Commissioners direct staff to explore "edge commercial" subdistrict for Prince Frederick town center

The Board of County Commissioners continued a public hearing and on a motion voted to restart the approval process so the planning commission can vet a proposed "edge commercial" subdistrict for the Prince Frederick Town Center master plan.

Planning and zoning director Jason Brinkley and long‑range planner Tay Harris told the board the Employment Center (EC) designation had produced little development interest since the 1990s and noted staff had been working to fold EC parcels into the town center as part of master plan updates. Brinkley said the department's intent with an edge commercial subdistrict is to allow commercial activity while keeping residential uses more restricted than typical town center allowances: "So just for clarification, the max density would be 4 dwelling units per acre," he said, describing how density would be managed in the updated plan.

Commissioners raised concerns about traffic, infrastructure and the potential for incremental housing growth in Prince Frederick. Commissioner Hart urged caution, saying he did not want to be responsible for additional congestion: "I don't wanna be responsible for more cars on the road," he said. Several commissioners said they were open to restarting the process to get more public input before adopting final language.

By motion, the board directed planning and zoning staff to prepare the edge commercial subdistrict language, send it to the planning commission for at least one public hearing and then return to the BOCC for a subsequent hearing and adoption. Staff said that process could take roughly four to six months and include draft zoning ordinance language to clarify permitted uses before any final vote.

The decision restarts the master plan approval process for the affected area; staff will present draft subdistrict definitions and proposed permitted‑use charts to the planning commission and then back to the BOCC for final consideration.