Driving by an open lot, a resident might notice a sign posted about a meeting between residents and developers, but pulling over to read it can be difficult.
Council Member Greg Fox, R-District 5, wants to change that with revamped signs, complete with codes for more information. “It makes it easier for [residents] to see the signs,” Fox said.
Fox?s proposed measure would make the signs smaller, color-coded and include a large code in the top left corner, identifying the project. Residents can enter that code into the county?s Web site to find out information on the meeting and track the development plans, he said.
Stopping to check out the signs can be dangerous, and gathering information on the case can be arduous, said Angela Beltram, a community activist and member of the board of directors for the Howard County Citizen?s Association, a nonpartisan resident group.
“If you don?t know the number of the case, it?s hard to get information,” she said.
The change will mean the county must educate residents on what the new code means, she said.
Fox?s measure is the latest in a string of efforts to address residents? concerns over pre-submission meetings, held with developers before plans are submitted to the county.
The council last month required meetings to be held in a public building within five miles of the site, following complaints that meetings were often outside in the dark and cold.
At times, the meetings have become heated with residents opposing a development, and residents have raised concerns about little communication with developers after a meeting, as a project moves forward.
But developer Rob Moxley, of Security Development Corp. in Ellicott City, hasn?t felt the heat. The company has built in Elkridge, as well as throughout central Maryland and nearby states.
The meetings are “helpful,” he said, adding he has never had a meeting on-site. “There are mutual benefits that can be obtained.”
