Talbot's Timeline Called for a Comprehensive Plan Vote This Month. September Notice Scheduled Review of First Land Use Draft

EASTON, MARYLAND — Talbot County's own schedule for updating its Comprehensive Plan called for the County Council to vote on the finished plan this month. The county's latest posted work-session notice scheduled the Planning Commission to review the first draft of the Land Use chapter in September.

The "Key Dates" page on the county's Engage Talbot site, which the county uses for the 2026 update, lists the steps in order: a final draft presented to the Planning Commission in June 2026, the plan entering the state's 60-day review period in July, final comments and adjustments in August and September, and the council enacting the update in October 2026. "By October 2026, the Council will have received a final draft of the update, and be ready to vote and enact the 2026 Update to the Comprehensive Plan," the page says. It adds that the plan goes into effect immediately after the final vote.

The work-session notices on the same site trace a different pace. On June 17, the Planning Commission was set to review the second draft of the Transportation, Natural Resources and Fisheries chapters. The July and August notices said the commission would not hold comprehensive plan work sessions those months, while staff worked with the county's consultant, Wallace Montgomery, to revise draft sections based on public testimony and the commission's comments. The July notice had pointed to an Aug. 19 session; the August notice said the next one would come in September.

That session, Sept. 21 at the Talbot County Community Center, was set for the commission to review and discuss the first draft of the Land Use chapter.

The Engage page has posted no newer work-session notice. The County Council's agenda for its Tuesday, Oct. 27, meeting lists an amendment to the county's separate Comprehensive Water and Sewer Plan for parcels on Goose Neck Road, but no vote on the Comprehensive Plan update. The Planning Commission's next meeting is Nov. 4 at 9 a.m.; the county calendar says the agenda will be on the Planning and Zoning website.

The county's hub describes the plan as guiding public policy on land use, transportation, extension of utilities and public services, natural resources, development and tourism across the whole county. The page also says the update "is expected to be completed by 2026."

Draft chapters are posted under Documents on the Engage Talbot comprehensive plan page.