[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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",[32,75,87],{"_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",6460430,"mediaKeyId","5862166-db46dd3b69fb95bb48bdd21dc89bb586","parentId",5862166,"title","Planning commission outlines timeline to draft zoning changes tied to Chesapeake Beach coastal resiliency plan","audioSeconds",891,"startMs",4927000,"endMs",5818000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5862166-db46dd3b69fb95bb48bdd21dc89bb586&start=4927&end=5818","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5862166-db46dd3b69fb95bb48bdd21dc89bb586/thumbnail_4927000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6460430/Chesapeake-Beach/Calvert-County/Maryland/Planning-commission-outlines-timeline-to-draft-zoning-changes-tied-to-Chesapeake-Beach-coastal-resiliency-plan","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6460430-5ba05b4ab9bbb89b568a75355830473a/orig.mp4?Expires=1774811300&Signature=TiCJYTClfRelnDszlDYXqVz5ewPl3xrjFsHupzgQPcD9Tgrfdov1xDxCniX9Wognlm6Y4oDAQEB8B0eFDg8y82VNJHtzo-oAGpYLA-zlBvHkQZKsHgjBqFQCkURLLaw9o1L7FiJDEMiko1wZFDeWNalHky0RXJpyYfVhUWIfgIQfUVyrhYz7zJd~NBTCHzdV4lc6Ed1O~UAdnFb~7PNsuCO0SdYABqUpmJQzDURqIvTFzVuRJFJJeHJz74g7FdwvjzkI9vhlprc7z0nyFmdTvtlvYRQSkWaCJMuJ75069QxXXDKs4aMwLQQAaXQR0diRX2cDMHaDURGPKtiDlaLyQQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Chesapeake Beach, MD","date","2025-09-25T12:06:13Z","article","Planning staff briefed the Chesapeake Beach Planning and Zoning Commission on Sept. 24 about zoning recommendations drawn from the town's 2023 Coastal Resiliency Plan and proposed next steps for translating those recommendations into ordinance language.

Staff emphasized zoning changes would focus where projected sea-level rise and flooding most affect town parcels, recommending an overlay mapped to the plan's 2100 flood-area projections. The staff presentation highlighted several zoning-related actions in the plan: require engineering certification for buildings in mapped flood areas, require stormwater practices to be effective under a 2.4-foot sea-level-rise baseline, and consider restrictions on certain vulnerable uses (for example, group homes or nursing facilities) in the most at-risk zones.

\"The Chesapeake Beach Coastal Resiliency Plan was adopted in 2023. It has a lot of recommendations. Not all of them are zoning related, but I have pulled out the ones that are zoning related for us to discuss,\" Miss Franklin said.

Staff proposed an approach that would: 1) map the areas identified in the resiliency plan into a zoning overlay; 2) use the overlay to permit specialized construction approaches (for example, amphibious or elevated structures) and to require higher stormwater and mitigation standards in areas projected to be affected by sea-level rise; and 3) establish a fee-in-lieu program or similar mechanism to fund neighborhood-scale mitigation projects when individual lots cannot meet on-site mitigation requirements.

Commissioners asked staff to bring in additional technical advisers in coming months, including representatives from the Critical Area Commission and the town's public-works staff, and to invite an insurer or insurance advisory representative to explain flood-insurance implications. Staff outlined a preliminary timeline: October'November to evaluate zoning and overlay mapping, December through March to draft ordinance language, and a target of spring (April) for public hearings and Town Council consideration, noting the timeline could shift depending on technical analysis and stakeholder input.

Staff said the overlay approach would focus zoning changes and mitigation funding on the properties and neighborhoods that will be most affected, rather than applying uniform changes across the entire town. Commissioners discussed the need to identify specific projects and funding mechanisms for mitigation and asked staff to coordinate with county and state partners.

