Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Prince Frederick Master Plan topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning commission schedules public meeting on Prince Frederick town center master plan draft
Summary
Staff presented the February 2026 draft of the Prince Frederick Town Center master plan, reviewed prior BOCC actions and environmental concerns in Mill Creek watershed, and the commission voted to advertise a public meeting on March 18, 2026, for further public input.
Tay Harris, long range planner for Calvert County Planning & Zoning, presented the February 2026 draft of the Prince Frederick Town Center master plan and asked the Planning Commission for feedback.
Harris summarized earlier actions on the draft, noting the Planning Commission found the plan consistent on July 16, 2025, and the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) held and continued public hearings through December 2025 and January 2026 to gather comments. Harris said staff revised chapters to address impervious surface updates and to clarify build‑out status for Symphony Woods and Calvertown.
The presentation emphasized environmental constraints and a change in allowable densities. Harris said the employment center parcels total about "252 acres in total, of which approximately 50 to 60 acres are developable due to steep slopes, wetlands, and streams." He also warned that "when impervious surface exceeds 10% of a watershed, stream ecosystems begin to show signs of distress," and recommended language in the draft to flag the Mill Creek subwatershed as under stress and to minimize new impervious surface. Harris noted the plan adds a recommendation to reassess impervious-surface data every five to seven years and places detailed maps in an online appendix.
Commissioners pressed staff for clarifications. One commissioner asked for an example of "a dwelling attached to a nonresidential building," to which Harris replied that it could be "a convenience store and you put an apartment on top." When asked about the plan language recommending consideration of increased residential density in limited "Main Street" areas, Harris said any change above the BOCC's 2025 downzoning (from 14 to 4 units per acre) would require a zoning-ordinance amendment and additional public outreach.
After questions, the commission voted to direct staff to schedule and duly advertise a public meeting on March 18, 2026, to receive broader public input on the draft Prince Frederick chapter. The motion passed by voice vote.
Next steps: staff will advertise the March 18 public meeting and return materials for that hearing; commissioners and the public may submit further comments for staff to consider before any consistency determination.
