Planning commission backs public meeting on Prince Frederick town center draft

Tay Harris, Calvert County long-range planner, presented the February 2026 draft of the Prince Frederick Town Center master plan and summarized the document's history and recent edits. Harris told commissioners the draft reflects prior Planning Commission and Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) reviews dating to 2019 and that staff had revised language on impervious surface, transit, and town-center boundaries after public comment and departmental review. "Tonight, I'm here to talk to you about the Prince Frederick town center master plan February 2026 draft," Harris said.

Harris described proposed realignment to include certain employment-center zone parcels and staff's recommendation to establish an Edge Commercial District to allow limited uses designed to minimize infrastructure impacts. Staff reported the employment-center parcels total "2 52 acres" (spoken in the meeting) with roughly "50 to 60 acres" considered developable because of steep slopes, wetlands and streams. Harris also flagged environmental concerns in the Mill Creek watershed: staff cited 2023 data showing developed land at 38.8% and 14% impervious surface, and warned that "when impervious surface exceeds 10% of a watershed, stream ecosystems begin to show signs of distress."

Commissioners asked for clarifications about permitted uses, the definition of a group home (staff said it is "a community based living facility ... up to 16 residents"), and how the plan language should reflect a 2025 zoning decision that reduced allowable density from 14 to 4 units per acre. Staff said the zoning ordinance — not the master plan text — is the proper place to record the current density cap to avoid forcing frequent plan amendments. After discussion Commissioner (speaker 6) moved to direct staff to schedule and duly advertise a public meeting for the draft chapter on 03/18/2026; the motion carried on a voice vote.