Planning commission conditionally approves Armory Pavilion site plan in Prince Frederick

The Calvert County Planning Commission on June 18 conditionally approved site plan SPR 143255 to redevelop the former Prince Frederick National Guard Armory into a publicly owned open-air pavilion and renovated storage building.

Planning staff presented the application, saying the proposal would create an open-air pavilion of just over 13,500 square feet and reuse an existing storage building of just under 5,000 square feet for restrooms and flexible space, producing a combined building footprint of about 18,298 square feet. Planner Christine Fenimore told commissioners the site plan had been accepted by the technical evaluation group (TEG) in December 2024 and that a traffic impact analysis was approved in May 2025. "The site plan was submitted and accepted by the technical evaluation group, also known as TEG, at their regular meeting in December 2024," Fenimore said.

Fenimore said the project has been awarded four state grants through the Department of Housing and Community Development and the Department of Commerce to fund stages including demolition, design and construction, and that Forest Conservation Act requirements would be met on-site. Jared Kosko, director of public works, confirmed staff saved bricks from the original armory and said, "we kept, I wanna say, close to 600," that the project team plans to incorporate into the memorial element.

Commissioners asked detailed questions about site circulation and vendor operations. Staff and the project engineer said vehicle circulation had been considered and that vendor and food-truck areas were intended primarily for vendor access and staging, with public access routed through the main entrance. Kristen Perry, parks and rec special facilities division chief, said Parks & Recreation would likely manage the facility and described potential programming that could include farmers markets, rentals and even a seasonal ice rink under the pavilion in winter.

After discussion, a commissioner moved to approve the detailed site development plan with staff-recommended conditions; the motion was seconded and approved. The commission recorded the outcome as approved and the chair later noted one member had logged off so the final tally was 6-0. The conditional approval includes three staff conditions: responding to outstanding agency comments prior to final site plan approval, that the planning commission's conditional approval does not guarantee final approval of the detailed site development plan, and that SPR 143255 will expire 24 months after conditional approval if final approval is not obtained.

The commission's action advances the project toward final site-plan review; staff will continue coordinating agency comments and required refinements before final sign-off.