Development Process

Property rights don't call for allowing sprawlAs a member of the "managed growth" camp, as referred to by state Sen. Timothy R. Ferguson (R-Carroll) in his letter (Aug. 18), I disagree with the underlying premise of the senator's position, which would give farmers the exclusive right to develop property without the scrutiny of "adequate public facilities" tests.Nevertheless, I hope Mr. Ferguson's letter indicates that the county's state delegation is willing to discuss the issues of property rights and adequate facilities before introducing new legislation similar to last year's debacle, Senate Bill 649.The facts do not fully support Mr. Ferguson's position.

J. Carroll Holzer has trampled through Baltimore County's garden of zoning and development regulations for more than 12 years, earning his living as a lawyer and growing a reputation for kicking dirt in the faces of developers and bureaucrats.He loses many more cases than he wins, but clients don't seem to mind because Mr. Holzer has chosen a specialty that few attorneys want to touch -- representing community groups in land use battles."It gives me a sense of completeness to take a case no one else wants, knowing all the while you're fighting an uphill battle," he says.

A 6-month-old law requiring new-house sellers to disclose hazardous materials on their sites is up for repeal at today's Baltimore County Council meeting.Repeal is favored by the residential-building industry and several council members, who say environmental testing already is done on projects as they are developed and that the law was a hastily considered pre-election bill that adds nothing but paperwork to selling houses.But that view is opposed by a former council member who sponsored the law and by people who contend that buyers of new houses should have the same rights as those buying older ones.

Two recent County Council decisions could help increase the number of groups authorized to monitor open space land in western Howard County, but county planners say it's too early to tell whether the actions will offer relief to developers stymied by county land-preservation regulations.Under a relatively untested plan to save open space by clustering new homes and preserving large tracts of undeveloped land, the preserved tracts were to be monitored by two entities, each holding an easement giving it the right to prevent the property from being developed.

The Sykesville Planning Commission has approved revised construction drawings for Scarborough Woods.Approval is contingent on a conservation easement agreement that the developer said will accompany the final drawings.The commission will send its recommendation to the Town Council, which will consider the project at its Monday meeting.Brian Harman plans to build homes on eight 3-acre lots in the Oklahoma Road subdivision at the southwest corner of town.In addition to tree conservation areas, the drawings included a fitness trail for hikers.

More than 200 people packed Harford County Council chambers Tuesday night supporting and opposing a controversial bill seeking more community input in the development process.While dozens of individuals praised the proposed legislation that would give residents a chance to comment on what is being built in their neighborhood, others -- representing Realtors, builders and business interests -- called the proposal an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy.At issue is a bill introduced before the County Council last month by Theresa M. Pierno, D-District C, and Susan B. Heselton, R-District A.The bill would require that a community input meeting be held xTC before plans for residential, commercial and industrial subdivisions are filed with the Department of Planning and Zoning.

Harford County Council member Theresa M. Pierno and County Executive Eileen M. Rehrmann are butting heads again. But this time, Mrs. Pierno seems to have struck a nerve.Mrs. Pierno, a Democratic activist elected to the District C seat on a promise to increase citizen involvement in the development process, has proposed legislation that Mrs. Rehrmann says will cripple the county's most cherished marketing tool: its "fast-track" permit process.The bill, co-sponsored by council member Susan B. Heselton, R-District A, seeks to increase public notice of development proposals and promote more input through written comments and public meetings.

For the past 20 years, the development process in Baltimore County has been inexorably stacked against people living in affected communities. Now that the county council has approved landmark zoning reform, a balance between private-sector interests and public concerns has been struck.Under the old system, a builder had to gain approval for a project from the County Review Group in Towson. All that was required, however, was that the developer met minimum technical standards. More subjective concerns, such as whether a project was compatible with the character of the community, whether it would cause traffic problems or storm runoff problems, for example, fell outside the purview of the CRG, and as such carried little weight.

Baltimore County residents will have a much greater say in how growth affects their communities as a result of sweeping changes in the development process approved last night by the County Council.The seven-member council gave unanimous approval to the first major change in the process in a decade. The new laws include three key provisions that:* Require developers to meet with affected community groups before beginning the approval process, a move designed to avoid unwelcome surprises and give residents and builders a chance to negotiate their differences.

The Baltimore County Council has delayed for a month a vote on a new development review process for the county after the proposal drew criticism.The proposal was designed to give communities greater input in the development approval process, and also is to cut red tape for developers.However, community leaders and developers alike have complained that the proposed changes would grant an administrative law judge too much discretion in approving projects. Residents also have criticized as too vague the preliminary plan that developers would have to submit under the proposed new system.