50aaf5411be/thumbnail_5771000.jpg","/articles/6622192/Chesapeake-Beach/Calvert-County/Maryland/Chesapeake-Beach-commission-asks-staff-to-study-allowing-backyard-chickens-after-resident-interest","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6622192-9a47ff4fc3fc3756a12bfff296b0beeb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771171820&Signature=LlA1f5mtgec911CtDtSTYoUe3q2lQj3jSwUSUdb3dQT0FLaObCcyNirXjS~q39qNWSB7AVIG3BNe1Uzppbl6MFDwDXUG9Mvg5jGt~lgGdciqEwMeQTObJ~mpS0Lx36A2IyHL8XQY6e~O23jDmUiWTQiIAGhbOp0dGn3unZ-gSbJV4DuFwjS~7OfdM9elWZfRVLi~iEZkKatouSjaGrINmeoiWceQ1j45x6FNuyJra5-L7MTXsfkILDgdTcvSTDlKPPmWCTMSdumy1dXnde~0tcg9eZ1Y-dko0zBHcTUGBXteW-bumR46EwYss91nrkGzosvPC1vXocHPXxFFoBjELQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At its March 26, 2025 meeting, the Chesapeake Beach Planning and Zoning Commission added a discussion of backyard chickens to its agenda and instructed staff to prepare a research report on possible ordinance changes allowing backyard hens under defined conditions.

Why it matters: residents raised the issue on social media and commissioners said the topic intersects zoning, public-health and noise rules. Changing the town’s approach could expand urban agriculture options for homeowners but may require coordination with other local codes (noise, animal-control, health) and review of homeowner association restrictions.

Commissioner Rachel Weaver introduced the item after noting a Facebook post that prompted community interest. \"Annapolis, Howard County, including Columbia and Ellicott City, Baltimore City, Frederick, Rockville, all of them allow chickens in town limits with specific regulations,\" Weaver said, describing the range of approaches other Maryland jurisdictions have adopted. Weaver said typical municipal limits allow about four to six hens and prohibit roosters; she also noted Calvert County’s stricter, three-acre requirement for poultry.

Planning staff cautioned that the issue touches multiple municipal codes and that a full recommendation should identify where companion ordinance changes might be required. \"Backyard chickens is not just a planning and zoning ordinance,\" a staff member said; \"there might be noise, part of the noise ordinance, and anything around health and safety. So I think it would make sense to communicate to the town council that you're considering it,\" the planner advised.

Commissioners discussed practical constraints and possible guardrails: minimum lot sizes, maximum number of hens, a prohibition on roosters, coop setbacks, predator protection and whether homeowners’ associations could ban poultry regardless of town law. Commissioners also noted enforcement and animal-welfare issues (coops, feed and predator risk) and said costs and effort for proper coops and care are often higher than residents expect.

Direction from the dais: commissioners asked staff to compile examples of existing municipal ordinances, summarize lot-size and hen-number approaches (examples cited in discussion included Baltimore City allowing up to four hens on very small lots and Howard County allowing up to eight hens on lots of 10,000 square feet or more), and identify related enforcement or health statutes. The commission did not adopt any rule at the March 26 meeting; instead it voted to add the topic to the agenda and requested a staff report for a future meeting.

Ending: staff said it will prepare a comparative report and draft proposed conditions if the commission wishes to move forward; commissioners invited interested residents to attend future meetings and provide input in writing or in person.

","Following a resident social-media post and public discussion, commissioners asked staff to research how other Maryland jurisdictions regulate backyard chickens — including lot-size rules, limits on hens and roosters, health and nuisance considerations — and to return recommendations to the commission.","actionData","errors"]

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Chesapeake Beach planners narrow options on business flags, electronic signs; staff to rewrite ordinance

Chesapeake Beach commission asks staff to study allowing backyard chickens after resident interest