Proposed Comprehensive Plan Strategies DRAFT for discussion June 28, 2017 Land Use Rural Areas Refine the Farm and Forest area (FF) Update FF boundaries to account for existing lots less than five acres Establish a Rural Residential area Account for existing rural residential development patterns with lots 3-10 acres and smaller Allow for recognition of existing small-scale neighborhood convenience retail and service uses as well as essential public services Map the Waterfront Communities for existing areas zoned RD along the waterfront and where many of the lots are in the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area. Develop and redevelop consistent with the existing patterns (lot sizes, setbacks, etc.) Allow public water and sewer facilities in locations within a designated Priority Funding Area (PFA), when necessary to address public health and safety Develop and redevelop in compliance with Critical Areas and floodplain requirements Elevate roadways where feasible and cost effective and establish evacuation routes and procedures in flood prone communities Town Centers and Villages Retain select Town Centers (in addition to the incorporated towns) with development guided by updated individual Town Center Master Plans North County Dunkirk, based upon adopted Town Center Master Plan with refinements Mid-County Prince Frederick, establish new Town Center boundaries based upon the charrette, recommend revisions to the adopted Town Center Master Plan based upon recommendations of the charrette South County Solomons and Lusby, based upon the adopted Town Center Master Plans with refinements, including expanding the Town Center boundaries Recognize new areas added to the Town Centers with a transitional zoning designation to guide development while an updated Master Plan is developed Consider options to finance extension of public water and sewer in Prince Frederick and Lusby- Solomons Town Centers, and Suburban Residential areas to promote economic development and multi-family housing opportunities and improve public health 1
Define a new Suburban Residential area surrounding each Town Center, replacing the one-mile radius area in the current plan Permit single-family and multi-family uses using transferable development rights (TDRs) Consider these areas for potential extension of sewer service These areas should be Tier I, II or III on the adopted Growth Tier Map and generally within the one-mile Town Center area of influence Integrate adjacent Employment Centers into Town Center boundaries and master plans Interconnect roadways, transit routes and pedestrian networks to make the employment center part of the adjacent community Allow uses that serve both local residents and employees to locate in employment centers Define three Villages with development guided by individual Village Master Plans Owings, based upon current adopted Town Center Master Plan with refinements; amend boundaries to include adjacent employment center Huntingtown, based upon current adopted Town Center Master Plan with refinements; amend boundaries to include adjacent institutional and commercial uses across MD 2/4 St. Leonard, based upon current adopted Town Center Master Plan with refinements General Strategies Adopt a Future Land Use map (2040) Establish a goal that the majority of new residential development occurs within designated growth areas: Town Centers, Villages, and Suburban Residential area Track building permits and subdivision approvals annually and report on the share of new units approved in these designated growth areas Consolidate the Calvert County and Town Center Zoning Ordinances to create a single document Standardize definitions, simplify density calculations, and improve clarity Define districts intended for each area of the county and appropriate to each Town Center and Village Review the transferable development rights (TDR) program for effectiveness and appropriate use Evaluate the use of TDRs within the Farm and Forest areas and the Rural Residential areas Explore the use of TDRs to increase commercial intensity in Town Centers Establish the Subdivision Regulations as a separate document, focused on review procedures and administrative requirements, not to include provisions related to density or uses 2
Transportation Adopt a Future Transportation Map Establish a functional classification of roads based upon local definitions for major highway, arterial, collector, rural road, and local street; establish minimum right-of-way reservations based upon classification Designate key bike and local transit routes connecting Town Center and Villages Designate new park and ride locations and key commuter transit routes Provide parallel roads to MD 2/4 in Prince Frederick as recommended by the charrette Include continuous bike and pedestrian facilities along these roadways Require businesses locating along these roads to have a public entrance facing them Replace the Thomas Johnson Bridge Increase capacity Include facilities for pedestrian and bicycle users Address peak-hour congestion on MD 2/4 Pursue with SHA the implementation of active traffic management technology to reduce congestion during peak hours Pursue pedestrian safety and traffic capacity improvements within Town Centers, especially Prince Frederick Designate evacuation routes Prioritize road improvements critical to safe evacuation in the event of natural or man-made disasters Consider signs and public outreach efforts to education residents and visitors about safety preparations Increase the frequency of local transit service between Town Centers, Villages, and Industrial areas Improve bicycle safety and accommodations, especially in Town Centers and Villages Establish priorities for the creation of designated bikeways along the state highways operating from east to west and connecting Town Centers including MD 231, 261, 262, 263, 264, 265, 402, 497, and 760. Provide wayfinding on designated bike routes Provide bicycle parking or storage facilities at public buildings; require it in shopping and employment areas Develop a complete streets policy, applying within Town Centers and Villages 3
Prioritize users based upon roadway classification and provisions of the applicable small area plan Address transport uses including auto, goods movement, pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit Develop a Bicycle and Pedestrian Element in each small area master plan Connect residential areas to shopping, public services and employment areas Promote safe pedestrian movements in Town Centers and Villages Map and implement continuous, ADA compliant sidewalks and pedestrian facilities in each Town Center and Village, and update small area Master Plans to include these networks. Install pedestrian crossing signals connected to safe pedestrian networks at signalized intersections within Town Centers and Villages Provide safe pedestrian and bicycle routes to all public schools Require safe pedestrian movement plans as part of the site plans for commercial, business and employment uses Provide designated crosswalks at all intersections except where the designation would create a safety hazard Set an annual goal for sidewalk construction and maintenance Housing Provide for full range of housing types in Town Centers Promote housing for the disabled and seniors in close proximity to health and support services Reduce parking requirements for housing to serve the disabled and seniors when reliable alternative transportation options are available to residents Encourage walkable, mixed use communities in Town Centers Allow accessory dwelling units in most residential areas Allow residential uses above commercial and offices uses in the Town Centers (three to four-story buildings) and Villages (two-story buildings) Promote senior housing in Town Centers Economic Vitality Provide access to broadband and high-speed internet throughout the county with special attention to Town Centers, Villages, and Industrial areas Develop incubators for new businesses 4
Develop a path for growth for new businesses Allow home-based businesses with appropriate limitations on size and number of employees Encourage businesses to locate in small incubator spaces when their activities are not permitted as a home occupation or have outgrown home-based locations. Clarify provisions for temporary uses (e.g. temporary pop-up businesses, outdoor sales, mobile food service, farmers markets) on private property Streamline the development review process for large employers locating in Town Centers and Industrial areas Rural Preservation Increase funding for the purchase and retirement of TDRs Continue to work with the land trusts to identify and preserve farms and properties that are critical to the protection of lands in Priority Preservation Areas Reduce the exceptions that allow densities in the Farm and Forest areas to exceed one lot for 20 acres Allow agritourism activities in Farm and Forest areas and on large parcels in the Rural Residential areas Permit agribusiness opportunities within the Farm and Forest and Rural Residential areas that support, complement, and promote farming and heritage/ecotourism Continue to operate and expand famers markets selling local foods; facilitate the creation of at least one farmers market in each Town Center and Village The strategies for the following elements in the Comprehensive Plan would remain largely unchanged, except, as appropriate, to implement the strategies above: Sensitive Areas Mineral Resources Water Resources Community Facilities 5