No formal votes were taken; commissioners asked staff to proceed with planned outreach and to return with draft language and a proposed project timeline.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","September 24, 2025 Planning Commission","oneSentenceSummary","Planning staff briefed the Chesapeake Beach Planning and Zoning Commission on Sept. 24 about zoning recommendations drawn from the town's 2023 Coastal Resiliency Plan and proposed next steps for translating those recommendations into ordinance text.","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},6460435,"Planning commission reopens review of home-occupation rules after rezoning inconsistencies leave many uses unlisted",348,2664000,3012000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5862166-db46dd3b69fb95bb48bdd21dc89bb586&start=2664&end=3012","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5862166-db46dd3b69fb95bb48bdd21dc89bb586/thumbnail_2664000.jpg","/articles/6460435/Chesapeake-Beach/Calvert-County/Maryland/Planning-commission-reopens-review-of-home-occupation-rules-after-rezoning-inconsistencies-leave-many-uses-unlisted","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6460435-b0ae75a2b07cd365528a1f5ff59c1545/orig.mp4?Expires=1774811300&Signature=OAjnUGrbPo6A5DMTWTHjUvC2uF6aZLLSztJBYyGv8zOJHXYpIsERB17Z2huOsCyaj3ElNxjUwmPHUxufvQuRX9nPZ93~Q9ftZFems9PEBXRejFoob4qDxGMO8OVDpZYHBOdqvXAn8pNgiGBmfvpW0r3SzfdHTjcnoADl~40hTsgx9k2TLPeJnNZVHaHnZmFCrqInUcpdJgZs~mf~wC2QuRyHxYgzaaCyivaRZ6gLDyq5xeQ3KuIeooQSqqxeAV5msuv7qZvze6GtNkaB88v342UVHT41qXt4fL~lcXdMYmEVhj8~IrutG1XRMJlT2U9KG7lmKZdt0BihEFOr9mHZHA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Chesapeake Beach Planning and Zoning Commission on Sept. 24 opened a detailed review of how customary home-occupation uses appear in the town's new land-use table after a comprehensive rezoning.

Planning staff told commissioners that the land-use table now shows some previously permitted or conditional home-occupation uses as \"not permitted\" in residential districts, a change that has led to confusion when residents ask about operating small businesses from home.

\"It is more complicated than home — it turns out to be more complicated than just home occupation,\" Miss Franklin, planning staff, told the commission, summarizing the discrepancy. Staff pointed to a specific item in the land-use table (the meeting referenced item 60, customary home occupation) and said that in several residential categories customary home occupations that were previously allowed as conditional now read as not permitted.

Commissioners described real-world consequences: residents who run low-impact businesses (for example, a single-person office with no customer traffic) could be treated as code violators because the table no longer lists those uses. Commissioners also discussed the longstanding distinction between a home office (no customer traffic) and a home-based business that brings customers to the property; the latter raises concerns about parking, on-street congestion and noise in narrow residential streets.

Several commissioners recalled that the town's previous zoning recognized a more permissive approach for the RV-2 area (and portions of RV-1), where limited customer-facing home occupations were historically allowed as conditional uses. The current table, staff said, appears to omit or misclassify many of those entries, creating enforcement and permitting problems.

Commissioners asked staff to analyze the land-use table and prepare a consolidated memo that: identifies where the rezoning introduced inconsistencies; proposes changes to restore the intended conditional permissions in appropriate residential categories (including RV-1 and RV-2 where historically intended); and clarifies distinctions between a home office and customer-facing home occupations. Staff said they would complete further analysis and return with recommendations at a future meeting.

