Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Council advances multiple planning items: water/sewer plan amendments, MALPF ranking updates and cannabis zoning public hearing set
Loading...
Summary
Council introduced two resolutions to amend the county water and sewer plan (six parcels and a 112-acre portion near St. Michael’s), approved changes to the MALPF prioritization formula (updating median farm-size baseline and tie-breakers), and held a public hearing on Bill 16-24 (cannabis land-use rules) that closed with no speakers and moved the bill to the March 24 vote calendar.
The Talbot County Council heard a batch of planning and land-preservation items and took several procedural steps during the meeting.
Water and sewer plan amendments: The council read a resolution to reclassify six parcels on Bushey Heath Road from unprogrammed to S1 (immediate priority) after applicants requested sewer service from the force main running from the Royal Oak pump station into St. Michael’s. County engineer Ray Clark said the extension appears feasible but noted the Office of Environmental Health review is pending and will be provided prior to the public hearing. A separate resolution was read to reclassify roughly 112 acres (portion of a larger parcel on St. Michael’s Road) to S1 where two houses would be served; engineering staff said they will provide revised maps for the public hearing.
MALPF ranking formula: Bryce Yelt, assistant director of Planning & Zoning, summarized proposed revisions to the county’s Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation (MALPF) ranking sheet. Key changes include switching the farm-size baseline from older (2007) data to the 2022 ag census (median farm size used in scoring updated from ~100 to ~67 acres), widening scoring gaps for nearby preserved acres to better differentiate competing applications, and adopting a clearer tie-breaker (largest number of acres applied for) rather than referencing a now-defunct ag-district metric. The council moved and approved the prioritization formula; the motion carried without opposition.
Bill 16-24 (cannabis zoning): Planning staff presented Bill 16-24, which would permit cannabis cultivation and processing by special exception in identified zones and impose strict setbacks (1,000 feet from preexisting residences and institutions) and a 75-acre minimum lot size for growing/processing; dispensaries would be allowed by special exception in certain commercial/industrial zones. Planning staff said the draft is more restrictive than default state allowances. The chair opened a public hearing but no one spoke; the council closed the hearing and moved the bill to the March 24 agenda for a vote.
What happens next: public hearings will be held on the water/sewer amendments on the published hearing dates (read into the record), the MALPF ranking sheet will be used for the current application cycle if adopted by the state board, and Bill 16-24 will be eligible for a council vote on March 24, 2026.
