St. Mary's County officials: 2,700 housing units in plan review, 2050 plan moves to public hearing

Saint Mary's County economic-development and planning leaders told attendees at a housing symposium that the county has a significant pipeline of proposed housing and is advancing its long-range comprehensive plan.

Cindy Greb, director of economic development for Saint Mary's County, said the county currently has more than 2,700 housing units in the plan-review process and that this pipeline will narrow the gap toward projected county need. She emphasized that housing decisions affect the local economy, military readiness at Pax River and the county's small businesses, and argued that the comprehensive plan should reflect community values and guide growth to preserve local character.

Courtney Jenkins, deputy director for Land Use and Growth Management, provided details on the Saint Mary's 2050 comprehensive-plan project: it is a planning-commission-led document produced with consultant Clarion Associates, includes technical and public-engagement phases and was released as a public-review draft in February. Jenkins said the draft contains 10 chapters (growth management, housing, economic development, environment, transportation, public facilities, public health and an implementation chapter) and that the formal approval process requires planning-commission public hearings followed by review by the Board of County Commissioners. She invited residents to review the draft on the county project website and noted the first public hearing before the planning commission is scheduled for June 29 at 6:30 p.m. in the Commissioners' Meeting Room.

Both officials stressed the need for diverse housing types—from starter homes and townhomes to senior housing—tied to infrastructure capacity and community character. Greb said the comprehensive plan is the community's roadmap and should be implemented through collaborative stewardship and public engagement.