Planning commission issues recommendations on three citizen text amendments: height, daycare and shooting ranges

The Queen Anne's County Planning Commission on Thursday took action on three citizen-sponsored text amendments, sending two favorable recommendations and one unfavorable recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners.

Suburban commercial building height (Citizen Text Amendment 25-03) The commission voted to recommend that the county commissioners increase the maximum nonresidential building height in the Suburban Commercial (SC) District from 30 feet to 40 feet. Planning staff and the applicant said the change would provide additional design flexibility (for pitched roofs, architectural variety) without altering floor-area ratios and could reduce building footprints and impervious surface in some cases. The staff report noted five height variances had been requested since 2002; commissioners found the amendment consistent with county code and the comprehensive plan and forwarded a favorable recommendation.

Airport protection / Kent Island Gateway: day-care centers (Citizen Text Amendment 25-04) The commission recommended approval to add 'day-care centers' to the list of permitted uses in the Airport Protection Kent Island Gateway (APKIG) District. Staff said educational uses are already allowed in the district and that day-care-centers are widely permitted in other districts; the applicant described a planned Montessori facility (Tip Top Tots) with about 3,360 square feet and up to 60 children. Commissioners voted in favor and incorporated staff's findings into their recommendation.

Indoor shooting ranges in Town Center (Citizen Text Amendment 25-05) The commission issued an unfavorable recommendation for adding indoor shooting ranges to the Town Center (TC) District. Planning staff said the Town Center's pedestrian-oriented, mixed residential/commercial character differs from the commercial/industrial districts where the use was added in 2024 (Airport District, Urban Commercial, Suburban Industrial, and Business Employment Center). The applicant, an existing firearms retailer, argued that indoor ranges are primarily an indoor commercial use and said modern ranges are constructed as reinforced concrete "boxes" that contain sound and projectiles. Commissioners voted against recommending the change for the TC district; the transcript records one commissioner expressing opposition to the amendment as inconsistent with the TC's intent.

Next steps These are recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners; none of the three text amendments were adopted at the meeting. The board will schedule its own public hearing(s) before taking final action. The transcript shows motions, seconds and recorded aye votes for the favorable recommendations and an unfavorable recommendation for the TC amendment; it does not include a full roll-call text-based tally for each vote.