The Baltimore County development process is at best confusing. To the attorneys who represent certain developers, it can be very profitable since few others can navigate the twists and turns of its convoluted pathways. To other developers, citizens and community groups, it is a brick wall barring them from what should be an open process.

To get a waiver from the full development process, a developer appeals to the Baltimore County Development Review Committee. That committee is a panel of representatives from various county departments. The full development process includes a community input meeting and a hearing before a county hearing officer at which community concerns must be addressed.