The Comprehensive Plan provides a framework for jurisdictions to protect and enhance their community character and natural and cultural heritage, preserve environmental resources, and foster economic development by planning for their long-term land use, transportation, housing, water resources, and other public infrastructure needs and identify the actions the County will need to take to meet these needs and achieve the planning goals that relate to them.
The State of Maryland requires that comprehensive plans be reviewed every ten years to evaluate the demographic, economic, growth, infrastructure, environmental and regulatory changes that have happened since the last comprehensive plan update. Worcester County is scheduled to conduct the ten-year review between 2021 and 2024.
Public participation is an important part of the comprehensive planning process, as it helps to ensure that the plan accurately reflects the vision of the community. To develop an effective plan that reflects the views, desires and needs of Worcester County, the County’s decisionmakers need to hear ideas, thoughts and opinions of their citizens and stakeholders.
In 2023, the Worcester County Planning Commission initiated a Community Engagement Program in order to communicate with and gain valuable insight from a broad cross-section of County residents and other stakeholders to shape a collective vision for the upcoming Comprehensive Plan update. Thank you to the more than 1,500 participants that completed the survey or stopped by our booth at one of the many pop-up events. Your feedback has been incorporated into the final report by our consultant and will be used in the 2024 Comprehensive Plan update. The final Public Engagement Report can be reviewed here: Final Report
Next steps: Worcester County has engaged the professional services of a consultant to prepare the 2024 update to the plan. Draft chapter updates will be posted to this website as they are prepared and reviewed by the Planning Commission.