We The People - Baltimore County
The Next Chapter: How Baltimore County Can Use
Good Governance and Smart Growth to Unlock Its Full Potential
Our Movement
We The People is a good governance advocacy group founded by Pat Keller and Nick Stewart in 2021 that is focused on housing, smart growth and economic revitalization. Pat was the planning director for Baltimore County for more than 22 years, while Nick is a partner at Duane Morris LLP, who serves on the board of the Southwest Visions Foundation, a 501(c)(3) dedicated to community revitalization in Southwest Baltimore County.
We are fortunate to be joined in this effort by a talented management team, which includes the following leaders:
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John Alexander (Planner in Baltimore County PAI & Planning Department for 26 years)
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Marsha McLaughlin (Howard County Planning Director/Deputy Director for 25 years)
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Klaus Philipsen (President of ArchPlan, Inc.; Fellow of the American Institute of Architects)
Our Goal
Baltimore County is a strong county with incredible assets, including and especially its people. However, for the first time in 100 years, Baltimore County is losing population on net. The reasons for this include housing prices, cost of living, struggling town centers and long commutes without transit alternatives.
Fortunately, we have all of the tools necessary to solve our challenges and unlock our full potential. Our goal is to bring all stakeholders together (residents, advocates and developers) to discuss how to use these tools to open our doors to major reinvestment and renewal in Baltimore County.
The key to this effort will be reforming our planning and development processes so that they are predictable, transparent and timely -- and also consistent with the Master Plan. In this way, we will be able to create attractive, vibrant and sustainable complete communities with housing options for all. And we will build consensus on future development while avoiding highly charged project-specific conflicts down the road.
This is critical if the county is to improve housing and grow smarter, improve public education and overcrowding, improve competitiveness and the ability to attract and retain employers and jobs, improve connectivity and transit choices, improve access to amenities, improve its green network and its adaptation to climate change and (perhaps most importantly) improve equity.
The Story of Growth in Baltimore County
In 1967, the county adopted the Urban Rural Demarcation Line (“URDL”), which identified the area of the county that could be serviced by city water and sewer. This area is one third of the county, and today 90% of residents live within the URDL.
While the URDL was an early form of smart growth, it was not enough to push all development into one area and step away. For growth to benefit all, it needs to be well-planned and consistent with a holistic vision of growth that is produced by a vigorous, collaborative and extensive planning process. That is the very reason why we have a master plan.
Granted, the county did try a “town center” approach, which was supposed to create attractive, mixed-use communities with a suite of amenities. However, the centers largely became low-density sprawl with little sense of place or connectivity, and with little ability to anchor future growth.
What made this possible? First, the state delegated its land use and zoning authority to the county. Then, the county vested this authority with the county council. And, finally, county council agreed among themselves that each councilmember shall have unchecked authority over any decisions within their council districts through a practice known as "councilmanic courtesy." As a result, the county council regularly makes decisions in a way that is (a) on-demand, ad-hoc and project-by-project, (b) often political and emotional and (c) not inclusive of residents. While this is contrary to the master plan, the law has allowed it. This is not how other Central Maryland jurisdictions do it, and it has to stop. We must plan and grow as One County.
For some time, the effects of this ad-hoc decision-making were not widely felt. Perhaps the primary reason for this was because the county still had greenfields within the URDL (which are less expensive and time-consuming to develop). So, the county felt comfortable building farther out from the city, instead of forcing growth into town centers and reinvesting in older communities.
This, in turn, accelerated the disinvestment of those older communities known as “first-tier suburbs,” which are the suburbs immediately surrounding the city built after World War II, such as Lansdowne, Woodlawn, Middle River, Essex and Dundalk. On average, these suburbs contain smaller homes and lack access to basic amenities.
The county has continued this ad-hoc approach to development to this day (e.g., Ownings Mill, where three mixed-use developments are in close proximity and compete with one another to some degree). However, the problem now is that the county has run out of greenspace and is left with infill development and redevelopment, which is harder and more expensive to do.
Our Challenges
We are at a breaking point. The effects of ad-hoc decision-making have been far reaching.
Lack of Open Space
65% of residences lack access to adequate open space within a quarter mile, or walking distance, of their homes. Further, according to walkscore.com, none of the county’s 16 inner suburbs are considered walkable and only 4 of the 16 are considered “somewhat walkable.”
Pollution
All but one of the 14 county watersheds are polluted by nitrogen, phosphorous and/or sediment, and are considered “impaired” by the state. This means that the water’s quality is too low to support its intended use. Current practices are not keeping pace with population and development.
Housing Shortage
There is a critical shortage of housing in the county, including housing that is affordable to working families.
Existing Housing Is Old
The median age of county housing is 48 years, compared to 39 years nationally. Almost half of homes were built prior to 1970.
