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As a member of the executive response team at the Maryland Department of Planning, I was responsible for providing technical analysis, research and support for the development, passage and implementation of smart growth policy and legislation. Below are some key policy initiatives where I provided support.
Sustainable Growth & Agricultural Preservation Act of 2012
The Sustainable Growth & Agricultural Preservation Act of 2012, also known as Senate Bill 236, was passed by the General Assembly of Maryland during the 2012 legislative session. The law limits the spread of septic systems on large-lot residential development by requiring local jurisdictions to map growth tiers to define where septic systems would be permitted. Our executive response team provided extensive technical assistance to many jurisdictions to help implement the legislation.
Coordination with the Maryland Sustainable Growth Commission
Implementation of the legislation required coordination with the Maryland Sustainable Growth Commission, a 35-member commission charged with developing recommendations on growth and development issues to further smart growth in Maryland. As a member of the analysis team from MDP, I prepared analysis and presentations to inform the commission on implementation progress and to review requests for exemption from the legislation based on local land use regulations. Two presentations on jurisdiction exemption requests are linked below:
Montgomery County Tier IV Exemption Request, December 11, 2012
SB236: Frederick County Exemption Request Analysis, May 13, 2013
I also worked to inform the commission on any issues/challenges raised during the implementation process. One such example comes from Charles County, which proposed sweeping changes to their comprehensive plan in order to negate the benefits of the legislation. I provided technical analysis and research to inform the commission members about the proposed changes. Below is the presentation our team developed, which then led the commission to draft a letter to the County which included many of our research and findings.
Proposed Comprehensive Plan Changes Charles County, September 18, 2013
Letter to Charles County Board of Commissioners from the Maryland Sustainable Growth Commission, September 20, 2013
Press Coverage
State, Charles County at odds over growth plan, by Timothy Wheeler, The Baltimore Sun, October 28, 2013
Charles County Tier Map Work Group Staff Support
Following the letter from the Maryland Sustainable Growth Commission to the Board of Charles County Commissioners, the Board appointed a work group to establish consensus among stakeholders in developing a growth plan that met the spirit of the legislation. The work group included representatives from the agriculture, private development, preservation and public sectors. MDP Secretary Richard E. Hall was appointed to the work group as a state government representative, and I served as support staff member to assist his appointment. The work group met for six weeks in early 2014.
Press Coverage
Growing smart is critical for county's future, by Richard E. Hall, The Maryland Independent (Opinion), January 25, 2014
Charles County farmers, developers try to get around Gov. O’Malley’s anti-sprawl efforts, by Robert McCartney, The Washington Post, February 5, 2014
Maryland wants smart growth for farmers and residents, by Richard E. Hall, The Washington Post (Opinion), February 13, 2014
Charles commissioners approve tier map, by Jeff Newman, The Maryland Independent, March 11, 2014
House Bill 510, 2014 Maryland Legislative Session
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