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BALTIMORE REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP
Newsletter
March 22, 2000
Land Use and Transportation Issues Around the Region
___________________________________
Welcome to the electronic newsletter on smart growth issues in the
Baltimore region. See the end for more information about the
Baltimore
Regional Partnership and this newsletter.
Website: www.balto-region-partners.org
I N T H I S I S S U E
1. IN THE REGION:
Regional planning panel struggles with reform
issues.
CPHA to host "The Regional
Connection" April 30.
MAGLEV raises concerns
2. IN THE STATE HOUSE:
Several bills address smart growth and
transportation issues
3. ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY:
Some information emerges on access choices to
new mall
4. BALTIMORE CITY:
Downtown parking highlights city transportation
issues.
5. BALTIMORE COUNTY:
Planning Board members seek to protect
Gunpowder land
Council retains regional language in Master
Plan 2010
Essex plans stir controversy
Group and County coordinate March 25 community
conference
6. CARROLL COUNTY:
Commissioners forward Master Plan version to
Planning panel
Farmland preservationists challenge Rash Farm
rezoning
7. HARFORD COUNTY:
Citizens attend weekend planning forum for Rt.
40 corridor
8. HOWARD COUNTY:
General plan process moves forward on two
tracks
Sun story highlights access to jobs problem for
Howard employers
____________________________________
1. I N T H E R E G I O N
REGIONAL PANEL STRUGGLES WITH AIR QUALITY, REFORM ISSUES
Emerging from a year in which the continuation of its federal
certification was in doubt, the Baltimore region's metropolitan planning
organization is juggling several efforts to improve its compliance with
federal clean air and transportation laws. After ultimately
updating
vehicle data late last year to acknowledge the recent proliferation of
more-polluting sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and older cars, the
Transportation Steering Committee (TSC) again delayed approval of a
proposed revision to its 20-year regional transportation plan and 5-year
transportation program in February in order to ensure that its actions
followed recent guidance from the Environmental Protection Agency under
the Clean Air Act. In January it appeared that the TSC would
attempt to
approve their transportation plan before EPA had okayed a reconfigured
clean air plan allowing more pollution from vehicles.
Under pressure from the Baltimore Regional Partnership and its member
organizations, however, the TSC agreed to wait for the EPA
determination,
which was subsequently given. The TSC anticipates approving the
2000-2004
transportation plan at its meeting on March 28. The Partnership
continues
to be concerned about the lack of pollution-cutting "transportation
control measures" in the plan and whether or not the overall
pollution
budgets will actually enable the Baltimore region to meet the current
federal clean air health standard by 2005, as stipulated in the Clean
Air
Act.
The TSC has also initiated efforts to comply with federal requirements
for
elected official membership and public involvement. One
subcommittee,
chaired by Marsha Kaiser of the Maryland Department of Transportation,
has
begun to meet to address elected official membership and voting issues
through revising the TSC bylaws. Another, co-chaired by Scot
Spencer of
Environmental Defense and Bill Willey of Empower Baltimore Management
Corp., has begun to meet to address equity issues related to the impacts
of transportation planning in the Baltimore region.
For more information contact Dan Pontious, Baltimore Regional
Partnership,
at (410) 385-2910 or danp@friendsofmd.org,
or Scot Spencer, Environmental
Defense, at (202) 387-3500 or sspencer@environmentaldefense.org.
CPHA TO HOST "THE REGIONAL CONNECTION" APRIL 30
The Citizens Planning and Housing Association (CPHA) will host an event
to
highlight community and regional issues in the Baltimore area on April
30,
from 2:00 to 5:00 PM. Entitled "The Regional Connection:
Making Regional
Decisions Work for Your Community," the event seeks to bring
citizens from
around the region together to share challenges, celebrate successes,
hear
regional news, voice concerns, and join together to strengthen
communities
around the region. The event will be held at the Church of the
Redeemer,
5603 North Charles Street in Baltimore (3 miles south of Beltway at exit
25; served by bus routes 8, 11, & 44). It will feature noted
national
speaker on metropolitan regions john powell as well as refreshments,
displays and activities, and music.
