Residents question plan for Middle River growth

Proposals in a community development plan to address growth in Middle River would infringe on Baltimore County?s protected rural district and doesn?t do enough to protect existing residents, activists said.

The Baltimore County Planning Board recently approved an action plan addressing expected growth in Middle River from the federal base realignment and closure and recent 3.8-mile extension of White Marsh Boulevard. But the board supported proposals ? including rezoning several large parcels to accommodate as many as 2,400 new homes ? that several members of an eight-member community panel who drafted the plan lobbied against, they said. Residents packed a public hearing before the County Council Monday evening to protest the changes.