Calvert County Adopts 21 New Text Amendments Before Town Center Master Plan Vote

PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. — The Calvert County Board of County Commissioners voted in a public hearing during its July 28 meeting to adopt 21 text amendments to the zoning ordinance, a massive overhaul driven by new state mandates and the county’s upcoming Prince Frederick and Dunkirk Town Center Master Plan updates.

Key adoptions include a new “no-net-loss” forest conservation policy requiring a 1:1 replanting ratio and measures to support ongoing development and the changing population density in Calvert County.

Beyond housing, the amendments update infrastructure standards within the county’s commercial hubs. Newly adopted rules limit current bike rack installation requirements to only within town centers and revise sidewalk requirements in industrial districts upon written request and review — technical changes designed to support growth in the county.

A significant portion of the package aligns Calvert with recent Maryland legislation. The new regulations will take effect in 10 days, providing the legal framework for the growth strategy outlined in the county’s Comprehensive Plan.

While the majority of the package passed unanimously, Commissioner Mike Hart took issue with Text Amendment 26-02 and voted against it. The measure says that county-led projects and Board of Education developments are exempt from certain zoning rules.

“It sounds like the rules don’t apply to us the same as they apply to private property owners,” Hart said.

Planning and Zoning Director Jason Brinkley clarified the measure as a tool for government efficiency, explaining that all public projects still remain subject to state and local regulations but that the amendment avoids “excess bureaucracy” for essential infrastructure.

After a discussion involving all five commissioners, the board and Director Brinkley amended and approved Text Amendment 26-21 to raise the proposed threshold for a Category II Site Plan for farm buildings and any structures for commercial or tourism use from 5,000 cumulative square feet to 10,000. Any such structures below that threshold will require a less lengthy and more “pocket friendly” Plot Plan.

With the amendments finalized, the commissioners will turn to the final adoption of the Prince Frederick and Dunkirk Town Center Master Plans, currently scheduled for their Aug. 4 meeting. The amendments will be legally enforceable once the 10-day administrative window concludes.

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