For more information or to RSVP contact Matthew Weinstein, CPHA, at
(410)
539-1369 x225 or MatthewW@CPHAbaltimore.org.
MAGLEV RAISES CONCERNS
In a position statement unanimously adopted by its Board of Governors on
March 9th, the Citizens Planning and Housing Association has called for
closer examination of the costs and benefits of the proposed magnetic
levitation (maglev) train between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Under a
grant from the Federal Railroad Administration, the Mass Transit
Administration is analyzing the feasibility of a route between downtown
Baltimore and Union Station in Washington. While CPHA is reserving final
judgment on the transportation project and supports its continued study,
the 59-year old civic organization is urging the region’s elected
officials to lead a vigorous public dialogue about the project.
Among CPHA’s concerns are that: the maglev project may siphon away
political and financial support for future transportation projects that
would directly improve the mobility of people in Baltimore City and the
surrounding region; the new rail project may not be well integrated with
current transit systems in the Baltimore region; improvements to the
MARC
system may not proceed as quickly as currently planned; and, that maglev
could drain operating resources from the bus system just as the light
rail
and subway have done. CPHA is calling on Mayor Martin O’Malley,
Baltimore
County Executive Dutch Ruppersburger, state transportation officials,
and
other maglev proponents to commit to immediate improvements and future
expansions to the existing transit modes (bus, light rail, and/or
subway)
before proceeding too far with their support of maglev.
For a full copy of the CPHA report "Considerations on Maglev in the
Baltimore-Washington Corridor" contact Jamie Kendrick at (410)
539-1369 or
JamieK@CPHAbaltimore.org.
_____________________________________
2. I N T H E S T A T E H O U S E
Several bills introduced in the 2000 Maryland General Assembly address
smart growth and transportation issues. For up-to-date bill
information,
bill text, information on legislators, tools to find out who your
legislators are, and votes, go to http://mlis.state.md.us.
EXPAND COMMUTER CHOICE INCENTIVES
S.B. 244 and the H.B. 310, sponsored by Senator Ida G. Ruben
(Montgomery),
Delegate Paul Carlson (Montgomery), and others build on the 50% tax
credit
now available to employers who pay for transit passes or van pools for
employees, which took effect January 1, 2000. The new bills would
allow
nonprofit organizations to take tax credits from their withholding
taxes,
extends the credit to employers who offer employees a
cash-in-lieu-of-parking benefit, and extends the credit to cover
employer-sponsored guaranteed ride home programs. S.B. 244 passed
the
Senate March 16 with amendments designed to assess the measure's impact
on
Maryland efforts to meet air quality standards, reduce congestion,
increase transit ridership, as well as its impact on the General Fund
and
number of employers participating. H.B. 310 is still in
committee.
For more information contact Scot Spencer, Environmental Defense, at
(202)
387-3500 or sspencer@environmentaldefense.org.
REDUCE 'FAREBOX RECOVERY' REQUIREMENT
At 50%, the Maryland state requirement for the percentage of the state's
mass transit operating cost that must be met by fares, or "farebox
recovery" requirement, is second highest in the nation only to
Chicago's
51% mandate. H.B. 1248 and S.B. 811, introduced by the Glendening
Administration and has the support of House Appropriations Committee
Chair
Pete Rawlings and Senate Budget & Taxation Committee Chair Barbara
Hoffman, seek to reduce the Maryland "farebox recovery"
requirement for
mass transit from 50% to 40%. H.B. 1248 passed the House Ways
& Means
Committee on a 17-5 vote on March 10th and is expected to receive a vote
in the Appropriations Committee by the end of the week. The
measure
applies statewide and could result in an additional $15 million for
Baltimore-area transit each year.
For more information contact Jamie Kendrick, CPHA, at (410) 539-1369 or
JamieK@CPHAbaltimore.org.