Commissioners did not take a formal vote on this matter at the Sept. 24 meeting. Instead they directed staff to compile a more complete review and recommended edits that could be considered at subsequent meetings.","The Chesapeake Beach Planning and Zoning Commission on Sept. 24 opened a detailed review of how customary home-occupation uses appear in the town's new land-use table after a comprehensive rezoning.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6460439,"Chesapeake Beach planning commission sends draft sign ordinance, including digital-sign rules, to town council",2366,236000,2602000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5862166-db46dd3b69fb95bb48bdd21dc89bb586&start=236&end=2602","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5862166-db46dd3b69fb95bb48bdd21dc89bb586/thumbnail_236000.jpg","/articles/6460439/Chesapeake-Beach/Calvert-County/Maryland/Chesapeake-Beach-planning-commission-sends-draft-sign-ordinance-including-digital-sign-rules-to-town-council","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6460439-bcefa69bbd2e5e5366e32b7c38b044de/orig.mp4?Expires=1774811300&Signature=QIG7pkjIfdpVIQ3vMOWMpoj3-5Xp7QkX1RGnV6jvPo6BtuQZIeTvvkjkmLffRTPogwGXc1-u-MkOzQVmiFfKzNrH7KNJSrjMERA3o7byk~7LwugVP08XPl2Nrof2xwGRY9nJadFV8hikae66LBx53f9YSy7rQ0EI0SnlE4DLuPYH1Ef7IlzLOnCZVoEikYFh6o72JZY61JJpdUPVqTPRi61pHY3WbjhMajI0uvb3dLrgYUXBs-ICLjU1w~Nz0spYAoPY3u1LTbGd-JcCLwvHXyjdc17bGa1TsvhL92BgKlqWMpwE~zwVJAM9VQQz0SwaxgOrABaYKysgJ0kjjW-Q8w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chesapeake Beach Planning and Zoning Commission on Sept. 24 voted to transmit a revised draft sign ordinance to the Town Council after the commission agreed to several edits and clarifications.

The commission said the draft adds a new section covering electronic message centers (EMCs) and tightens language addressing temporary banners, scoreboards and flashing or blinking illumination. Chair Cindy Greengold and other commissioners praised planning staff for the draft and moved that the commission forward the document to council with the edits discussed at the meeting.

The ordinance draft includes a dedicated EMC section to regulate digital displays, a new explicit exemption for official scoreboards on government-owned athletic fields, and a consolidated rule on flashing illumination. Commissioners directed staff to exempt \"official scoreboards located on government-owned property\" and to require that exempt scoreboards still comply with other applicable EMC guidelines. Commissioners also agreed to change the flashing/blinking threshold that had been written as \"less than a 3-second cycle\" to a uniform 10-second display interval to match the EMC display timing used elsewhere in the draft and to reduce driver distraction.

Commissioners debated several wording and placement issues. They agreed to replace a cross-reference in the off-premise sign section with direct wording reading \"None except for official traffic signs and other federal, state, county, or town government signs\" so the rule does not require readers to flip to another section. They also removed one clause that staff and commissioners said was redundant (the transcript records deleting an extra \"shall\").

On A-frame and T-frame signs, the commission removed a phrase that had described A-frame messages as \"targeted to pedestrians,\" after members noted many A-frames in town also serve passing vehicles. The draft retained a size cap for A-frame/T-frame signs: no more than 12 square feet.

Commissioners made the changes at the dais and then voted to forward the revised draft to Town Council for consideration. Commissioner Brown made the motion to transmit the draft with the changes discussed; the motion was seconded and passed by voice vote with all five commissioners present voting in favor.

\"We did a — you did a great job, Miss Franklin,\" Commissioner Cindy Greengold said after the vote, thanking planning staff for preparing the draft.

What happens next: the commission directed staff to finalize the ordinance text incorporating the edits discussed at the meeting and to transmit the draft to the council. Council is the next step for possible public hearings and adoption.

Votes at a glance: The commission moved and seconded a motion to transmit the draft sign ordinance (referred to during the meeting as sign regulation 290-22) to the Town Council; the motion passed by voice vote, with commissioners in attendance voting aye (5-0).","On Sept. 24 the Chesapeake Beach Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously to forward a revised draft of the town's sign regulations to the Town Council. The draft adds a new section for electronic message centers, clarifies exemptions for government scoreboards and amends rules on flashing signs, off-premise signs and A-frame definitions.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Planning commission outlines timeline to draft zoning changes tied to Chesapeake Beach coastal resiliency plan

Planning commission reopens review of home-occupation rules after rezoning inconsistencies leave many uses unlisted

Chesapeake Beach planning commission sends draft sign ordinance, including digital-sign rules, to town council