Calvert County seeks public input as it refines Prince Frederick Town Center plan and limits residential density

Commissioner (unnamed), host of the county’s Commissioner's Corner program, said the Board has directed planning staff to bring the Employment Center District on Prince Frederick’s west side into the Prince Frederick Town Center framework and solicit public comment. “We asked Jason to come sit down with me today and we could address some of the complaints,” the commissioner said.

Jason Brinkley, Calvert County director of planning and zoning, said the Employment Center District — created in the mid-1990s for restricted technical and commercial uses — has sat largely unused for about 30 years. He said the county’s comprehensive plan and zoning ordinance view those districts as temporary and staff were told to explore an "edge commercial" designation that would allow limited commercial uses but would not permit standalone residential or additional density. “The direction given was really to take a look at what's called edge commercial,” Brinkley said.

Officials framed the next steps as administrative rather than final policy: planning staff will restart the approval process with the Planning Commission, hold public hearings, gather input and then return recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners. Brinkley stressed that public input at those hearings will shape how the properties are incorporated: “This is a great time ... to allow public feedback,” he said.

The discussion also addressed outreach methods. Planning staff acknowledged a recent mailer targeted by ZIP code missed some owners who live outside that ZIP code and called that a “lesson learned,” promising broader outreach for future engagement.

The Board has tied the review to recent county policy changes intended to limit high-density development in town centers. Commissioner (unnamed) noted the Board adopted a comprehensive zoning ordinance in February 2025 that set town-center density at four units per acre, down from prior allowances the commissioner said reached as high as 20 units per acre. Brinkley reiterated that those new rules apply to projects submitted after the ordinance takes effect and that the Planning Commission hearings are the appropriate venue for community input.

The Planning Commission will hold future hearings on the Prince Frederick Town Center master plan and related actions; the county urged residents to participate through official channels to ensure their views are recorded in the formal review process. The Board did not take any vote during the program.

Next steps: staff will present revised zoning language for the Employment Center District to the Planning Commission and schedule public hearings before returning recommendations to the Board.