Calvert County officials gather public feedback as Saint Leonard town center master plan begins update

Calvert County planning staff presented early research and survey results and solicited public feedback during a community workshop on the Saint Leonard Town Center master plan update, emphasizing that no decisions would be made at the meeting.

The Department of Planning and Zoning held the meeting to begin a multi-step process to update Chapter 6 of the county's new Master Plan of Town Centers. Jason Brinkley, director of Planning and Zoning, told attendees, "there's no decisions made tonight," and staff reviewed demographic data, zoning maps, a public survey and next steps. Staff said chapters 1 through 3 of the consolidated master plan are nearly adopted and that Saint Leonard's plan will be Chapter 6.

Staff framed why the update matters: the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey estimates the Saint Leonard census-designated place population at 562 people; the town center itself covers about 335 acres and contains 177 parcels. Tay Harris, the department's long-range planner, reported that 488 people completed the county's online survey and summarized responses: common draws were restaurants, local retail and the town's small-community atmosphere; top concerns included limited retail, infrastructure constraints (notably lack of public sewer and limited water), traffic and preserving small-town character.

Why it matters: zoning and infrastructure designations influence what kinds of commercial or residential development are possible. Staff presented four options for the area: retain the current town center designation; retain but reinstate a minor/major distinction; convert the area to a Rural Commercial (RC) zoning district; or create a new 'village' or community-mixed-use district. Each option carries different expectations about infrastructure and allowable uses, staff said.

Survey and preferences. Harris said about 61% of survey respondents favored keeping Saint Leonard designated as a town center and 39% favored redesignation as a rural commercial district. Staff reiterated that the survey and meeting are part of an extended public participation process and not a final determination.

Community concerns. Residents raised repeated concerns about sewer and water capacity, traffic and potential changes in density. Several speakers stressed that public sewer is not currently planned for Saint Leonard and said that sewer (and water) availability is the primary constraint on multifamily housing or more restaurants. Bill Kanesi, who identified himself as owner of Midshore Management (a property management firm), warned that limiting future sewer capacity could "keep [the town center] stagnant" and said his experience shows investors evaluate sewer and water availability first. Multiple residents and business owners said they favor modest, small-business growth while avoiding large-scale development seen in other county centers.

Zoning details and protections. Staff said the county's zoning and permitting process would be used to avoid creating new nonconforming uses: existing uses would generally be protected, and any rezoning approach could pair commercial zoning with residential zones to prevent unintended conversions of homes to purely commercial uses. Staff also said maximum residential density discussed at the meeting is four units per acre in both town-center and RC concepts, and that without public sewer it is difficult to support multifamily housing.

Outreach and participation. Several residents raised questions about outreach and the survey mailing. Staff said the county used an every-door postal mailing to the Saint Leonard ZIP code but acknowledged some mailers were delayed and that not every property owner and absentee owner received postcards. Jason Brinkley and other staff encouraged further written comments, follow-up meetings and the county website's "notify me" feature.

Process and timeline. Staff outlined next steps: the Planning Commission will be briefed on November 19 and staff will brief the Board of County Commissioners on December 2; a community workshop will follow after commissions provide direction. The update will proceed through standard planning steps including public drafts, a 60-day interagency review, public hearings before the Planning Commission, and a recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners, which makes the final decision.

What was not decided. Staff repeatedly told the audience that the meeting was for information and feedback; no formal change, rezoning or adoption occurred at the workshop. Several residents requested a clearer comparison of existing town-center designations in Calvert County (which centers have sewers, which do not) and asked for a simple table of permitted uses under each option; staff agreed to post comparative materials online and to provide a uses table within weeks.

Closing. County staff said they would compile meeting input and circulate materials online; staff left business cards and encouraged written comments. The public participation period will continue for months as the county prepares draft plan language for additional review and hearings.