SOUTHERN MARYLAND — Local governments and school systems in Charles, Calvert and St. Mary’s counties have released their early January 2026 public meeting schedules, giving residents a chance to follow discussions on development projects, education issues, budgets and county operations. Additional meetings and agendas will be added as they are finalized throughout the month.
Calvert County
Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, 9 a.m.
The Calvert County Board of Appeals will hold a public hearing in the Chesapeake Hearing Room, County Administration Building, 1st Floor, 150 Main St., Prince Frederick.
Agenda and meeting documents are available here.
Scheduled cases included:
- Case 25-4236: Rescheduled request for wetland and stream buffer variances to construct 24 townhomes and one commercial office building at 305 and 445 Main St., Prince Frederick.
- Case 25-4237: Special exception request for a Class B home occupation to operate a mobile pet grooming business at 8821 Limerick Lane, Owings.
- Case 25-4238: Request for a decision on an alleged zoning interpretation error involving the Lusby Villas development during pending litigation.
- Case 25-4239: Variance request to reduce lateral line setbacks at 358 Gideon Lane, Solomons, within a Town Center/Critical Area/Limited Development Area zone.
Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, 10:30 a.m.
The Calvert County Board of County Commissioners will hold a public hearing in the Chesapeake Hearing Room, County Administration Building, 150 Main St., Prince Frederick, to consider and receive public comments on Budget Amendment BA2026-000528, related to the transfer of opioid litigation settlement funds to support opioid restitution grant expenditures for FY 2026. The hearing will be livestreamed, and written comments will be accepted prior to the meeting.
Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, 6–9 p.m.
The Calvert County Board of Education will hold a regular meeting, including the election of board officers. No agenda has been published at this time.
Charles County
Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, 9 a.m.
The Charles County Board of Commissioners will meet to consider correspondence to Charles County Public Schools regarding the future of the La Plata High School pool, receive a briefing on the commissioner compensation legislation and discuss a proposed bonus for sworn Sheriff’s Office employees represented by the Fraternal Order of Police. Agenda and meeting documents are available here.
Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, 6 p.m.
The Charles County Planning Commission will meet for a hybrid public meeting to hear and gather public input on proposed development items.
Items on the agenda include:
- Liberty Bell subdivision (PSP-250001), a proposed five-lot single-family detached home development. The request includes approval of a preliminary subdivision plan and a modification to allow the lots to be served by a private drive.
Agenda and meeting documents are available here. - Cedar Ridge (CSP-250001), a conceptual subdivision plan proposing approximately 33 single-family homes on 63.61 acres zoned Rural Residential (RR) off Charles Street in La Plata. The public meeting is for community input only; no vote will be taken. Comments gathered will be forwarded to the applicant for consideration as part of a future preliminary subdivision plan application.
Agenda and meeting documents are available here.
- The Charles County Board of Appeals will meet at 6:30 p.m. to consider a proposed Sheetz convenience store and gas station at 11355 Pembrooke Square, near U.S. Route 301 in Waldorf. The request seeks special exception approval for motor vehicle fuel sales associated with a commercial use exceeding 3,500 square feet.
Agenda and meeting documents are available here.
- The Charles County Board of Appeals will also hear a continuance for the Rivers Edge administrative appeal, involving an appeal of a zoning officer’s decision related to the abandonment of a nonconforming use at 7320 Benedict Ave. in Benedict.
Agenda and meeting documents are available here. - A regular Board of Education meeting is scheduled for 12 p.m., followed by a public session at 1 p.m. and a public forum at 6 p.m. No agendas have been published at this time and the listing will be updated once available.
Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, 7 p.m.
The Charles County Democratic Central Committee will hold a special public hearing at 7 p.m. at the Hamilton II Building in Waldorf to nominate one candidate to fill a vacancy on the Charles County Board of Elections. Eligible registered Democrats interested in being considered must submit required application materials by 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10. The appointment is expected to begin in January 2026, pending confirmation by the governor’s office.
Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, 6:30 p.m.
The Charles County Board of Appeals will hold multiple in-person public hearings at the Charles County Government Building Auditorium, 200 Baltimore St., La Plata, to consider zoning and variance requests involving properties in Waldorf.
Scheduled hearings include:
- Docket #1479 — Sage Ventures, requesting a special exception to construct a mini-warehouse storage facility at 10191 Berry Road, Waldorf.
- Docket #1480 — Heritage Memorial Cemetery, requesting variance approval related to accessory structures and setback encroachments.
- Docket #1481 — Heritage Memorial Cemetery, requesting variance approval to allow disturbance within the Resource Protection Zone.
St. Mary’s County
Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, 9 a.m.
Commissioners of St. Mary’s County will hold a meeting at the Chesapeake Building in Leonardtown. See the full agenda here.
Agenda highlights include:
- DPW&T decision on the Preston Court intersection to Morgan Road (Broyhill Subdivision)
- Exelon grant funding acceptance
- Property tax credit incentive for KI HOMAC, Inc.
- Legislative updates from the county attorney
- Memorial ceremony honoring Randall Hill at 1:30 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, 6:30 p.m.
The St. Mary’s County Board of Appeals will hold a public hearing at the Chesapeake Building, 41770 Baldridge St., Leonardtown. The agenda includes the board’s annual elections for chair and vice chair, multiple variance and appeal cases, review of the 2025 annual report, approval of meeting minutes, and review of orders.
The board will consider the following cases during the public hearing:
Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, 9 a.m.–12 p.m.
The Board of Education of St. Mary’s County will hold a regular meeting. The agenda includes a superintendent update, recognitions, including a contract award for the fuel oil tank replacement at Benjamin Banneker Early Childhood Center.
Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, 6:30 p.m.
Planning Commission meeting, at the Commissioners Meeting Room, Chesapeake Building, Leonardtown. No agenda has been published at this time and the listing will be updated once available.
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