Only one additional proposed text amendment will be forwarded to the Calvert County Commissioners from the local planning commission. During their Nov. 16 meeting, the Calvert County Planning Commission voted to send a zoning ordinance amendment regarding zoning enforcement to the board for its approval. The planners voted to kill amendments dealing with daycare centers and accessory buildings shared by two lots.
The approved text amendment clarifies who is liable to fines in the event of zoning violations and also establishes a timeline for the county zoning authority to take action regarding the alleged violations.
The planning commission chose a timeline option suggested by the Maryland Department of Transportation that mandates that the enforcement provisions be filed within three years from the date the first notice of violation is received.
Department of Planning and Zoning Deputy Director Mary Beth Cook said, “three years should be plenty of time” for the department to take action against violators.
The text amendment on daycare centers attempted to permit such facilities within industrial zones provided the enrollees were children of the business employees working within the district. Several planning commission members had philosophical problems with involving government in the daycare enrollment process. Planning commission vice chairman Mike Phipps admitted he found the discourse exhausting and moved to kill the measure. One panel member, Robert Reed voted opposed to the motion. Two planning commission members—Mac McCartney and Roxanne Riddle Cumberland—did not attend the meeting.
The vote was even narrower on the amendment regarding accessory buildings on adjacent lots to main structures. “This may be creating more problems than it serves,” said planning commission member Malcolm Funn. Zoning planner Miriam Gholl told the commission that zoning officers had told her the measure would be “a nightmare to enforce.” Planning commission chairman Maurice Lusby, who usually doesn’t vote, broke a 2-2 tie by favoring the amendment be rejected.
“I really don’t like the wording,” said Lusby.
In other action, the planning commission finalized its recommendations to the county commissioners for proposed amendments to Calvert’s floodplain regulations. The panel agreed with the state of Maryland and the Calvert County Environmental Commission to increase the fl
