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Calvert County planning commission finds Dares Beach school site meets priority funding area criteria
Summary
On Sept. 17 the Calvert County Planning Commission determined that the Calvert Elementary and Calvert Country School site at 1450 Dares Beach Road in Prince Frederick is consistent with the county comprehensive plan and eligible for Priority Funding Area (PFA) certification; the motion passed by recorded voice vote.
The Calvert County Planning Commission on Sept. 17 determined that the school site at 1450 Dares Beach Road in Prince Frederick qualifies for Priority Funding Area (PFA) certification, a finding the county said is needed to prepare the site for redevelopment of Calvert Elementary and Calvert Country School.
Long Range Planner Tay Harris and Shashida Warner, director of planning and construction for Calvert County Public Schools, told the commission the Maryland Department of Planning had advised that the site meets the state PFA criteria under the State Finance and Procurement Article cited by staff (staff identified the statutory citation during the presentation). Harris said the Department of Planning and Zoning recommended a finding of consistency with the Calvert County comprehensive plan because the property is adjacent to an existing priority funding area in Prince Frederick, is designated a Tier 1A growth area on the county tier map, and is identified in the county comprehensive plans (2010 and 2019 revision).
Harris described the PFA criteria presented to the commission as requiring that a property be used principally for employment-related uses or be otherwise eligible and that it be served by public sewer or planned for public or community sewer in the county—s 10-year water and sewer plan. Staff reported the site is currently served by a water and sewer system owned by the Board of Public Education and said the site is planned for connection to the Prince Frederick water and sewer service areas following site redevelopment. Harris told commissioners the planning commission has determined the site is consistent with the Calvert County comprehensive plan per the county Land Use Article provision staff cited.
A commissioner moved that the planning commission find the proposed PFA designation for 1450 Dares Beach Road consistent with the comprehensive plan; a second was recorded. The motion passed on the voice vote with no recorded opposition (commissioners present voted aye; the roll-call mover/second were not identified on the record). The planning commission recorded a 6-0 vote in favor.
Why it matters: A PFA determination is an eligibility finding used to support applications for certain state programs and funding that typically prioritize investment inside PFAs. County staff framed the designation as preparatory for the site—s redevelopment work tied to replacing and co-locating the two schools.
Next steps: Staff will proceed with actions associated with site redevelopment planning and will return to the commission as required under normal plan-review and approval processes. The commission did not adopt a separate ordinance or authorize construction at the Sept. 17 meeting; it made a consistency determination only.
