Calvert County holds public hearing on Halloween Point Park master plan; planning commission recommends adoption

The Calvert County Board of County Commissioners held a public hearing on the update to the Halloween Point Park master plan, an 81‑acre park in Prince Frederick that hosts athletic fields, trails, playgrounds, tennis and pickleball courts.

Park planning staff described work begun in 2023 with Murphy & Dittenhofer and a public outreach process that produced more than 2,000 survey responses. The draft master plan proposes new paved and natural walking paths, additional playground space, a pavilion grove, a skate park and options to convert selected fields to synthetic turf in order to increase year‑round field availability.

Park Planner Stephanie Sperling presented the design map and clarified that proposed field conversions shown in the draft are recommendations, not an immediate commitment to convert a specific field. "This master plan isn't saying that we're converting one particular field to synthetic over another," Sperling said; the plan highlights where conversions are technically feasible and where community demand exists.

The plan also notes that county staff manage more park acreage than the county owns outright; a portion of the park is leased from a private landowner and was not included in the adopted master‑plan area because ownership differs.

Maryland Historical Trust and the Calvert County Historic District Commission provided substantive written comments during the agency review. Both asked for more detailed documentation and a treatment plan for two extant historic tobacco barns on the property, one of which may date to the mid‑19th century and could be eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Park staff signaled they would incorporate additional historic‑preservation language and investigation into the final plan.

The planning commission reviewed the draft in February and, after receiving agency comments, unanimously recommended adoption on May 21, 2025. At the BOCC hearing commissioners closed the public record (a standard procedural step that begins a 10‑day waiting period before formal adoption can proceed under local law) following no in‑person speakers and a short virtual comment.

Parks staff said cost estimates for proposed upgrades are included in the draft and that funds to develop the master plan were previously procured. Park staff will keep the public record open for the ten‑day notice period before any adoption vote by the commission, per the county’s procedures.