Not all state mandates yield excessive heartburn for local officials. In Calvert, where the elected county commissioners and appointed planning commission have made an effort to assure the area maintains its rural character, the Maryland General Assembly’s updated forest conservation laws should be assimilated into the rewritten zoning ordinance, which remains a work in progress.
Will Hager of the planning and zoning department during an April 17 work session with the two local panels said, “The rewrite will be significant. It will need to be rewritten to bring it in line with updates to the forest conservation act.”
The forest conservation measure was initially approved during the 2023 legislative session. While the changes were originally supposed to go in place this year, Maryland’s jurisdictions now have a deadline in 2026 to meet.
In a summary of the state measure, planning and zoning staff said “forest cleared will be required to be replaced at a 1-to-1 ratio unless in a priority funding area.”
Hager said, “The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has been tasked with interpreting this legislation and developing guidance for counties on how to implement the changes.”
The April 17 work session also dealt with the proposed changes to the zoning ordinance’s natural resources article.
Hager summarized the draft as containing “stronger protections of sensitive environmental features on lots, residue and open space created during the subdivision process after the adoption of the updated zoning ordinance outside of town centers.”
However, members of both boards expressed objections with giving potential developers what were perceived as less sanctions and greater flexibility within the town centers, which also contain environmentally sensitive components like forests, streams and slopes.
“It’s almost two-tier justice,” Christopher Gadway, planning commission member, said of the proposed regulations, which also appear to be avoidable through the variance process.
Gadway said the proposed draft would indicate the environment within a town center “is not as important.”
“So the water quality inside the town center is not as important as outside the town center?” Commissioner President Earl F. “Buddy” Hance (R) asked.
“It’s all important,” Hager said.
“Apparently, it’s not,” Hance responded.
At the conclusion of the presentation, Hager noted that county government staff now has “guidance” to incorporation stricter environmental rules within Calvert’s seven town centers.
During the public comment segment, Bob Estes of the Friends of Hunting Creek conceded that the plan for Calvert’s natural resources protection area provides “more protections than we’ve seen before.” However, he indicated skepticism that the numbered limits will “actually protect what we have in Calvert County.”
McQueen joins planning commission
The planning commission welcomed its newest member during the April work session. James McQueen of Lusby was appointed to the panel in late March. He was selected over three other applicants by unanimous vote.
McQueen succeeds Maria Buehler, the planning commission’s former chair, who chose not to apply for reappointment after serving eight years.
Gregory Kernan is now serving as the commission’s acting chair.
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