County unveils public-review draft of Saint Mary's County Comprehensive Plan 2050, opens 45-day comment period

Saint Mary's County planning staff and consultants presented the public-review draft of the Comprehensive Plan 2050 to the Planning Commission on Feb. 9 and announced the draft is now available on the project website for public review and comment.

Jessica Andritz, director of Land Use and Growth Management, opened the briefing and said the public-review draft is being released for a 45-day engagement window that includes a series of open houses across the county and an online survey. "The public draft of the comprehensive plan is now available on the project website," Andritz said.

Consultant Leanne King (Clarion Associates) described the draft as a working document that updates the county's 2010 plan and organizes policy guidance around three vision themes: guiding growth through 2050, protecting environmental and agricultural resources, and serving community needs. The draft contains 10 plan elements that meet state requirements and provide goals, policies and actions for implementation.

Key changes highlighted include: a stronger focus on attainable and workforce housing choices; design guidance to encourage walkability and infill redevelopment; alignment of preservation funding with state/federal priorities; and strengthened natural-hazard and resiliency policies. The draft also flags infrastructure limits, particularly sewer capacity managed with MetCom, as a factor shaping where growth should be concentrated.

Staff outlined next steps: public open houses (dates and locations on the project website and in local libraries and senior centers), paper survey availability at public facilities, analysis of comments and a follow-up briefing to the Planning Commission in mid-to-late April; staff will then prepare a public-hearing draft for formal hearings and anticipated adoption in early summer.

Commissioners asked how the draft interacts with recent state housing legislation and requested clearer definitions for terms such as "attainable," "workforce" and "middle" housing. Staff said definitions are being developed and the plan will be revised to include them; staff and the county attorney are monitoring state bills and will include required policy changes if legislation affects plan requirements.

The county encouraged residents who cannot attend open houses to complete the online survey or submit paper copies at libraries and senior centers during the comment window.

What happens next: comments collected during the 45-day window will be analyzed and used to refine the draft before the Planning Commission forwards a public-hearing draft to the County Commissioners for consideration and possible adoption.