LEONARDTOWN, Md. — St. Mary’s County residents have until June 30 to complete the latest round of public surveys aimed at shaping the future of land use, housing, transportation and environmental protection as part of the St. Mary’s 2050 Comprehensive Plan update.
The county’s Department of Land Use and Growth Management is currently in Community Engagement Window #2, offering three themed surveys that follow up on public input gathered earlier this year during in-person and virtual visioning sessions. The new surveys ask for more detailed opinions on topics ranging from rural preservation and shoreline protection to transit expansion and development priorities.
The new Comprehensive Plan, titled St. Mary’s 2050: Charting Our Tomorrow, will replace the current plan adopted in 2010. The updated version aims to guide the county’s long-term priorities for preservation, development and infrastructure investment over the next 25 years. Public input will inform policy directions related to sustainable growth, community design and quality-of-life goals.
Responses gathered will help guide the next phase of drafting long-term planning policies that affect growth, infrastructure investment and environmental stewardship across the county.
County residents can also find survey teams and complete the surveys at local community events such as farmers markets, the crop festival, the Juneteenth celebration and other public events, or participate online by visiting the St. Mary’s County government portal and clicking the blue “Participate Now” button.
County planners emphasize that no policy recommendations have been drafted yet. This phase of public engagement is intended to ensure that community voices are reflected in the development of the long-term plan, which remains on track for completion in early 2026.
Find the full St. Mary’s 2050 engagement survey here.
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Questions seem to directed toward pre-determined answers that in many cases should never be governmental in nature. Very little is directed toward improvement of existing policies.