Future Development

BALTIMORE County's aggressive land preservation program is accomplishing its objective -- keeping sprawl from overwhelming strategic rural areas -- and setting an example for the rest of Maryland. The county's purchase of 554 acres of forest land on the Back River Neck Peninsula takes one of the largest undeveloped waterfront parcels in the eastern section from the county's inventory of buildable property. The same phenomenon is taking place in Piney Run, Long Green Valley and along the Gunpowder River -- where the county has been spending large sums of money to place agricultural and environmental easements on farms and forests.

Editor: After reading the two recent columns by Allan Vought, which in my opinion were outstanding, I am inspired to offer the following commentary. Continuing along the topic of zoning and out administration, a few weeks ago or story ran in The Aegis concerning the availability of information in the Realtors offices at developments detailing or rather the lack of information as to what the surrounding area is zoned for future development. The person was upset, to say the least, because after buying and moving in they later found out the surrounding development was not to their liking.

When Hampstead compared its future development to the capacity of its sewer plant, it came up short - by nearly 125,000 gallons a day. The town of 4,500 has asked Carroll County, which owns and operates the plant, to pay for an engineering analysis and develop alternatives. "We have to have a facilities plan that balances," said Councilman Larry H. Hentz Jr. "We have repeatedly asked the commissioners for a plan for this area and received lip service." Among the developments that will need sewer service is North Carroll Middle School, which is scheduled for extensive renovations that will include linking to the Hampstead sewer system in 2003.

The debate over the redevelopment of downtown Columbia has often focused on how to best utilize Symphony Woods, the park setting that includes Merriweather Post Pavilion and, even more importantly to many, some of the oldest trees in the Columbia downtown. To some, including County Executive Ken Ulman just this past week, this parcel represents the "centerpiece and lynchpin" for downtown Columbia's future development. With such great expectations for the property, there has been a great deal of debate on how to use the land.

Small purple wildflowers dot sections of northern Baltimore County's rolling roads, where the only sounds are the chirps of birds and insects. Rows of corn and soybeans grow along other stretches. Now, many residents fear the land's environmental resources and natural beauty - its farms, open fields and greenery - are being threatened by dozens of requests that would allow more development on large rural tracts. On Tuesday, the County Council is scheduled to make crucial decisions on hundreds of acres in a district stretching from Lutherville to the Pennsylvania border, as part of a countywide rezoning process that occurs every four years.

PLANNERS LISTENED to the citizens' complaints about Anne Arundel County's proposed General Development Plan and made appropriate changes: The designation of a "primary growth area" has been dropped. And, the density of future development in South County communities has been reduced.With these alterations, the Department of Planning and Code Enforcement improved what was already a thoughtfully constructed master plan. The revised version contains the same basic philosophy for growth.It still calls for funneling 90 percent of future development into the 40 percent of the county that has water and sewer service.

    Carroll County's Agricultural Lands Preservation Program has been awarded $618,000 through the Maryland Rural Legacy Program for preserving farmland or natural lands. The county will use the funds to buy conservation easements from willing sellers within designated areas. The easements reserve property from future development, but the land remains in private ownership. The owner is compensated for essentially "retiring" the development potential on the land. The Maryland Rural Legacy Program was created in 1998 to preserve large contiguous areas of rural land.

COUNTY RESIDENTS unhappy with past development in their communities should welcome a new opportunity to participate in future development. As part of the continuing General Development Plan process, county officials are looking for citizen participation in 16 "small area" plans that will provide the guidelines for communities from Shady Side to Brooklyn Park.The recently approved GDP sets policies for future development countywide; the small area plans, in contrast, will establish the specific land use and zoning plans for communities and neighborhoods.

IF ANNE ARUNDEL residents have opinions on what the county should look like at the outset of the next century, they can express them at three forums being held this week.County residents shouldn't miss this opportunity to have a voice in determining where future business, commercial and residential development will go. They also have a chance to make suggestions that can improve the appearance of their communities and ensure that future development enhances the quality of life.These forums are an important component in the process of revising the county's General Development Plan.

Roser's Mini Storage Location: East side of Route 194, Keymar Developer/owner: Ted Roser Engineer: BPR Inc., Westminster Description: A 52-unit storage facility on a 2.91-acre parcel zoned for business. Any future development on the remaining 71-acre agricultural property will have to use the entrance detailed on the site plan. The facility will have four buildings, each about 10,000 square feet. All storage will be enclosed in units with an average size of 10 feet by 10 feet. Status: The Carroll County Planning and Zoning Commission has approved the site plan contingent on a public works agreement that will require a landscaped buffer along the roadway and interior shielded lighting.

