Pocomoke planning commission reviews draft comprehensive plan; calls for facility data updates and raises concerns about transect zoning and ADU rules

Pocomoke City planning commission members on a recent agenda item reviewed Sections 2–3 of the draft comprehensive plan, focusing on the community facilities inventory and the land-use map. The commission repeatedly urged staff to gather updated data from department heads on water, sewer and public safety facilities and flagged several mapping and policy issues in the draft.

“Section 3 on the agenda, the community facilities section ... is really the heart of the land-use comprehensive plan in a lot of respects,” said a Planning Commission member, urging commissioners and staff to review the consolidated draft rather than piecemeal sections sent earlier.

Why it matters: The comprehensive plan guides land-use and capital decisions, and inaccuracies in infrastructure capacity, school enrollment, or facility inventories can affect future zoning, capital improvements and grant applications. Commissioners stressed that the draft still relies on carried-over figures from the 2014 plan and needs department-level updates before public hearings.

Key updates requested

Commissioners asked staff to confirm and insert current figures for water supply and sewer-treatment capacity and to incorporate recent and ongoing system work. As presented to the commission, the draft and participants’ remarks note city improvements including upgraded pump stations, a water line slip-lining project, fire-hydrant replacements, radio-read meters, chemical- and water‑tower upgrades and wastewater treatment-plant work. A Planning Commission member said…