SETTING PERFORMANCE GOALS FOR TRANSPORTATION
H.B. 1189 and S.B. 731, sponsored by Del. Ron Guns (Cecil), Sen. Chris
Van
Hollen (Montgomery) and others, would establish measurable
transportation
performance goals by which the public, legislature, and state government
can determine if transportation funds are yielding expected results in
reducing traffic congestion. The bill seeks to support growth in
'smart
growth' areas while reducing the traffic associated with growth and
increasing the availability of transportation alternatives to driving
alone. The bills passed the House Environmental Matters Committee
and the
Senate Finance Committee respectively, with amendments, on March 17.
For more information contact George Maurer, Chesapeake Bay Foundation,
at
(410) 269-1870 or gmaurer@cbf.org,
or visit
www.cbf.org/action_center/speak_out/smart_trans/index.htm
BICYCLE/PEDESTRIAN PROJECT FUNDING
S.B. 436, sponsored by Sen. Brian Frosh (Montgomery) and others,
requires
the dedication of 3% of Transportation Trust Fund (TTF) revenues to
construction and maintenance of bicycle ways and sidewalks. As
originally
drafted, S.B. 884 and H.B. 1147, sponsored by Sen. Gloria Lawlah (Prince
George's), Del. Joan Pitkin (Prince George's), and others, create a
Bicycle Pedestrian Program Account within the TTF to receive at least 3%
of transportation funds and also establish a state Office of Bicycle and
Pedestrian Access which would develop a state Bicycle-Pedestrian Master
Plan. The House of Delegates gave H.B. 1147 preliminary approval
on March
16 with amendments removing the 3% dedication of transportation funds.
The Senate Budget and Taxation Committee is exploring including some
provisions of the Senate bills as language in the state budget.
For more information contact Dru Schmidt-Perkins, 1000 Friends of
Maryland, at (410) 385-2910 or dru@friendsofmd.org.
More information also
available at http://ohbike.org/mbac/.
PORTION OF SALES TAX FOR TRANSPORTATION
House Speaker Casper R. Taylor Jr.'s proposal to dedicate one-fifth of
the
state sales tax to mass transit (HB 1) received preliminary approval by
the House on Friday, March 17th. Advocates for improved and expanded
mass
transit initially expressed skepticism over the bill, noting that it was
chiefly backed by the highway industry. As originally drafted, the bill
could have resulted in less overall funding for transit, but an
amendment
by Del. Henry Heller (Montgomery) required that the sales tax revenues
be
in addition to currently planned transit expenses through at least 2005.
The Heller amendment passed 90-43 on the floor of the House of
Delegates.
The bill will now go to the Senate where it faces a difficult time
before
Senate Budget & Taxation Committee Chairwoman Barbara Hoffman
(Baltimore)
who opposes earmarking sales tax revenue for any purpose.
For more information contact George Maurer, Chesapeake Bay Foundation,
at
(410) 269-1870 or gmaurer@cbf.org,
or Jamie Kendrick, CPHA, at (410)
539-1369 or JamieK@CPHAbaltimore.org.
_____________________________________
3. A N N E A R U N D E L C O U N T Y
SOME INFORMATION EMERGES ON ACCESS CHOICES TO NEW MALL
Organizations concerned about non-auto access for workers and patrons of
the Arundel Mills Mall now under construction have learned that the
Mills
Corporation will be building a transit center about 300 feet from the
entrance from the mall. While Mills has not released the final
design and
configuration, the company has committed to a weather shielded facility
with exclusive access and use by buses and commuter van services.
Access-to-jobs advocates remain concerned about the availability of
non-auto transportation to the mall when its tenants begin their hiring
process before opening.
For more information on Partnership activities related to access-to-jobs
contact Scot Spencer, Environmental Defense, at (202) 387-3500 or
sspencer@environmentaldefense.org,
or Andrew Sawyers, Baltimore Urban
League, at (410) 523-8150 or ASawy27746@aol.com.
For information on
general regional access-to-jobs efforts related to Arundel Mills Mall
contact Mike Mitchell, Greater Baltimore Alliance, at (410) 468-0100 or
MichaelM@greaterbaltimore.org.
