Planning commission backs zoning ordinance updates and draft maps after debate over community benefits agreements

On its January 2025 agenda the Calvert County Planning Commission reviewed a package of zoning updates tied to the county’s Calvert 2040 comprehensive plan and voted to forward recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) on a range of items, including draft zoning maps, town‑center text amendments and several text amendment cases.

Rachel O’Shea, acting deputy director of zoning, summarized the update process and the contents of the November 2024 draft. Staff asked the commission to recommend approval, approval with conditions, or denial for the draft zoning maps, proposed comprehensive plan amendments and town center text changes. Commissioners then questioned several provisions and asked staff to clarify definitions and the planned sequencing of updates for individual town‑center ordinances.

A focal point of the discussion was the Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) language added to the draft county ordinance. Jason Brinkley and other staff described the CBA as an overlay option for commercial, industrial or institutional projects that would add public‑notice requirements and a pre‑application public meeting and could permit limited flexibility (for example, modest increases to height or building envelope) in exchange for defined community benefits. Staff stated the draft language explicitly excludes residential uses. Commissioners expressed concern that the CBA process could shift detailed negotiation to the BOCC and create promises that might not be implemented; at least one commissioner suggested a joint BOCC‑planning commission discussion to clarify parameters.

Commissioners also asked for consistent affordable‑housing language across town centers. Staff and consultants said the county’s draft uses the common standard that a household spends no more than 30% of gross income on housing costs (and noted a state metric linking eligibility to households earning no more than 80% of statewide median income for household size).

The body took a series of formal votes. Highlights include:

• Recommendation that the proposed comprehensive plan amendments be adopted by the BOCC — passed 7–0. • Huntingtown Town Center master plan amendment — recommended to BOCC, passed 6–1. • Saint Leonard Town Center master plan amendment — recommended to BOCC, passed 6–1. • Solomons Town Center master plan amendment — recommended to BOCC, passed 7–0. • A set of text amendment cases (24‑01 through 24‑06) addressing density and other town‑center items; motions to find the amendments consistent with the comprehensive plan and recommend adoption were carried (individual vote tallies recorded during roll calls ranged between 6–1 and 7–0 depending on the amendment). • Draft zoning maps: the commission voted to find the draft zoning maps consistent and to recommend repeal of the existing county zoning maps and adoption of the draft maps — passed 7–0.

Public commenters raised process and transparency concerns during the public‑comment period. Teresa Ruhlman asked who would serve on CBA review groups and said residents have “less than 6 days to review” materials; Bob Estes and other residents urged more continuous sidewalks around new developments for senior safety. One member of the public announced a planned court hearing challenging an earlier approval and said a community meeting would follow.

Staff said some town‑center ordinance language will be revisited and that a separate sequence of updates for each town center is planned after the county ordinance process is completed. The planning commission’s recommendations and consistency findings will be forwarded to the BOCC for their consideration.