Planning and Zoning
The Talbot County Planning Office is responsible for the administration of the overall County wide Planning Program, planning for the physical development and growth of the County. This responsibility includes:
Comprehensive planning;
Implementation of County zoning, subdivision and Critical Area regulations;
Commercial/industrial site plan review and approval;
Residential building permit review, approval and administration;
Livability Code implementation and administration;
Housing program coordination;
Floodplain review (FEMA), State forest conservation implementation;
Agricultural land preservation programs;
State rural legacy program administration; and
County wide addressing program coordination.
The Office provides support staff and administration to numerous boards and commissions including the Talbot County Planning Commission, Board of Appeals, Historic District Commission, Agricultural Land Preservation Advisory Board and the Housing Advisory Board. Other services performed include administration of local, state and federal grant projects and programs and providing information on a daily basis to the general public concerning the regulation of land use in Talbot County.
Office personnel are available Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to provide assistance to Talbot County residents and the general public.
Technical Advisory Committee Agenda
Active Development Review Projects
Special Notice
The Talbot County Council has formed a Blue Ribbon Commission to review and comment on recent and pending changes to State Critical Area legislation and potential impacts on local program implementation. This Commission will begin the process of developing suitable changes to Talbot County's ordinance for submittal to the County Council for their consideration.
Meetings are open to the public
Full Committee Meeting: Friday, March 15, 2013 10:30 AM
215 Bay Street, Easton -- Conference Room One
Previous Meetings
Bay TMDL and Local Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP)
In December, 2010,The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in coordination with the Chesapeake Bay watershed jurisdictions, established a nutrient and sediment pollution diet for the Bay to guide and assist Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts. This pollution diet is known as the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL), or Bay TMDL. Concurrent with the TMDL, EPA charged the Bay watershed states with developing Watershed Implementation Plans in order to provide adequate “reasonable assurance” that the jurisdictions can and will achieve the nutrient and sediment reductions necessary to implement the TMDL within their respective boundaries.
Local jurisdictions are now working to develop Watershed Implementation Plans with detailed reduction targets and specific strategies to further ensure that the water quality goals of the Bay TMDL will be met. The WIP process will continue through 2012, the Bay TMDL goal is to attain water quality improvement goals by 2025.
WIP Targets Fact Sheet Talbot WIP Strategy
WIP Impact on Maryland Industries
Link to MDE Watershed Implementation Plan website Link to US EPA Bay TMDL website
Please Note: Some of these documents may take longer than others to download and open depending on your internet connection speed.