____________________________________
4. B A L T I M O R E C I T Y
DOWNTOWN PARKING HIGHLIGHTS CITY TRANSPORTATION ISSUES
Since the December inauguration of Baltimore City Mayor Martin O'Malley,
the issue of downtown parking has emerged as a key focus for discussion
of
transportation issues in Baltimore City. In early January Mayor
O'Malley
announced that CareFirst would retain their corporate headquarters and
380
employees in downtown Baltimore in return for 400 subsidized parking
places. In February, recognizing potential inefficient use of
downtown
on-street parking, Mayor O'Malley announced the revocation of 1,800 free
on-street parking passes used by city employees.
Following the CareFirst announcement, the Baltimore Regional Partnership
wrote Mayor O'Malley indicating an interest in working with his
administration to address downtown transportation issues. The
Partnership
has also circulated a two-page list of potential strategies for parking
and transportation management, including vigorous promotion of Commuter
Choice tax credits to employers to increase efficient use of parking
places, financial incentives for employers instead of reserved parking
places, first-floor active use for any new parking garages to promote
pedestrian activity, and signal coordination for light rail along Howard
Street to speed light rail trips. Partnership members are pursuing
a
meeting with Deputy Mayors Laurie Schwartz and David Scott to explore
implementation of various recommendations.
For more information contact Dan Pontious, Baltimore Regional
Partnership,
at (410) 385-2910 or danp@friendsofmd.org.
___________________________________
5. B A L T I M O R E C O U N T Y
PLANNING BOARD MEMBERS SEEK TO PROTECT GUNPOWDER LAND
Two members of the Baltimore County Planning Board, Wayne McGinnis and
Dorothy Foos, have filed requests to have several large blocks of farm
and
forest land down-zoned from RC-4 and RC-5 to RC-2. The land lies near
the
Gunpowder and Little Falls rivers and their tributaries and is thus
crucial for protecting water quality in those watersheds. The
requests
will be processed as part of the four year cycle, and the decisions will
be made by the County Council, after a series of hearings, late next
fall.
RC-4 (watershed protection) is a cluster zone allowing one house per
every
5 acres, but it has not succeeded in protecting agricultural communities
from sprawl development. RC-5 (rural-residential) allows one house
per
1.5 acres. RC-2 (agricultural) allows parcels under 150 acres to
be
subdivided into two lots, and allows an additional lot for each 50 acres
over 100 acres, providing significantly more protection for agricultural
land and nearby water quality. Public hearings by the Planning
Board on
the rezoning petitions will be held in April. For a list of rezoning
petitions, contact: Baltimore County Office of Planning, 410-887-3480,
or
see: http://www.co.ba.md.us/bacoweb/services/planning/html/czmpprocess.htm
For more information contact Cheryl Cort, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, at
(410) 269-0481 or CCort@cbf.org;
James W. Constable, Manor Area
Association, 410-659-1315; or Judy Waldman, Valleys Planning Council,
Inc.
410-343-0455.
COUNCIL RETAINS REGIONAL LANGUAGE IN MASTER PLAN 2010
At their meeting on Feb. 22, the Baltimore County Council turned back a
bid by Councilman Brian McIntyre to remove language in the Baltimore
County Master Plan in support of regional cooperation, including dozens
of
proposed action items to pursue in cooperation with neighboring
jurisdictions. Although the council inserted language specifying
that the
language was nonbinding, its inclusion after vigorous council debate
nonetheless indicates council recognition of the importance of regional
collaboration. The specific items in the regional language
included
efforts to protect watersheds across county lines, collaborate on
cross-county development projects and issues, address cross-county
transportation and traffic issues, and protect large cross-county
farmland
areas.
For more information: contact Matthew Weinstein, CPHA at (410) 539-1369
or
MatthewW@CPHAbaltimore.org.
ESSEX PLANS STIR CONTROVERSY
The Baltimore County government's legislative effort to authorize
condemnation power for properties in Essex to make way for redevelopment
efforts in the largely low-income community has resulted in substantial
public outcry and media attention to the issue. S.B. 509 would
give the
county the power to condemn land for economic development, rather than
for
roads, sewers, parks and other public projects as current law allows.
