Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Planning Master Plan topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning Commission opens 60‑day review for Dunkirk Town Center master plan chapter
Summary
The commission directed staff to send draft Chapter 3 (Dunkirk Town Center) for the statutorily required 60‑day public and interjurisdictional comment period after staff addressed two data corrections and removed a recommended tree preservation goal.
The Planning Commission on June 18 directed staff to initiate the required 60‑day comment period for Chapter 3 of the town‑center master plan update, covering the Dunkirk Town Center.
Kat Lockwood, planner II, summarized the draft: the county is updating town center master plans in a streamlined format and prioritized older plans; staff presented draft Chapter 3 for Dunkirk after prior review of format and content. Lockwood said the draft had been revised following the commission’s prior request to check two data points: the unemployment rate (the Census‑derived data table indicated the unemployment rate was less than 1% and the draft profile was updated to reflect that) and the Solomons median‑income figure (which appears lower because it reports individual rather than household income and includes a larger retiree population). Staff also removed a previously suggested tree‑preservation goal from the Dunkirk draft because most forest cover there is associated with forest conservation areas and parkland rather than large continuous headwater forest areas — a preservation goal was retained for Prince Frederick where it was judged more appropriate.
During discussion Commissioner Freeland moved to forward the draft chapter for the 60‑day comment period; the motion was seconded and passed on a 6‑0 vote. Staff noted a brief written response to comments had been emailed to commissioners earlier the same day and that more detailed responses could follow if the commission requested them.
Why this matters: the town‑center master plan chapters inform land‑use guidance and future implementation priorities for redevelopment and public investments in town centers. The chapter‑by‑chapter approach is intended to accelerate updates for the county’s oldest town‑center master plans and to align master‑plan recommendations with current data.
Next steps: staff will circulate the draft Chapter 3 to required jurisdictions and stakeholders for 60‑day comment and will return to the commission with any substantive comment responses and recommended revisions, if needed.