Declining Suburbs
Overlooked older suburbs (built after World War II) have continued to decline, reducing our viable housing stock.
Increased Housing Costs
As supply dwindled, housing costs increased, reaching a decade high for the Baltimore region in March 2021. The average age to buy a first home nationally is 36 and this is likely higher in Maryland due to the extent of the housing shortage.
More Alice Households
ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) measures the true amount of poverty in an area. ALICE households in Maryland increased by 57% from 2007 to 2018 as a direct result of housing costs.
History of Discrimination
The county entered into a 2016 HUD settlement agreement to address its long history of discrimination in housing against African Americans and people with disabilities. The county is not on pace to meet its obligations to build affordable homes under this agreement.
Population Loss
The county registered a population loss for the first time since the 1920 census.
Outdated and Bad Laws and Regulations
Outdated, bad laws and regulations: Existing laws and regulations are out of date, and provide ways to circumvent master planning and development review.
For more information on each of these challenges, please see our more detailed white paper: link.
Our Seven Point Plan
1. Master Plan as a Controlling Document, with Proper Sequencing of Land Use Tools
The county should transform the Master Plan from an aspirational document that can be ignored by decision-makers (councilmembers) into a controlling document that governs future map amendments. This includes changing the sequencing of the Comprehensive Zoning Map Process (“CZMP”) so that it occurs shortly after the Master Plan is adopted at Year 0 and after it is updated at Year 5 (the amending process does not exist now).
2. Close the “Priority Funding Area” Loophole
State law says that local land use decisions must be consistent with master plans, except if they are being made in “Priority Funding Areas.” This is a major loophole, because almost all of the land within the URDL has been designated as a “Priority Funding Area.” But for this loophole, the master plan would, in fact, be controlling. We need the help of our state legislators to solve this issue.
Update: Senator Charles Sydnor introduced a bill to close this loophole during the 2023 session, but it was rejected by the lobbying arm of local governments on the basis that it limited local discretion - bill is here.
3. By-Right Development
If the Master Plan process was truly collaborative and extensive, and the Master Plan was legally binding, it makes sense to expand the use of “by-right” development. This means fewer projects would be subject to special discretionary review, which would reduce costs for homebuyers and others. This is critical because the only real development left in the URDL is harder and more expensive to do.
4. Mixed-Use Development; PUD Reform
With its abundance of underinvested first-tier suburbs – which do not have the amenities of complete communities and are unconnected to one another – Baltimore County is poised to reap significant benefits from well-planned, mixed-used developments. The county must make it easier to develop high-quality projects.
This requires changing the way that the county facilitates mixed use, such as by creating a "mixed-use" and "transit-oriented development" zoning designation. Alternatively, the county could reform its primary mechanism for mixed-use which is known as the "Planned Unit Development" or "PUD" process. This process depends upon political influence instead of good planning and is often abused and ineffective.
5. Green Infrastructure Network
The county should establish a Green Infrastructure Network so that it can improve the connectivity among green hubs, and thereby make the most of the open space, parks, trails and greenways that currently exist.
6. Simpler, Better Zoning Laws, Regulations and Processes
Wholesale review of zoning laws, regulations and processes to simplify them where possible.
Require zoning bills to have a 90-day period of review and comment by the Planning Department and the Planning Board, after which the council may proceed with a vote.
Require zoning amendments to have a 30-day review period (council cannot propose such amendments and vote on them at the same meeting).
7. Updated Community Plans
The county should allocate resources as necessary to help communities update their local development plans, which should flow up into the councilmanic plans, which should flow up into the Master Plan. These local plans have legal significance and are referenced by the zoning law, yet some plans are decades old. See, e.g., Hereford Community Plan, dated as of May 6, 1991.
Update: The county launched an initiative to update small area plans, starting with a small area plan for Middle River (link)
Get Involved
Organize an Event
Right now, Baltimore County is undergoing its master planning process, and we are working hard to get the word out as to this incredible opportunity to promote an enduring, and more equitable, growth strategy. And we can use your help - please consider helping us organize an event or webinar to discuss with your community group or local organization. If you are interested in this, please click the button below to contact us.
Contact Your Councilmember
We acknowledge that certain of our proposed solutions may require legislative action, which is why it is so important that our councilmembers in Baltimore County hear from you, and your desire for an equitable growth strategy to the county's future. Please click below to find your councilmember and his or her contact information.
Donate
As a grass roots campaign, we are fueled by people power and our own investments of time and money. However, if you share our vision for a more equitable future, we would ask that you consider donating to the cause, by clicking below. The truth is our success depends on our ability to reach our neighbors in Baltimore County, and your contribution, no matter what size, would help us in these outreach efforts.