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Staff flags upcoming Critical Area Ordinance adoption for Pocomoke City
Summary
Staff told the commission that the state critical area program will require a Critical Area Ordinance and that most of Pocomoke City was originally excluded under the program; staff recommended a future work session to review the lengthy ordinance.
Planning staff informed the commission on March 19 that the state's Critical Area program requires local adoption of a Critical Area Ordinance and that staff has completed an initial review with state planners. Staff said the Pocomoke City ordinance is roughly 69 pages and described it as complex; staff recommended the commission consider a work session to review the ordinance ahead of any adoption vote.
Staff noted that when the state program was first adopted, some municipalities, including Pocomoke City and Cambridge, were allowed to opt certain densely developed areas out of the program; as a result, the majority of Pocomoke City remains excluded from the critical area program. Staff said a limited set of areas — noted in the meeting as locations such as Winter Quarters and portions of Newtown and industrial/commercial roads — are affected and would require mitigation, replanting and density limits if development occurs within designated critical-area buffers.
Why it matters: The Critical Area Ordinance governs development within 1,000 feet of tidal waters and their tributaries and includes standards on vegetation, density and mitigation. Adoption of a local ordinance would alter permitting requirements for projects within the jurisdictional area.
What’s next: Staff said the ordinance will be presented for the commission's consideration and recommended a work session to review the draft with state planners and staff support before any formal adoption action.