County plans envision creating expanded public access to the waterfront
at
Essex, including a civic space with expanded bicycle and pedestrian
access
which would be usable by nearby communities. S.B. 509, however,
would
prohibit construction of multi-family dwellings on the land taken for
redevelopment, potentially hindering affordability and serviceability by
public transportation. S.B. 509 passed the state Senate on March 3
and
will be the subject of a hearing in the House Commerce and Government
Matters Committee March 23 at 1:00 PM. At 5:30 that evening
Baltimore
County will hold an informational meeting at Kenwood Senior High School.
For more information contact Amy Menzer, 1000 Friends of Maryland, at
(410) 385-2910 or amenzer@friendsofmd.org.
For information on the March
23 informational meeting, contact Judy London, Baltimore County Dept. of
Business & Economic Development, at (410) 887-8237.
March 18 Baltimore Sun story available at
http://www.sunspot.net/cgi-bin/gx.cgi/AppLogic+FTContentServer?section=archive&pagename=story&storyid=1150290204467
GROUP AND COUNTY COORDINATE MARCH 25 COMMUNITY CONFERENCE
The Baltimore County Community Conservation Advisory Group and the
Baltimore County government are jointly coordinating a "Community
Conservation Conference" on Saturday, March 25 entitled "The
Quality of
Our Lives." The conference seeks to enhance the knowledge and
ability of
local neighborhood organizations in Baltimore County to plan for future
improvements and preservation. The seven workshop options include
"Addressing the Development Process," "Preserving Open
Space," "Creating
Walkable Communities," and "Designing Commercial
Sites." The event will
run from 8:00 AM to 12:45 PM in the Chesapeake Room of the Student Union
Building at Towson University.
For more information contact Ruth Baisden, Community Conservation
Advisory
Group, at (410) 668-2580 or gpcc@bcpl.net;
Laurie Hay or Dana Stoogenke,
Baltimore County Office of Planning, (410) 887-3480; or Amy Menzer, 1000
Friends of Maryland, at (410) 385-2910 or amenzer@friendsofmd.org.
___________________________________
6. C A R R O L L C O U N T Y
COMMISSIONERS FORWARD MASTER PLAN VERSION TO PLANNING PANEL
Last week Carroll County Commissioners sent their version of the
proposed
Master Plan back to the Planning Commission. The commissioners
angered
citizen volunteers who participated in the drafting process by removing
growth control provisions, relegating infrastructure development
strategies to separate books, deleting design standards, and diluting
historic preservation guidelines. Citizen activists are reviewing
the
revised plan and preparing responses.
For more information contact Matthew Weinstein, CPHA, at (410) 539-1369
or
MatthewW@CPHAbaltimore.org.
Matthew will be speaking to the Finksburg
Planning Area Council on Thurs., March 23 at 7:00 at the Sandy Mount
Methodist Church. Additional information can be found at the
group's
website: http://www.finksburg.com.
FARMLAND PRESERVATIONISTS CHALLENGE RASH FARM REZONING
Local farmland preservationists have filed a legal challenge to last
summer’s County Commissioner’s decision to permit the rezoning of
145
acres of the Rash Brothers farm for development. This rezoning decision
is
seen by many agricultural preservation advocates as an action that will
put thousands of acres of farmland at risk. The petitioners agree with
dissenting Commissioner Julia Gouge, who failed to see how the area
around
the farm had changed enough to meet the rezoning standard of
"change of
character." The petitioners have pro bono legal
representation, but they
are currently raising money to pay for related court costs. A hearing
date
has yet to be scheduled.
For more information contact Nimrod Davis, Freedom Area Citizens’
Council,
at 410-795-2896, or Cheryl Cort, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, at (410)
269-0481 or CCort@cbf.org.
