Calvert County Planning Commission recommends Prince Frederick Town Center master plan chapter after 6–1 vote

The Calvert County Planning Commission on March 18, 2026 voted to close the public record and recommend that the Board of County Commissioners adopt Chapter 2 of the Prince Frederick Town Center Master Plan. The motion to find the draft chapter consistent with the county comprehensive plan passed 6–1 after a brief staff presentation and one public comment in support of stronger creek protections.

Tay Harris, the county’s long‑range planner, summarized revisions in the March 2026 draft and said the proposed map rezones some employment‑centered parcels for inclusion in the town center, changing designations from suburban traditional to edge commercial to allow uses intended to limit infrastructure and environmental impacts. Harris also flagged watershed data for the Upper Mill Creek subwatershed, saying, "In 2023, developed land in the Upper Mill Creek watershed accounted for 38.8% of the area, including 14.6 impervious surface," and urged minimizing new impervious surface and enforcing sediment and stormwater controls during construction.

Bob Estes, a member of the public who spoke during the hearing, told the commission the creek is "heavily damaged" and described local restoration plans and grant-seeking by Friends of Hunting Creek to create wetland treatment and reduce erosion. "We're hoping we get to do that; it would be a good demonstration," Estes said. Commissioners requested a wording change to clarify that the Prince Frederick Town Center drains into Mill Creek; staff agreed to revise the language. The commission then voted on the staff recommendation; the motion passed with one recorded nay from Commissioner Gadway.