Calvert County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Calvert County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Chapter 92 property-maintenance code revisions
Planning and Zoning proposed modernizing the property-maintenance code: consistent countywide standards, 60-day correction periods, removal of the unenforceable 'dangerous tree' provision, and dropping excessive-growth enforcement in the critical area. The Board gave consensus direction to prepare amendments for a public hearing.
NAS Patuxent River compatibility study and Drum Point zones
The Navy's updated AICUZ study, for the first time, maps accident potential zones curving over Drum Point in Calvert County and recommends the county adopt an overlay zone and coordinate development reviews with the base.
Agricultural preservation rule cleanup
First comprehensive update to the ag preservation rules since 1978 — dropping expensive boundary survey requirements, reimbursing first-time TDR sellers up to $500 per right, and treating tenant houses as accessory dwellings under new state law. A public hearing comes next.
Exception lot sunset extension
Landowners hoping to create exception or family conveyance lots got a one-year reprieve — the deadline for preliminary approval moves from March 1, 2027 to March 1, 2028, because wet conditions have blocked perk testing.
Board of Appeals process and special exception criteria
Board members clashed over whether they can grant a special exception before a traffic study exists, since the criteria require a finding that the use 'will not create congestion.' The chair asked that the criteria wording be revisited to fit the county's concept-review-first process.