Calvert County leaves Prince Frederick town‑center hearing open after debate over expansion and density

Prince Frederick — The Calvert County Board of County Commissioners left the public hearing record open for 30 days on Tuesday after a prolonged presentation and commissioner questioning about proposed revisions to Chapter 1 (town centers) and Chapter 2 (Prince Frederick) of the county master plan. The continuance followed a presentation by Jason Brinkley, director of Planning and Zoning, and long‑range planner Tay Harris, and public comment from property representatives.

Brinkley told the board the draft chapters were consistent with the county comprehensive plan and noted prior planning commission action. Tay Harris said revisions clarified that Symphony Woods and Calvertown subdivisions are built out and explained a change in wording for adequate public facilities for roads that would require proposed projects to “demonstrate that the projected traffic volumes meet the adequate public facility standards or proposed mitigation measures acceptable to the director of planning and zoning in consultation with the Department of Public Works and, if necessary, the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration.”

Commissioners pressed staff about what the proposed expansion areas on the maps would mean in practice. Harris and staff said the northern expansion area was intended primarily to incorporate Calvert Health into the town center and that other purple areas reflect employment‑center parcels being realigned into town‑center policy, not an immediate increase in residential density. Staff emphasized that a 4 dwelling‑units per acre cap remains the maximum under county policy.

George Ratliff, speaking for the Curtis Group, said his client owns about 10 acres in a southwest expansion area and warned that if the employment‑center zoning is removed and the property is not included in the town‑center expansion it could effectively be downzoned. "If the employment center zoning goes away, which is what I understand of the plan process, we would be essentially downzoned if we are not included in the town center expansion area," Ratliff said.

Commissioners requested additional analysis, including an estimate of how many buildable acres remain in the purple expansion zones and clarification about what uses would be allowed under a future ordinance. Commissioner Ireland moved to leave the record open for 30 days to accept further public comment and to permit staff to return with the requested analysis; the motion was seconded and carried by voice vote.

Next steps: Planning staff will compile the requested buildable‑acre and uses analysis and return to the board. The record will accept public comments for 30 days before the board makes further decisions on the draft chapters.