Smart Business Growth

Susan’s objective is to see our small businesses succeed adding to the quality of life we share.

While Calvert County’s residential growth rate is stable, affordable, and sustainable at about 1% per year, it is important to grow the commercial tax base through smart business growth to provide the goods and services needed locally while reducing the dependence on the residential tax base and creating local jobs.

Is Calvert County business-friendly?

The answer is both yes and no.

YES - Calvert County presents a business-friendly climate and services.

Free Business Services

• Business marketing database
• Assistance of marketing professional
• Business surveys to identify key issues and problems
• Commercial real estate listings
• Confidential in-house business counseling
• Free employment classifieds for local businesses
• Financial referrals and assistance
• Management of confidential client and prospect information
• Ombudsman Program
• On-site business visitation program
• Small Business Development Center (SBDC) counseling, including assistance with development of business plans
• Training and educational seminars
• Workforce development coordination
• Enhanced business retention program
• Web based marketing programs including employment classifieds, business database, commercial property listings, Visitors Guide, Calendar of Events and other marketing materials

Other Business Services

• Calvert County Virtual Incubator
• Calvert Economic Development Loan Fund
• Fast Track Permitting
• Telecommuting Center

Annual Business Publications

• Business Resource Guide
• Quarterly Business Newsletter (the Compass)
• Calendar of Events
• State of the Economy
• Strategic Plan
• Visitors Guide

Ecalvert.com

• Town Center
• Tourism information including upcoming events
• Patuxent Business Park information
• Web based marketing programs including employment classifieds, business database, commercial property listings, Visitors Guide, Calendar of Events and other marketing materials

Liaison with the business community

• Economic Development Authority (EDA)
• Manages the Calvert Industrial Park
• Loan authority
• Economic Development Commission (EDC)
• Advisory commission appointed by the Board of County Commissioners
• Participation in the annual Leading Edge Awards which recognizes outstanding businesses in Calvert County and in Southern MD
• Cooperative efforts with the Calvert County Chamber of Commerce, the Bay Business Group, the Lusby Business Association, the Solomons Business Association, as well as other economic development organizations

Support for businesses by category

• Tourism shows increased visitation numbers and increasing expenditures. Support includes familiarization tours, articles for publications, presentations at industry shows and events; training for the tourist information centers, liaison with local tourism sites, development and distribution of marketing materials including the Patuxent Wine Trail, visitor’s brochures and others.
• Agriculture businesses include agritourism, wineries, locally grown animal and plant products including locally grown beef and other food products in support of the Eat Local movement. Additional farmer’s markets have been supported and added. Local zoning has expanded agricultural use categories.
• Retail business growth has occurred, especially in the Lusby Town Center.
• Calvert’s Target industries for recruitment are manufacturing, financial services, professional and business services, and leisure and hospitality. During the current recession, these desirable industries have, for the most part, retained their presence in Calvert County despite the economic hardships.
• Utility Businesses including Constellation Energy at Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant and Dominion Cove Point LNG have continued to meet critical energy needs in the mid-Atlantic region with recent infrastructure expansion at Dominion Cove Point LNG adding to the tax base and with the critical pathway for approval of a third nuclear reactor at Calvert Cliffs nearing approval status. Construction will provide several thousand jobs with significant permanent jobs upon completion.
• Health-related businesses have shown growth with an expansion at Calvert Memorial Hospital and with new medical office space coming on-line.

Susan supports Calvert County’s efforts to be business-friendly.

Zoning is critical to quality of life. The purpose of zoning is to protect property values while promoting the health and welfare of the community. Calvert County has the Town Center concept, which directs residential and commercial growth to the town centers and preserves the rural flavor outside the town centers. Susan strongly supports the Town Center concept, which is working well to direct growth to the town centers, where infrastructure can be provided.

• In some instances, overly restrictive interpretation of zoning ordinances adds significant costs and delays to new development and restricts trade.
• In some instances, the zoning ordinances go beyond protecting property values and promoting the health and welfare of the community and have the effect of stifling entrepreneurship or limiting the ability of a business to succeed.
• Continue to make progress in streamlining the permitting and inspection process, which is all too often cumbersome and problematic for businesses, builders, and do-it-yourselfers.

• Traditionally, Calvert County has limited signage to avoid visual clutter and to promote the rural, scenic beauty, goals which Susan strongly endorses.
• In the past, most residents of Calvert County also knew which types of businesses were located in the County and where particular businesses were located, which is no longer the case.
• Directional signage was allowed in the past, at the entrances to towns or industrial areas. More modern methods of alerting the public to the existence and location of local businesses is needed, along with consideration of tasteful directional signage.
• The proliferation of "litter on a stick" along the roadways is not the best answer. The Board of County Commissioners has agreed to a comprehensive re-examination of signage regulations to assist businesses while keeping our County beautiful.

Overly restrictive regulations encourage non-compliance. We must promote safety, property values, the public health and welfare, without delaying the opening of a new business due to last minute required changes.

Close working linkages between economic development and planning and zoning departments can mediate differences before litigation becomes necessary.