    Carroll County's Agricultural Lands Preservation Program has been awarded $618,000 through the Maryland Rural Legacy Program for preserving farmland or natural lands. The county will use the funds to buy conservation easements from willing sellers within designated areas. The easements reserve property from future development, but the land remains in private ownership. The owner is compensated for essentially "retiring" the development potential on the land. The Maryland Rural Legacy Program was created in 1998 to preserve large contiguous areas of rural land.

While the fight over redevelopment of the former Solo Cup property dominated public debate in Baltimore County's comprehensive zoning review, County Council members made nearly 300 other land-use decisions last week. The votes ended a yearlong process of meetings and local battles. The zoning overhaul - the reviews take place every four years - involved 296 issues, the fewest ever. The new maps are to take effect Sept. 10. Council members typically vote unanimously on such decisions, following the lead of the councilperson who represents the district in which the zoning petition is filed.

For the first time in more than a decade, Baltimore County's land use and zoning policies seem to be under serious scrutiny. The decisions of the County Council over the coming weeks - and how the community responds to those decisions - could result in significant changes in Baltimore County's comprehensive zoning process and even reshape the balance of power among Baltimore County's elected officials. As a former state delegate and former member of the Baltimore County Planning Board, I know that when communities feel shut out of the political process, their blocked energy needs to be expended in other ways, frequently with negative results for incumbent politicians.

Small purple wildflowers dot sections of northern Baltimore County's rolling roads, where the only sounds are the chirps of birds and insects. Rows of corn and soybeans grow along other stretches. Now, many residents fear the land's environmental resources and natural beauty - its farms, open fields and greenery - are being threatened by dozens of requests that would allow more development on large rural tracts. On Tuesday, the County Council is scheduled to make crucial decisions on hundreds of acres in a district stretching from Lutherville to the Pennsylvania border, as part of a countywide rezoning process that occurs every four years.

On a snowy night 50 years ago, University of Maryland senior Janet Holland tuned in to the CBS Evening News not expecting to hear a report on her hometown of Ocean City . "Walter Cronkite basically indicated the city was washing away," she recalled. A powerful nor'easter sweeping up the East Coast slammed North Carolina's Outer Banks and Virginia Beach before taking Ocean City by surprise. Without today's 24-7 cable news frenzy and high-tech storm forecasting, no one thought much of it when blustery winds arrived on Tuesday, March 6, 1962.

Thirteen parcels are identified and several are considered "ripe for development" in the new Hickory Ridge plan. In the early 1990s, CA proposed an ill-conceived plan for a Fun Center on the three-acre parcel adjacent to Giant that included night lighting and batting cages. The plan was overwhelming rejected by the homeowners nearby. In the late 2000s, another surprise awaited Clemens and Hickory Crest homeowners. A Walgreens was proposed at the corner of Freetown Road and Cedar Lane.

Editor: After reading the two recent columns by Allan Vought, which in my opinion were outstanding, I am inspired to offer the following commentary. Continuing along the topic of zoning and out administration, a few weeks ago or story ran in The Aegis concerning the availability of information in the Realtors offices at developments detailing or rather the lack of information as to what the surrounding area is zoned for future development. The person was upset, to say the least, because after buying and moving in they later found out the surrounding development was not to their liking.

He was the millionaire businessman Mayor William Donald Schaefer called on more than two decades ago to help out with a big problem. Some 20 acres of lumberyards and warehouses between the then-newly redeveloped Inner Harbor and Fells Point faced an uncertain future. Schaefer wanted John Paterakis Sr., bakery magnate and campaign contributor, to do the city a favor and buy the land. For $11 million, Paterakis did, but the city backed down on a promise to buy back the industrial stretch later.

He was the millionaire businessman Mayor William Donald Schaefer called on more than two decades ago to help out with a big problem. Some 20 acres of lumberyards and warehouses between the then-newly redeveloped Inner Harbor and Fells Point faced an uncertain future. Schaefer wanted John Paterakis Sr., bakery magnate and campaign contributor, to do the city a favor and buy the land. For $11 million, Paterakis did, but the city backed down on a promise to buy back the industrial stretch later.

A bill intended to help speed construction of lower-priced homes in Howard County by exempting them from some growth-control restraints might be tabled or delayed further, according to its prime sponsor. The measure, supported by a chorus of affordable-housing advocates at the council's public hearing Dec. 15, has run into criticism from two County Council members. Fulton Republican Greg Fox and Ellicott City Democrat Courtney Watson worry that by exempting lower-priced homes from the county's complex housing allocation system, the bill could open the door to further erosion of growth limits.