We hope our supporters are well and safe during this difficult time. Now that the County is (somewhat) re-opening, we thought we should post an update about the Prince Frederick Master Plan and Comprehensive Plan.
Prince Frederick Master Plan
The County conducted a survey in the Spring to gather citizens’ opinions about what areas the Master Plan should focus on. The survey results were presented to the Planning Commission at its meeting on June 17th. Staff’s memo and survey results can be reviewed here: https://www.calvertcountymd.gov/DocumentCenter/View/31812/Item-9a---PrFred-Town-Center-Master-Plan-Update
Staff is proposing several study areas on which they intend to focus at this time, related to Land Use and Transportation issues. The document linked to above includes the list of topics to be studied. The memo also includes an analysis of what tools are available to involve the public in the Master Plan update process virtually.
We encourage all of our supporters to be engaged in the Master Plan process, whether you live in Prince Frederick or not.
We will post regular updates as much as possible, but the best way to stay informed is to sign up for updates on the County’s website here: https://www.calvertcountymd.gov/1366/Sign-Up
Comprehensive Plan
With your support, we were able to convince the Commissioners to make some changes to the Comprehensive Plan, but our work is far from over. There are numerous plans, policies, and proposed actions in the Plan that the County will be adopting in the next several years. KCC intends to monitor the County’s actions closely to make sure future plans and regulations do not destroy the rural character of our beautiful County.
During the Comprehensive Plan process, we were overwhelmed by the number of citizens who educated themselves and spoke out against what amounted to a “Pro-Growth Plan”. We were also shocked when the Commissioners adopted the Plan, ignoring the thousands of pages of letters and hundreds of hours of testimony against it.
If you have not heard, a new citizens’ organization (Calvert Citizens United/CCU) was formed after the Comprehensive Plan was adopted for the purpose of filing a lawsuit to overturn the Commissioners’ decision. (Note: this group is in no way related to the national organization of a similar name and is not part of KCC.)
CCU is asking the Court for a Declaratory Judgment to determine whether the Plan was properly adopted. They have also filed an Injunction to stop the County from moving forward with zoning changes while the case is pending.
To read more about this new organization and the ongoing lawsuit, visit their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/CalvertCitizensUnited/[1]
We encourage you to stay engaged by following CCU as its case makes its way through the Court system. The County is mounting a major defense – spending taxpayers’ dollars to fight taxpayers, while CCU is relying solely on donations from citizens who support their cause. If you wish to show your support by making a donation, you may send a check to P.O. Box 1018, Huntingtown, MD 20639. Checks are preferred as no fees are deducted but if you prefer to donate online, you may do so here: https://www.facebook.com/CalvertCitizensUnited/
[1] If you’re not on Facebook, please email calvertcitizensunited@gmail.com for additional information.