Planning Commission

The largest downtown redevelopment plan since the Inner Harbor about 20 years ago moved a step closer to fruition yesterday when the city Planning Commission voted unanimously to support an 18-block revitalization of the west side.Over the objections of some shop owners and preservationists, the eight-member panel backed economic development officials who testified that the time is right to renew an urban core that has been long criticized as an eyesore."This is not a simple task before you," said M. J. "Jay" Brodie, president of Baltimore Development Corp.

The county Planning Commission yesterday certified a master plan forwater and sewer service that provides for development and expansion for the next 10 years.The county commissioners will adopt the plan next and send it to the state for final approval.The Planning Commission yesterday also reviewed the 1991 annual report, which is a summary of the year's planning activities.Planner Barbara C. Moser presented the water and sewer plan to the commission and discussed changes made after a public hearing on March 5.The commission voted to include a policy change for the Freedom service area in South Carroll, extending water and sewer service in areas zoned for residential areas with a minimum lot size of 40,000 square feet if the homes are clustered.

The final revisions to a controversial growth ordinance have won the support of the county Planning Commission, but did little to alter opposition from the Economic Development Commission.The proposed Interim Development Control Ordinance (IDCO) would place an 18-month ban on new subdivisions while the county reworks its master plan.The final version, released Friday, establishes an appeals process and exempts from the ban preliminary plan applications made between March 15, 1993, and March 15, 1995.

GOING TO COURT can be costly, even if the filing fee is waived and you don't have to hire a lawyer. That's an admonition that the Carroll County Planning and Zoning Commission should heed before proceeding to challenge the county's Board of Zoning Appeals in Circuit Court.The risk of an unfavorable judicial ruling could far outweigh any gain from overturning a BZA decision to approve an eight-lot subdivision near Westminster.This is not the case to fight the appeals panel, despite a simmering dispute between the two county government bodies over application of "adequate public facilities" standards to development approvals.

CARROLL CITIZENS can rest easy in the knowledge that the county Planning Commission did not violate state open meetings laws when it changed its long-standing practice of exempting small subdivisions from meeting the adequate facilities standards. At least that's the recent opinion of the state Open Meetings Compliance Board, which decides such matters.But the issue is far from dead. It's the reason for a bill passed by the General Assembly and awaiting Gov. Parris Glendening's signature, legislation pushed by the Carroll County delegation in response to the planning commission's actions.

THE PLANNING and Zoning Commission in Carroll County, a constant center of controversy, is out of control. At least that's county Commissioner Donald Dell's opinion, although it is one that is gaining in popularity.This time, the seven-member planning body is under fire for its slash-and-burn mentality toward the county schools capital budget, which includes construction, technology and repair projects. When it finished reviewing the schools request last week, the P&Z commission withheld approval for nearly everything, including computers, roof repairs -- even new schools.

The city Planning Commission narrowly approved yesterday the school system's construction and renovation plan for the next five years, but chastised school officials for doing too little to fix decrepit buildings and for failing to provide a clear financial accounting of construction projects. During an emotional hearing, the commission also criticized school officials for not coming up with alternative ways to fix dilapidated schools, such as the volunteer campaign organized this summer by Mayor Martin O'Malley's office to paint and repair school buildings.

Carroll residents soon will get the chance to learn all they ever wanted to know about the county's proposed mining plan.The final draft of the plan was presented yesterday to the Carroll County Planning and Zoning Commission at its monthly meeting."

To the dismay of slow-growth advocates, the county commissioners might soon slash the number of planning commission members from seven to five, reversing a past effort to better scrutinize residential development. Two vacancies on the Carroll County Planning and Zoning Commission have prompted the county commissioners to consider trimming the panel. Grant S. Dannelly ended his term Thursday. Thomas G. Hiltz resigned in the fall. Both live in South Carroll and were strong proponents of slowing the pace of residential development, particularly in the Freedom Area.