Pointing fingers at Baltimore County lawmakers who take campaign contributions from developers, a Catonsville group who is taking its battle against a pending development to court says a victory could change the way the county evaluates such proposals forever.
In Circuit Court this fall, members of the Westview Park Improvement and Civic Association will appeal the approval of 13 homes on Rolling Road, arguing the county?s method of calculating housing density needs to be changed to stop “clustering,” or cramming the maximum number of homes allowed on a land parcel even if portions are unbuildable.
In March, the county?s Board of Appeals approved development firm Skirven Enterprises? 13-home project on a five-acre plot. But one-third of the property is classified as wetlands, so all of the homes will be clustered into what association president Steve Whisler estimates to be two acres.
“Their unwillingness to look only at the suitable land is exactly why you have subdivisions that don?t conform with the existing communities,” Whisler said. “I think they are only interested in increasing the tax base and assisting their development friends.”
Whisler said County Executive Jim Smith and other elected officials rely on the development community to fund their campaigns. Skirven, for example, has donated at least $2,100 to Smith?s campaigns since 2003, and almost $1,000 to District 1 Council Member Sam Moxley since 2002, according to state campaign finance records.
Last year, Friends of Jim Smith collected at least $84,000 from the development community ? including builders, engineers and architects and not including limited liability corporations set up for development projects ? according to an analysis by The Examiner.
“The development approval process is set up in a way that prevents intervention from the county executive and even the county council,” Smith campaign manager Sterling Clifford said.
Other county officials described a rigorous process for proposals that provides for community input, but said the county has not regulated lot sizes for more than 40 years.
Skirven said clustering allows developers to provide open space, which in Baltimore County is required. Skirven said he is paying the county a fee in lieu of the requirement.
He said his campaign donations were to reward Smith for a job well done ? not to buy approval.
“Jim Smith is the right man for the job and he?s doing a great job for the county so I support him,” he said.
