BALTIMORE REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP Newsletter
July 13, 2000

Land Use and Transportation Issues Around the Region
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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


IN  THIS  ISSUE

1. IN THE REGION: 
    Coalition Urges Glendening to Support Strong Air Measures
    Report Finds Region Dangerous for Pedestrians
    Calendar of Events

2. ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY
    Council Defeats Bill to Limit "Big Box" in Parole, Odenton

3. BALTIMORE CITY: 
    Council Approves Amended Parking Authority Bill
    14 Communities Apply for New "Main Streets" Program

4. BALTIMORE COUNTY
    Essex Activists Submit Signatures on Condemnation Bill

5. CARROLL COUNTY 
    Finksburg Group Gives Commissioners Low Grades

6. HARFORD COUNTY
    County Rewrites Codes for Rt. 40 Revitalization

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1. I N  T H E  R E G I O N

COALITION URGES GLENDENING TO SUPPORT STRONG AIR MEASURES

On June 15, eleven environmental, civic, and smart growth-oriented groups
active in Maryland, including the five organizations of the Baltimore
Regional Partnership, wrote to Governor Parris N. Glendening, urging him
to recommend that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) crack
down on upwind regional air pollution sources by designating a large
eastern U.S. "non-attainment" area under the Clean Air Act. Baltimore is
the victim of transported power plant pollution from the midwest and
pollution blowing in from the Washington D.C. region, especially sprawling
Northern Virginia. While the Washington region generates about twice the
ozone smog-forming pollution as the Baltimore region, poor geography and
transported pollution mean that the Baltimore region suffers from
significantly more severe ozone smog. EPA currently considers the
Washington and Baltimore regions separately and, unlike in the case of
Midwestern power plants, EPA has been unwilling to force Washington to
curb its pollution beyond the point of meeting federal health standards in
its own region, leaving it largely off the hook for its contribution to
Baltimore's pollution problem.

EPA is currently seeking advice from all U.S. governors on how to draw the
boundaries for new "non-attainment" areas, or the areas that violate a new
federal health standard for ozone smog. The 11-group letter argues that a
Glendening recommendation for a much larger non-attainment area is the
clearest way to direct EPA to crack down on pollution from upwind air
pollution sources, such as the Washington region, and to support smart
growth efforts in Maryland. The Baltimore Regional Partnership is joined
on the letter by several organizations from the Washington region. While
the Maryland Department of the Environment and the Maryland Department of
Transportation have sent their joint advice to Governor Glendening, the
governor has not yet made his official recommendation to EPA.

For the full text of the coalition letter, visit 
www.balto-region-partners.org/600_gov_letter.htm. For more information,
contact Dan Pontious, Baltimore Regional Partnership, at 
danp@balto-region-partners.org.


REPORT FINDS REGION DANGEROUS FOR PEDESTRIANS

A report issued June 15 by the Surface Transportation Policy Project
grades the nation's regions on pedestrian safety, and it finds that the
Baltimore region fares poorly according to one key measure. 22 percent of
the region's traffic fatalities are pedestrians, according to 1997 and
1998 data, among the highest rates among metropolitan regions nationally.
More than 50 pedestrians were killed in the Baltimore region in each of
those years. Other calculations in the report rank the full
Washington-Baltimore region -- the Combined Metropolitan Statistical Area
(CMSA) used by the Census Bureau -- and other metro areas according to a
"Pedestrian Danger Index." When per capita pedestrian deaths are divided
by the percentage of travelers walking in a particular region,
Washington-Baltimore ranks 31st nationally. The two most dangerous
regions in the ranking are Tampa-St. Petersburg and Atlanta.

The report calls attention to the widespread practice of catering to
automobile speed in street design at the expense of pedestrian safety.
The report was released less than two weeks after 16-year old film student
Jeffrey Loiseaux was struck and killed by a car while trying to cross
Reisterstown Road in Baltimore County. At the location of his death, the
heavily commercial strip of road is five lanes across, with no sidewalks
and no crosswalks, even at the traffic lights, which are hundreds of feet
away in each direction. The report recommends increased funding for
pedestrian safety, more traffic calming, better design of streets and
neighborhoods for walking, and more data collection on the subject.

For more information, contact Dan Pontious, Baltimore Regional
Partnership, at danp@balto-region-partners.org. The full report can be
found on at www.transact.org/Reports/ms2000/default.htm. For Maryland and
Baltimore region statistics, visit
www.transact.org/Reports/ms2000/statefacts.asp. June 16, 2000 Sun story
by Marcia Myers available through archives at www.sunspot.net. June 8
obituary for Jeffrey Andrew Loizeaux also available there.


CALENDAR OF EVENTS

July 17:
*Transportation & Land Use Workgroup of CPHA's Committee on the Region.
6:00 PM. CPHA, 218 W. Saratoga St., 3rd Floor Conference Rm., Baltimore,
MD 21201.

July 25:
*Transportation Steering Committee monthly mtg. 9:00 AM. Baltimore 
Metropolitan Council, 2700 Lighthouse Point East, Suite 310, Baltimore (on
Boston St. near O'Donnell St., in Canton).

