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Planning Commission recommends FY2026 Program Open Space projects, sends plan to county commission
Summary
The Calvert County Planning Commission found the FY2026 Program Open Space annual program consistent with the county comprehensive plan and recommended the Board of County Commissioners approve submission to the state. The recommended list includes proposed acquisitions and development projects across the county and in Chesapeake Beach.
The Calvert County Planning Commission voted to find the FY2026 Program Open Space (POS) annual program consistent with the county comprehensive plan and recommended the Board of County Commissioners approve the plan for submission to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The motion passed unanimously on the record.
Bob Brannon, director of Parks and Recreation, presented the FY2026 POS annual program and explained the state funding mechanism: POS money is generated by a 0.5% transfer tax on real estate transactions and is divided into acquisition and development funds for land conservation and park improvements. Brannon listed proposed acquisition interests and development projects for the county and for towns that applied by the deadline.
Acquisitions the plan lists include a potential 1.1‑acre waterfront acquisition to expand the Calvert Marine Museum's waterfront access and storage for vessel maintenance, plus a town-requested preservation of roughly 201.86 acres for wildlife habitat and other conservation interests submitted by Chesapeake Beach. Development projects on the list include pathway replacement and bleacher pad work at Halloween Point District Park to improve ADA access and trail connectivity, replacement of the aging playground at Cove Point Park (equipment at end of service life), and canoe/kayak launch and parking improvements in Chesapeake Beach. The presentation noted that North Beach did not submit projects by the deadline.
Brannon told commissioners that the county typically budgets a $25,000 POS request annually toward the five‑year Land Preservation, Parks and Recreation Plan (LPPRP) consultant fee (a rolling approach that accumulates to a planned $125,000), and that LPPRP updates and the POS annual program are required to maintain eligibility for state funds. He also explained a recent state-level Green Space Equity advisory process that allocated money in a separate cycle and temporarily affected availability for typical POS requests.
Commissioners voted to recommend adoption and staff said, if approved by the Board of County Commissioners, the plan would be presented to the board on June 10 and submitted to DNR by the July 1 deadline. The commission's action was recorded as a recommendation for the BOCC to adopt the FY2026 POS annual program and submit it to the state.
