Public Input Sought on Proposed Amendments to Huntingtown Master Plan, Zoning Ordinance
The Calvert County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) and the Calvert County Planning Commission are seeking public comment on proposed amendments to the Huntingtown Master Plan and Zoning Ordinance. Two upcoming events will give residents opportunities to learn more and offer input.
An informational meeting Wednesday, March 26, 7 p.m., at Huntingtown High School will offer details on the proposed amendments. The BOCC and the Planning Commission will then hold a joint public hearing on the amendments Tuesday, April 1, 7 p.m., also at Huntingtown High School, where official public comment will be solicited.
Proposed Huntingtown Master Plan and Zoning Ordinance changes could modify the extent and location of the wooded buffer along the town center's eastern boundary, setbacks from roads, and setbacks for principal structures and accessory structures. For a more extensive description of the proposed amendments, visit the county website’s Public Hearings page.
At the March 26 informational meeting, county staff will present the amendment options and be available to answer questions. Oral comments for the official public record may only be provided at the April 1 public hearing. Written comments may be submitted until 4:30 p.m. April 1 to the Department of Community Planning and Building by email to pz@co.cal.md.us or fax to 410-414-3092; or to Planning Commission Chairman Maurice Lusby, 150 Main Street, Prince Frederick, MD 20678.
To learn more, contact the Department of Community Planning and Building at 410-535-1600, ext. 2333.
Online Media Center Makes County Videos Easy to Access; Commissioners’ Meetings Now Streamed Live
For residents who cannot make it in person to the Calvert County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) meetings at 10 a.m. Tuesdays, there is now a way to watch live from anywhere.
Calvert County’s Media Center provides access to the commissioners’ meetings on demand, both by live streaming and archived, as well as a growing collection of videos on demand that highlight different aspects of Calvert County Government.
The Media Center, located at http://www.co.cal.md.us/mediacenter, includes a Meetings on Demand function that gives users 24-hour access to videos of regular meetings, archived meeting agendas and minutes. Archived meetings are arranged by year and date, with the most recent at the top of the list. Users can also search the archives by typing keywords into the search box.
Videos can be viewed on a variety of devices, from smart phones to desktop computers. Video streaming typically requires the use of media plug-ins. While the necessary plug-ins will often come pre-installed, you may need to install or enable plug-ins to watch streaming video. Adobe Flash Player and Microsoft Silverlight plug-ins are recommended if they are available for your device.
County government information is also shown on Comcast channel 6, the county’s public access cable channel. Regular meetings of the BOCC are shown at 7 p.m. Tuesdays, 2 p.m. Wednesdays, 7 p.m. Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays. In addition to video content, Comcast also airs a weekly county bulletin board with information from local government and other county agencies.
Dispose of Hazardous Waste
The Calvert County Department of Public Works, Division of Solid Waste, will collect household hazardous waste on Saturday, March 22, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Mt. Hope Community Center, 104 Pushaw Station Road, Sunderland. The event will give Calvert County residents the opportunity to safely dispose of hazardous substances free of charge.
Collection is limited to Calvert County residents only and proof of residency, such as a tax or utility bill or driver's license, is required. Waste from commercial businesses is prohibited.
Hazardous waste commonly found in the home includes materials such as oil-based paints, gasoline, gas/oil mix, pool chemicals, solvents, fertilizers, prescription drugs, explosives and other items usually labeled with the words "DANGER," "TOXIC," "POISON" or "WARNING." These items should be separated from regular household trash and disposed of in an environmentally friendly way.
For more information, call the Calvert County Department of Public Works, Division of Solid Waste, at 410-326-0210 or visit the Calvert County website at http://www.co.cal.md.us/index.aspx?nid=348 for a full listing of materials accepted.
2014 Wet Season 'Perc' Testing Application Deadline is Friday, April 11
he Calvert County Health Department's Division of Environmental Health began 2014 Wet Season percolation testing March 3. The last day to submit applications for testing in this year's Wet Season is Friday, April 11.
Visit the Health Department's perc test page at http://www.calverthealth.org/community/environmentalhealthservices/perctest.htm
North Beach Drainage Project to Include Environmentally Friendly Features
A drainage remediation project in North Beach will alleviate flooding while helping improve runoff water quality.
The project, run by the Calvert County Department of Public Works, started in February with engineers surveying along 5th Street between Chicago Avenue and Green Avenue. Yards in the area routinely flood following rain storms. Plans call for the roadway ditch line to be repaired and reshaped to improve drainage.
The county is taking this opportunity to design a solution that will better filter the water to remove road runoff pollutants. Crews will convert the ditch along the southern portion of 5th Street to a grass swale engineered to collect runoff and allow it to percolate into the ground. A filter material under the grass surface will help remove road contaminants while the grass helps reduce the velocity of the flowing water.
Following engineering and design work, construction on the drainage project will begin by this fall. For more information, email Erica Jackson at jacksoen(at)co.cal.md.us, project engineer with the county Department of Public Works, or call her at 410-535-1600, ext. 2569.