Schuh seeks zoning freeze
‘We must ensure we preserve the character of our communities’
Anne Arundel County Executive Steve Schuh said this week he will submit council legislation to halt zoning changes until late 2019.
Schuh told members of the County Council this week that the freeze on zoning changes would be in place until the countywide General Development Plan is submitted to the council in late 2019.
The county executive said the proposal is linked to feedback the county has heard during community meetings on the upcoming GDP process.
“Over the past six months, we have engaged nearly every community as we look to map future growth in our county,” Schuh said in a statement. “As this process continues over the next two years, we must ensure we preserve the character of our communities by instituting measures to combat the forces of development.”
Stopping zoning changes won’t halt development, but developers won’t be able to seek more intense density on properties where they wish to build. The county’s plan isto stall all zoning changes — so it would impact commercial, industrial and other changes as well.
One notable project that could be affected by this legislation is the concept proposal for a stadium and mixed-use development being considered by Chesapeake Sports and Entertainment Group, which owns the Major League Lacrosse team the Chesapeake Bayhawks.
The Bayhawks’ organization has put together an early-stage concept of a project that sprawls across the Anne Arundel County Fair and the Crownsville Hospital Center grounds. That project would require the county rezone the land. The land is owned by the state.
In addition to the zoning freeze, Schuh is proposing other land-use policies including a reduction in the number of development plan modifications and a stricter review process to help that ensure county code is being followed. The county’s department of planning and zoning would also be barred from granting waivers on public meeting requirements.
And the county executive wants to loosen the variance process for routine requests See ZONING, page 4
Schuh told members of the County Council this week that the freeze on zoning changes would be in place until the countywide General Development Plan is submitted to the council in late 2019.
The county executive said the proposal is linked to feedback the county has heard during community meetings on the upcoming GDP process.
“Over the past six months, we have engaged nearly every community as we look to map future growth in our county,” Schuh said in a statement. “As this process continues over the next two years, we must ensure we preserve the character of our communities by instituting measures to combat the forces of development.”
Stopping zoning changes won’t halt development, but developers won’t be able to seek more intense density on properties where they wish to build. The county’s plan isto stall all zoning changes — so it would impact commercial, industrial and other changes as well.
One notable project that could be affected by this legislation is the concept proposal for a stadium and mixed-use development being considered by Chesapeake Sports and Entertainment Group, which owns the Major League Lacrosse team the Chesapeake Bayhawks.
The Bayhawks’ organization has put together an early-stage concept of a project that sprawls across the Anne Arundel County Fair and the Crownsville Hospital Center grounds. That project would require the county rezone the land. The land is owned by the state.
In addition to the zoning freeze, Schuh is proposing other land-use policies including a reduction in the number of development plan modifications and a stricter review process to help that ensure county code is being followed. The county’s department of planning and zoning would also be barred from granting waivers on public meeting requirements.
And the county executive wants to loosen the variance process for routine requests See ZONING, page 4
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