Baltimore County officials unveiled a 105-point plan to prepare for the expected surge of jobs and people from the federal military base realignment and appointed a new employee to head the initiative Wednesday.
The county is expected to add 3,900 new jobs and 3,600 new households from the federal Base Realignment and Closure initiative, the third-largest impact in the state, County Executive Jim Smith said Wednesday. The new residents, earning salaries between $65,000 and $100,000, are expected to add $18 million in property taxes and $10 million in income taxes each year through 2015 but also consume housing stock, road and school capacity, and safety resources.
Smith called the plan specific, prioritized and deadlined.
“I am very optimistic,” he said. “But it will take every county agency and department to continue to work together in collaboration to ensure Baltimore County?s success.”
Economic development officials said the county already has enough commercially zoned land to accommodate defense contractors moving to the region. They estimated the new households would occupy about 8 percent of available housing between 2009 and 2015 but could pressure demand for higher-end units.
Fearing the influx could threaten the county?s rural northern parts, one land-preservation group studied where BRAC families would want to live. Two factors ? the quality of its schools and proximity to Aberdeen Proving Ground ? make Baltimore County more attractive than other Maryland jurisdictions, said Irving Spitzberg, president of North County Preservation Inc.
“If people make decisions the way I think BRAC people will make decisions, more people will decide to live here,” Spitzberg said. “Having said that, they will try to live within a half-hour of Aberdeen Proving Ground, and I think the plan for eastern Baltimore County will work.”
The plan identifies new priorities ? such as changing high school graduation requirements to include four math and four science credits ? and projects already in the pipeline, such as upgrading the Middle River MARC station. Other goals include revitalizing commercial corridors along Pulaski Highway, Route 1 and Washington Boulevard.
Smith named William Jones, a county redevelopment specialist since 2001, to head the BRAC initiative. County officials said they intend to seek state and federal funding for studies but could not estimate a total cost or timeline to implement the plan.
“You just don?t go out and make traffic changes overnight,” Jones said. “But I think it?s a really doable plan, and it could be done in a timely manner with cooperation.”
The public can comment on the plan, available on the county?s Web site, over the next 30 days. Copies are available in all branches of the county?s public library.
