"As the county's elderly population continues to grow, the county may have to place more emphasis on senior housing and alternative housing types to the currently predominant single-family detached unit," the plan recommends. 

The county's population is expected to grow from 41,450 residents this year to 52,900 in 2020, according to the Maryland Department of Planning. This 1.1 percent growth rate is higher than the 0.6 percent rate expected statewide. 

The number of county residents 44 and younger, which has been increasing over the past decade, is expected to drop while the number of residents over 45 is expected to jump. 

Overall, the plan's theme is promoting growth in developed areas and preserving the county's rural character and agricultural lands. Kent Island is a growth area, as are Queenstown and Centreville. 

To control growth, the plan offers the following recommendations: 

Requiring all development within the growth areas to be on public water and sewers. If public services are not yet available, the developer must pay to extend the services to the site or wait until another developer does so. 

Joining the subdivision and site plan approval processes with the new adequate public facilities requirements. 

Creating incentives for retirement housing within the growth areas since retirees require no additional schools and produce little peak hour traffic. 

Encouraging the redevelopment and improvement of existing buildings, particularly in growth areas. 

The plan includes a zoning map that shows that only 6 percent of the county is designated for development and the remaining area is left rural or permanently preserved. 

"That picture is worth 100,000 words," said County Commissioner John McQueeney, R-Stevensville, who said he wished he could paper the county with the map to show residents how much land county officials have helped to save from development. 

"The county led the state this year in the amount of land it has permanently preserved," said Commissioners President George O'Donnell, D-Queenstown. 

The Comprehensive Plan, which is updated every six years, is available for review at the Liberty Building in Centreville and all county library branches. In two weeks, the document will be posted on the county's Web site, www.qac.org. 

Public hearings on the plan will be held at the Kent Island Senior Center on May 29 and at the Liberty Building on May 30. Both will run from 7 to 9 p.m. 

The Planning Commission, which updated the plan with county planners and planning consultants from LDR International in Columbia, is expected to present the final version of the plan to the commissioners in July or August, said Faith Elliott Rossing, the county's principal planner on the project. 

She said the county wants as much public input on the plan beforehand as possible. 

"If you see that (zoning) map and information pamphlets in the grocery store, don't be surprised," said Ms. Rossing. "We've even considered giving the pamphlets to pizza delivery people to make sure everyone is aware." 

Published May 02, 2001, The Capital, Annapolis, Md.