Planning Commission directs staff to start Huntington Town Center master plan update

The Calvert County Planning Commission on Aug. 19 voted to direct staff to begin the Huntington Town Center master plan update and to proceed with outreach, including a public kickoff meeting if the commission recommends moving forward.

Planning staff said the Huntington master plan functions "as an implementation tool for the comprehensive plan," explaining the update will review land‑use subdistricts, goals and objectives and address issues such as vacant storefronts, pedestrian access and traffic safety. The presentation noted Huntington’s town center contains 81 parcels totaling about 304 acres and that the surrounding Rural Neighborhood and Rural Community districts are intended to limit commercial expansion.

Staff summarized a 2025 online survey of 398 respondents—93% of whom lived in the Huntington ZIP code—finding residents value the area’s rural character, local businesses and convenience while citing traffic and overdevelopment as top concerns. During the presentation staff apologized for a slide error that mixed information from two town center briefings and said a corrected slide will be posted to the agenda.

After limited discussion, a commissioner moved to direct staff to initiate the Huntington Town Center master plan update and proceed with outreach; the motion was seconded and carried by voice vote. Staff said if the commission recommends moving forward the department plans a kickoff meeting in September 2026 as part of a multi‑phase update process.