Calvert County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Calvert County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
New state Critical Area variance standards
Maryland has tightened Critical Area variance rules effective immediately. Future applicants must show substantial need beyond convenience or financial advantage, prove their project can't be located outside the habitat protection area, and comparison properties must be truly similar. Board members expect more detailed orders and possibly more denials.
Home daycares and kennels
A couple wants to run a low-volume mobile pet grooming trailer from their driveway, one client at a time. Neighbors wrote in support; the board approved it but tied the approval to the current owners at this address.
Dunkirk Town Center setbacks restored
Most Owings survey respondents said they'd rather the area NOT remain a town center, raising the question of rezoning the whole area. Commissioners flagged the proposed 88-acre expansion across Route 260 as a dealbreaker, and staff will test public sentiment at a September 24 kickoff before deciding whether this becomes a rezoning process instead.
Zoning Ordinance text amendments TA 26-25 through TA 26-30
Six proposed zoning changes went to work session: sign rules, exception and family conveyance lots, critical-area tree cutting, home businesses, agricultural preservation districts, and reinstating Dunkirk town center setbacks.
Dunkirk Town Center boundary expansion
The plan proposes adding the Dunkirk District Park and the state-run park-and-ride into the town center boundary. Commissioners probed whether that could invite future development of parkland and what benefit inclusion provides.
Huntingtown Town Center Master Plan update
The 1993 Huntingtown master plan is getting its first real refresh. Survey respondents want to keep the town center designation but worry about traffic, vacant storefronts, and overdevelopment. A public kickoff meeting is set for September 15 at the firehouse.
Master Plan of Town Centers adoption
The draft Dunkirk Town Center Master Plan gets its public hearing February 18, 2026 — the same night as the solid waste plan hearing.
Proposed Amazon/AWS data center campus adjacent to Constellation's Calvert Cliffs facility
State historic preservation findings cited in public comment indicate the proposed data center campus near Lusby will likely adversely affect two National Register-eligible sites: the Parran's Park tobacco barn complex and the Baltimore and Drum Point Railroad bed.