St. Mary’s County commissioners held their first work session Sept. 15 on the draft St. Mary’s 2050 Comprehensive Plan, digging into the details of a document meant to guide county land use and public investment for the next 25 years.
The session followed a request from Commissioner Eric S. Colvin, who told the board in August he was “surprised by some of the Planning Commission’s recent votes on land use changes” and pushed for commissioners to hold their own work session on the plan before scheduling a final public hearing, rather than moving straight to a vote. One commissioner, addressing the board ahead of the session, described coming in with “a big stack of questions,” saying that because the plan would set the framework the county “bases things on” for the next quarter-century, “we really need to understand it” and “make sure we’re digging deeply into it” before anything is approved.
The draft plan, titled “St. Mary’s 2050: Charting Our Tomorrow,” would replace the county’s current comprehensive plan, first adopted in 2010. It has been in development since fall 2024, following an extensive public engagement process that included visioning sessions, an online planning portal, and public hearings before the Planning Commission that wrapped up in early July.
Among its most significant changes, the draft would consolidate the county’s current 23 land-use classifications down to just nine categories. County officials have said the simplification is not intended to intensify allowed land uses, and that development and town center boundaries would remain unchanged. The plan also includes an updated future land-use map identifying areas targeted for growth, redevelopment and preservation, and it allows property owners to request changes to their land’s designation as part of the review process.
Commissioners have since scheduled a public hearing on the draft plan for Oct. 6 at 6:30 p.m. in Leonardtown, with written comments accepted through Oct. 13. The Sept. 15 work session was described as the first of what could be multiple sessions before the board takes final action, with commissioners expressing optimism about reaching a plan they’re prepared to pass.
The work session followed an Aug. 18 briefing on the draft plan, where Colvin’s request for additional commissioner-level review first surfaced.