July 26:
*Regional Resource Sharing Workgroup of CPHA's Committee on the Region.
6:00 PM (5:30 for new participants). CPHA, 218 W. Saratoga St., Fifth
Floor, Baltimore.

July 31:
*Housing Workgroup of CPHA's Committee on the Region. 6:00 PM (5:30 for
new participants). Episcopal Diocese, Charles St. and University Pkwy.,
Baltimore.

October 18:
*Regionwide Citizens' Assembly with the Elected Leaders of Metropolitan
Baltimore. For more information contact Matthew Weinstein, CPHA, at
MatthewW@CPHAbaltimore.org.

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2. A N N E  A R U N D E L C O U N T Y

COUNCIL DEFEATS BILL TO LIMIT "BIG BOX" IN PAROLE, ODENTON

On Wednesday, July 5, the Anne Arundel County Council defeated
Councilwoman Barbara Samorajczyk’s proposal to limit the footprint of
retail buildings in certain areas of the Parole and Odenton Town Centers
by a vote of 4-2. Samorajczyk had stressed that the bill was designed to
address the impact of the size of retail stores on the urban streetscape
of Parole and Odenton, not to impede economic development, but was not
able to persuade enough of her colleagues. Both Town Centers have plans
that call for compact, mixed-use development that creates a sense of
place. Both 1000 Friends of Maryland and the Maryland Office of Planning
had supported the bill, stressing the need for a mix of uses in a town
center in order to attract residents, businesses, and employees for the
long term. Bill Badger, President and CEO of the Anne Arundel County
Economic Development Corporation, however, opposed the legislation on
behalf of AAEDC and County Executive Janet Owen. Badger stated that the
legislation is both anti-business and anti-smart growth, because it 
will impede growth in an area targeted for growth. 

Communities throughout Maryland and across the country have adopted
footprint standards. Chestertown limits the footprint of new retail
development to 60,000 s.f., Rockville and Easton to 65,000 s.f., and
Gaithersburg to 80,000 s.f. Results from around the country show that
retail chains adapt to the requirements rather than abandon the location.

For more information contact Kristen Forsyth, 1000 Friends of Maryland, at
kforsyth@friendsofmd.org. Full text of July 7 Anne Arundel Sun article
available at 
www.sunspot.net/content/archive/story?section=archive&pagename=story&storyid=1150360205631


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3. B A L T I M O R E  C I T Y

COUNCIL APPROVES AMENDED PARKING AUTHORITY BILL

On Monday, July 10, the Baltimore City Council accepted several amendments
suggested by the Citizens Planning and Housing Association and the
Baltimore Regional Partnership, and it gave unanimous final approval for a
bill to create a Parking Authority for the city. Mayor Martin O'Malley's
office and the City Council had accepted preamble language giving the
Authority "the goal of reducing the demand for existing and future parking
facilities." The amended bill also requires the Authority's annual report
to summarize "the Authority's consideration and use of demand management
strategies and the effectiveness of those strategies in reducing the need
for new parking." In addition, one of the Authority's five Board members
must have "mass transit involvement." Demand management strategies
include pricing systems designed to maximize use of each parking space,
concentrating a mix of uses in a parking garage to minimize the need to
drive, coordinated payment technologies (such as "smart cards") for both
transit and parking, and use and promotion of "Commuter Choice" tax
incentives for alternatives to driving. Advocates plan to press the new
Authority to implement progressive parking management strategies made
available to it in the legislation, which takes effect October 1.

For more information contact Jamie Kendrick, CPHA, at
JamieK@CPHAbaltimore.org, or Dan Pontious, Baltimore Regional Partnership,
at danp@balto-region-partners.org. July 7 Baltimore Sun story on Parking
Authority, including CPHA comments on the need for alternatives to more
parking available at
www.sunspot.net/content/cover/story?section=cover&pagename=story&storyid=1150360205335.
July 11 Baltimore Sun story on bill passage, including comments from
Councilman Melvin Stukes on the need for parking alternatives available at
www.sunspot.net/content/cover/story?section=cover&pagename=story&storyid=1150360207806


14 COMMUNITIES APPLY FOR NEW "MAIN STREETS" PROGRAM

Baltimore Main Streets received 14 applications for the first round of
designations for the new program announced by Mayor Martin O'Malley on May
2. The program, adapted from the National Trust for Historic
Preservation's Main Street Center, is designed to revitalize shopping
districts in several city neighborhoods. It seeks to improve streetscapes
and signage in declining commercial corridors, coordinate with groups
having a stake in the neighborhoods, strengthen the areas' existing
economic base, and promote the areas to customers and new businesses. The
14 applicants are: Belair-Edison, Broadway Corridor, Charles Street - Mid
Town, Federal Hill, Govanstowne, Hampden, Harford Road, Market Center
(West Side of Downtown), Old Town Mall, Park Heights, Pennsylvania Avenue,
Pimlico, Waverly, West Baltimore Street (SOWEBO). A Selection Committee
will be meeting over the next two weeks to narrow the list to the five
initial participants, and Mayor O'Malley will announce the final selection
on July 27th. 

