Below is a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
The current plan, adopted in 2010, helped to guide County decisions and policies over the past ten years. The County adopts a new comprehensive plan on a periodic basis to address changing conditions, new socio-economic circumstances, or other changes in policy. The State of Maryland also requires that counties and municipalities update their plans at least once every ten years.
Wallace Montgomery, a multidisciplinary consulting firm with offices in Maryland and Delaware, has been contracted to update the Comprehensive Plan. Working with County staff, boards, commissions, and project sub-consultants, the update will reflect current demographic, development, and preservation conditions in Queen Anne’s County, identify future trends and opportunities, and provide goals and recommendations for a number of topic areas.
It is important to note that PlanQAC 2021 is an update of the 2010 Comprehensive Plan. Information that is accurate and still pertinent in the 2010 Plan will be carried forward, although it may look a little different. Generally, information that will be updated falls into four categories:
- Technical Changes. Since the last Plan was adopted in 2010, much of the information in that document is over ten years old. Related updates will fix technical information such as updating background information and removing completed actions.
- Reflect New Plans. Several new plans have been developed by the County and the State since the 2010 Plan was adopted. As appropriate, information from these plans will be incorporated into PlanQAC 2021 as updated background information and new or modified policies and actions, so that the County’s Plan will reflect the most recent information and policy directions available. Information from these other plans will be clearly identified in the new document.
- Other New or Modified Narratives, Policies, or Actions. Individual narratives, policies, or actions will be updated to reflect emerging issues or innovative ideas. PlanQAC 2021 will also include a revised layout/format, which is intended to be more readable and user-friendly.
- Map Changes. Many, if not all, of the maps included in PlanQAC 2021 will be updated to reflect the most current data available. There will also be an opportunity for property owners who wish to change the land use or intensity of their individual parcels to submit these requests, which will be reviewed and incorporated on an individual basis.
The Plan will address the following topics as mandated by the State: Goals and Objectives, Land Use, Housing, Community Facilities, Transportation, Water Resources, Sensitive Areas, Areas of Critical State Concern, Development Regulations, and Development Regulations.
Major components of the Plan will include a community vision and implementation plan, community profile, existing conditions studies, and land use analysis. Based on the community’s input and updated data being collected and analyzed, a future land use map will be generated to help guide future growth, development, and preservation.
The Comprehensive Plan addresses many of the salient issues we face today and can serve as a high-level guide to ensure that the County not only recovers from the disruptions caused by COVID-19, but emerges stronger, healthier, more resilient, and more equitable than before. In light of COVID-19, we will include changes to various narratives, policies, and actions including the areas of food access, health equity, housing stability, and increased instances of teleworking and we will note how expectations around population and economic growth may be impacted, highlighting the importance of continued monitoring and response.
PlanQAC 2021’s public outreach activities are also impacted by COVID-19. Visit the Get Involved page to see how these activities will be adjusted to accommodate current guidance and meeting restrictions.
- Wallace Montgomery (prime consultant)
- Remline (subconsultant)
- Heritage Strategies (subconsultant)
The County’s Comprehensive Plan update provides an opportunity for property owners to have the zoning of their properties re-evaluated for a different zoning district if they so choose. Property owners seeking to have their properties rezoned following the adoption of the 2021 Comprehensive Plan must make their intentions known while the Comprehensive Plan Update is occurring. Once adopted, the Comprehensive Plan charts the direction of the community’s long-term goals, which includes identifying a pattern of desired land uses.
After adoption of the 2021 Comprehensive Plan, the County will embark on a process of Countywide rezoning; however, the rezoning of any parcel will be evaluated against the land use designation it received in the updated Comprehensive Plan. Zoning is a tool to implement the land use policies of the Comprehensive Plan—zoning must be consistent with the land use plan.
Additional information and the Comprehensive Rezoning Request Form can be found on the Resources page.
KNSG Wastewater Treatment Plant Sewer Capacity Issue FAQs