Every four years, the Baltimore County Council looks at the zoning for land throughout the county. Every property has a zoning classification, which reflects its development potential.
In the urbanized part of Baltimore County, much of the land has a residential or commercial zoning designation. Land designated DR 16, for example, means that 16 units can be built per acre; this zoning typically allows dense multi-unit complexes. A lighter residential zoning might allow for one house per acre (DR 1) or two houses for acre (DR 2). There are also numerous commercial zoning designations that allow for anything from smaller businesses (CB) to the type of intense development found along corridors like Pulaski Highway (BR).
Zoning is very important. After nearly two decades as a community leader and now as a County Councilman, it is my experience that a development rarely gets dismissed if the appropriate zoning is in place.
This fall, property owners had the opportunity to propose zoning changes, and I submitted 30 issues in my role as County Councilman. All told, I want to review the zoning for about 480 acres of land across the Fifth District. It is the most ambitious review of the development potential of land in the Fifth District in two decades.
Baltimore County needs development to recover from the recession. Development adds jobs, brings activity to our commercial areas, and expands our tax base—and while people often tell me they want no more houses built in their neighborhood, government cannot and should not take away private property rights. On the other hand, I am concerned about Baltimore County’s ability to pay for new schools, roads, and other infrastructure, and I want to make sure we have the right scale and type of development.
You can learn more about the rezoning process at Baltimore County’s Web Site. The Web Site includes the log of issues and what each zoning classification means.
The first opportunity to testify on the zoning changes is before the Planning Board on Tuesday, March 20 at 7 p.m. at Perry Hall High School (sign-up begins at 6 p.m.). The Planning Board will forward its recommendations to the County Council. Residents who cannot make this hearing will also be able to testify before the County Council at the Courthouse in June.
If you care about the future scale and level of development in northeastern Baltimore County, I urge you to follow this important process.