For more information contact, David Garza, Acting Coordinator of Baltimore
Main Streets Program, at (410) 545-7367, or Amy Menzer, 1000 Friends of
Maryland, at amenzer@friendsofmd.org.

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4. B A L T I M O R E  C O U N T Y

ESSEX ACTIVISTS SUBMIT SIGNATURES ON CONDEMNATION BILL

On the June 30 deadline, activists from Essex and Middle River in Eastern
Baltimore County submitted 44,037 signatures to the county Board of
Elections to bring the controversial eminent domain law passed by the
General Assembly this year -- SB 509 -- to referendum in the fall. The
massive volunteer effort must result in 24,136 verified signatures from
county registered voters in order to place SB 509 on the ballot in
November for possible repeal. The signature effort received a boost in
late May when County Executive Dutch Ruppersberger, the new law's chief
proponent, announced he was signing the petition himself and volunteering
for a series of seven debates with state Delegate Jim Ports on the issue
in the fall. Ruppersberger has touted the measure, which includes
condemnation for 300 properties, as necessary to spur privately funded
revitalization in the area. Opponents blast the law as a hastily drafted
tool to enable the county to seize several local properties, forcing some
modest-income residents off their land and paving the way for developer
windfalls from upscale redevelopment. 

For more information on the status of the referendum, as well as other
issues related to the Essex revitalization plans, contact Jackie Nickel,
Essex-Middle River Civic Council, at jackienickel@aol.com, or Amy Menzer,
1000 Friends of Maryland, at amenzer@friendsofmd.org. Full text of July 1
Sun story available at
www.sunspot.net/content/archive/story?section=archive&pagename=story&storyid=1150350216400. July 5 Baltimore City Paper story available at
www.citypaper.com/2000-07-05/feature.html.

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5. C A R R O L L  C O U N T Y

FINKSBURG GROUP GIVES COMMISSIONERS LOW GRADES

Members of the Finksburg Planning Area Council graded the Carroll County
Commissioners in 13 areas last month, giving them three Bs, but mostly Ds
and Fs. In the scorecard and accompanying letter delivered the last week
in June, the commissioners received failing grades in open government,
zoning, environment, master plan, and water resource management. The
Finksburg group awarded the commmissioners Ds in responsiveness, growth
management, schools, a proposed Finksburg library, and road signs. The
highest grades -- three Bs -- came in roads, land preservation, and parks.
In a June 29 Baltimore Sun article, Commissioner Julia Gouge received the
grades most positively, saying, "They are on target with a lot of things
the county is lax in. Commissioner Robin Bartlett Frazier, a Finksburg
native, responded, "It is good to hear their input and see where we might
improve." Commissioner Donald I. Dell was most hostile, saying "I would
give the Finksburg group an F in general."

A July 3 Carroll County Times editorial on the scorecard is available at
www.zwire.com/news/newsstory.cfm?newsid=597434&BRD=1289&PAG=461.
The June 29 Baltimore Sun story is available at 
www.sunspot.net/content/news/story?section=news-maryland-sun&pagename=story&storyid=1150350214902 or through the sunspot.net archives. For more
information contact Dave O'Callaghan, Finksburg Planning Area Council at
OMAC1@aol.com, or Dan Pontious, Baltimore Regional Partnership, at
danp@balto-region-partners.org.

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6. H A R F O R D  C O U N T Y

COUNTY REWRITES CODES FOR ROUTE 40 REVITALIZATION

The Harford County Council passed legislation at the end of May to create
a "Commercial Revitalization Zoning Overlay District" along much of the
county's Route 40 corridor. This ordinance rezones the corridor, full of
aging strip malls which are experiencing vacancies and undesirable
commercial uses, for mixed-use development at a pedestrian scale. Some of
its provisions include allowing for higher structures, reducing setback
requirements, allowing higher lot coverage percentages, and encouraging
the location of parking lots behind buildings. Harford County officials
hope that this ordinance will attract more high tech jobs along the
corridor to shore up the county¹s tax base and allow more county residents
to work in the county instead of commuting long distances to jobs in other
jurisdictions. This legislation comes on the heels of a community plan
passed by the Council in March to encourage similar redevelopment
throughout Edgewood, the largest community along the Route 40 corridor.
The next stage of that legislation, to bring zoning ordinances in Edgewood
in accordance with the plan, probably will come before the Council in
September. 

For more information contact Adam Gordon, Baltimore Regional Partnership,
at adam@balto-region-partners.org, or Joan Morrissey Ward, Harford County
Department of Planning and Zoning, at jmward@co.ha.md.us.

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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
(www.friendsofmd.org), Baltimore Urban League (www.bul.org), Chesapeake
Bay Foundation (www.savethebay.cbf.org), Citizens Planning and Housing
Association (www.CPHARegionalCampaign.org), and Environmental Defense
(www.environmentaldefense.org).

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.

Email information to Dan Pontious at danp@balto-region-partners.org.
Visit the Baltimore Regional Partnership website at:
www.balto-region-partners.org.