The public is invited to help preserve connections to plan the future of Queen Anne’s County by attending one of three visioning workshops scheduled for this summer.

The workshops begin at 6:30 p.m. and will be July 24 at Sudlersville Middle School, July 28 at Kent Island High School and August 18 at Queen Anne’s County High School. All citizens are encouraged to attend one of the workshops to learn more about changes in the county since the 2002 Comprehensive Plan was adopted, participate in a survey and learn about the planning process. Residents interested in volunteering for the Citizen Advisory Committee or a Topic Committee must attend one of the workshops and complete an application.

The Citizen Advisory Committee, or CAC, will be responsible for providing input to the planning process to be sure there is clear understanding of the ideas and concerns of all interested parties, including businesses, land owners, civic groups and residents. CAC members will have a series of meetings throughout the planning process and create an advisory report for the Queen Anne’s County Planning Commission.

Topic Committees will be responsible for reviewing Comprehensive Plan elements, including land use, water resources, municipal growth, workforce housing, historic preservation and economic development, among others. Topic Committee members will also have a series of meetings throughout the planning process, as well as making presentations, site visits and tours.

“The process to update the (Comprehensive) plan is designed to actively engage residents, business owners, visitors, elected officials and others over the next 18 months,” said Helen Spinelli, Chief of Community and Environmental Planning and part of the Comprehensive Plan team along with Katrina Tucker, Amanda Apple and Rob Gunter.

Spinelli said the updated Comprehensive Plan will remain constant with the future vision for the county with an emphasis on maintaining and enhancing a “predominately rural county…a great place to live…a good place to work…a good neighbor…a good community.”

The Queen Anne’s County Comprehensive Plan is reviewed every six years in accordance with state legislation.