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Planning commission defers text amendment requiring county facilities to tie into water/sewer within 300 feet, asks staff to exempt irrigation
Summary
The Planning Commission deferred action on Text Amendment Case 25-01, which would require county-owned facilities within 300 feet of public water or sewer to connect, and directed staff to revise the draft to exempt irrigation systems and reconsider mandatory tie-in where functioning on-site systems exist.
The Calvert County Planning Commission on May 21, 2025 voted to defer action on Text Amendment Case 25-01 to allow county staff to rework proposed language and to keep the public record open for additional review.
James Rehrer, deputy director for Public Works, said the proposed amendment would require "all county owned facilities located within 300 feet of a public water or sewer line to connect to the system." Rehrer told commissioners the change is intended to promote efficiency, environmental protection and cost-effective service delivery by using existing infrastructure.
During discussion, commissioners raised concerns that, as drafted, the amendment could force abandonment of functioning private on-site systems that were recently installed at county-owned properties and could require the county to pay to abandon those systems. Commissioners also pressed staff to exempt irrigation wells from mandatory connection because irrigation wells are typically nonpotable and may have MDE (Maryland Department of the Environment) exemptions.
Rehrer confirmed that, under the draft text, connections would be required within a year if service becomes available in the applicable water/sewer category and that staff did not identify any properties currently required to connect. Commissioners pointed out that parts of Halloween Point Park are within 300 feet of public service lines and questioned whether the initial "none affected" statement needed clarification.
After discussion a commissioner moved that the Planning Commission defer the item, leave the record open, and direct Department of Public Works staff to revise the proposed amendment to address two points: (1) not require abandonment of otherwise functional on-site well/septic systems where tying in would be unnecessary or wasteful; and (2) explicitly exempt irrigation systems from the mandatory tie-in requirement. The motion was seconded and passed on an affirmative voice vote.
The deferral instructs staff to draft revised language for the commission's review at a future meeting; no final determination on consistency with the comprehensive plan was made at the May 21 hearing.
