Harford County Executive David Craig announced this week the appointment of a 25-member group to review and rewrite county zoning codes.
Included are representatives from the Home Builders Association of Maryland, the Urban Land Committee, the Harford County Farm Bureau, the sheriff?s office and other Harford, Baltimore and state organizations, as well as four people who represent county residents.
“Each member of the work group brings to the group a special talent, perspective or experience necessary to help the process move forward in an effective and efficient manner,” Craig said in a statement.
The group will not disregard previous regulations, just specifically define them so projects such as The Avenue at White Marsh can be created while maintaining the county?s agriculture, said Pete Gutwald, the county?s director of planning.
“It?s going to bring [zoning codes] into the 21st century,” said Roxanne Lynch, Craig?s spokeswoman. “It?s ridiculous how long it?s been since it?s been looked at.”
Because rezoning is such a “monumental task with diverse interests,” it has been 25 years since this work has been done, Gutwald said.
“These shopping centers you saw in the late 1970s and ?80s is not what you see today,” Gutwald said. “It gets cumbersome when someone comes up with a new, state-of-the-artidea.”
While the flood of new residents expected as a result of the federal government?s Base Realignment and Closure plan was one call to action, Lynch said the agriculture, Route 40 corridor growth and other county plans need to be protected from expanding development.
The group will end its work next April, and public hearings on its findings will follow, Gutwald said.
“This project is not something that can be done quickly or in haste,” Craig said in a statement. “This is a marathon, not a sprint.”