_____________________________________
7. H A R F O R D C O U N T Y
CITIZENS ATTEND WEEKEND PLANNING FORUM FOR RT. 40 CORRIDOR
About 150 citizens, businesspeople, and interested observers turned out
at
Aberdeen Senior High School the weekend of February 25-27 to participate
in a Harford County "Quality Community Survey" cosponsored by
Harford
County, the Rt. 40 Business Association, and the Mass Transit
Administration. Anton Nelessen, of the firm A. Nelesson &
Associates, led
the weekend-long program, beginning on Friday evening by surveying the
reaction of participants to 160 slides of various street streetscapes,
roadways, buildings, and transit scenes. On Saturday participants
divided
into groups and traveled to various points on Rt. 40, marking maps with
redevelopment and design ideas. On Saturday and Sunday, Nelessen
presented survey and design results to the larger group. CDs of
the
images and maps from the weekend are available through the Harford
County
Planning and Zoning office, and a printed booklet of the results is
being
prepared.
For more information contact Joe Kocy, director of Harford County
Planning
and Zoning at (410) 638-3103 or jkocy@co.ha.md.us;
Dan Pontious, Baltimore
Regional Partnership, at (410) 385-2910 or danp@friendsofmd.org;
or Amy
Menzer, 1000 Friends of Maryland, (410) 385-2910 or
amenzer@friendsofmd.org.
____________________________________
8. H O W A R D C O U N T Y
GENERAL PLAN PROCESS MOVES FORWARD ON TWO TRACKS
Last week Howard County held the last of five forums to get feedback on
a
draft general plan "Highlights" document. A General Plan
Task Force is
simultaneously developing its recommendations, and that task force will
release its recommendations at the end of March. The draft of the
General
Plan will be available for a May 8 public hearing before the Planning
Board. The County Council plans to hold hearings over the summer
and
anticipates final approval of the new General Plan in the fall.
One of
the key issues discussed at the forum was a proposal to expand the
public
service boundary for up to 10,000 new dwelling units, including up to
6,000 for senior housing. The 1990 General Plan predicted build
out for
the county at 2015, but that date would be extended if the county
extends
the public service boundary. Also at issue in the revision to the
General
Plan is regional cooperation and the location and character of future
growth in Howard County.
For more information contact Kristen Forsyth, 1000 Friends of Maryland,
at
(410) 385-2910 or kforsyth@friendsofmd.org.
March 1 Baltimore Sun story
by Alice Lukens with additional information may be available through
archives at http://www.sunspot.net.
SUN STORY HIGHLIGHTS ACCESS TO JOBS PROBLEM FOR HOWARD EMPLOYERS
A recent front page story in the Baltimore Sun added anecdotal emphasis
to
the statistics in a November report by the Citizens Planning and Housing
Association. The report, "Access to Jobs in the Baltimore
Region,"
indicated that over a third of entry level jobs in the region are
located
in the suburbs and completely out of the reach of public transportation.
The March 5 Sun story, "Businesses in Howard feel pinch of low
unemployment," indicated that Howard County's 1.3 percent
unemployment
rate is significantly below the Maryland average, which in turn is
significantly below the national rate of 3.5 percent. In the
story,
county transportation planning chief Carl Balser points out the need for
expanded transit service in order to enable workers to get both to and
from their jobs.
For more information contact Michelle Wirzberger, Baltimore Regional
Partnership, at (410) 385-2910 or mwirzber@friendsofmd.org;
Indian Tyler,
Baltimore Urban League, at (410) 523-8150 or itylerbul@hotmail.com;
or
Jamie Kendrick, CPHA, at (410) 539-1369 or JamieK@CPHAbaltimore.org.
Full
March 5 Baltimore Sun story by Lisa Respers may be available through
archives at http://www.sunspot.net.
____________________________________
ABOUT THE BALTIMORE REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP AND NEWSLETTER
The Baltimore Regional Partnership is an alliance of five civic,
environmental, and anti-sprawl groups: 1000 Friends of Maryland,
Baltimore
Urban League, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Citizens Planning and Housing
Association, and Environmental Defense (formerly the Environmental
Defense
Fund).
This newsletter explores current issues, recent and upcoming events, and
ongoing deliberations that affect the region's quality of life through
transportation, economic development, and land use policy and planning.
We hope to link citizens in the region who are working to fight sprawl,
promote clean and efficient transportation, protect valuable farm and
forest lands, and revitalize urban areas, older suburbs, and historic
towns.
Send us information: Let us know about your work on land use and
transportation decisions that are affecting the Baltimore region.
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