Master Plan & Form-Based Code

Chestertown, Maryland

The Town and County proactively purchased a 500 acre farm adjacent to the historic Town of Chestertown in order to control its development pattern as both entities have identified this site as critical to the future growth of the region. 

The project was headed by a unique three-way partnership between the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy, the Town of Chestertown, and Kent County, Maryland. Normally associated with the preservation of the region’s agricultural lands, The Eastern Shore Land Conservancy has taken a progressive approach to development in this instance as they realize that innovative, sustainable, and compact development is necessary to the preservation of surrounding lands. The project and its proactive collaborative approach has the potential to be a catalyst for changing the paradigm of suburban sprawl in not only the region but across the country. 

Designed as an organic extension of the existing historic fabric of the town, the Master Plan is projected to accommodate the growth of Chestertown over the next 50 years. The plan includes a number of villages and hamlets that were designed to be phased and incrementally built as market demands increase. The Town is currently interviewing prospective developers to purchase and execute the project. 

Size: 494 acres

Type: Historic Town Extension, Regional Plan, Rural Urbanism, TND