Maryland’s controversial development control initiative, Plan Maryland, was the topic of a forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters’ Calvert and St. Mary’s chapters Tuesday, April 24. The 100 minute session was held at the Asbury Solomons Island Auditorium and attracted over 30 citizens.
The panel featured Rich Josephson, director of planning services for the Maryland Department of Planning (MDP); Charles Johnston, the director of the Calvert Department of Planning and Zoning; and Phillip Shire, the director of St. Mary’s County Land Use and Growth Management.
During their brief presentations, the three panelists conveyed their concerns about the future of the state and the two counties in particular. Josephson indicated state officials are fretting over a projected spike of 1 million residents during the next quarter century. The population increase is expected to require 500,000 new housing units and 600,000 new jobs by the year 2035. State officials are concerned Maryland could lose more farmland and forests as a result of the population growth.
State and local officials have established Priority Funding Areas (PFAs) throughout Maryland’s 24 jurisdictions and over 150 municipalities. However, since 1997 about 75 percent of the state’s developed acres have been located outside of the PFAs, Josephson said. Its goal under Plan Maryland is to have 90 percent of new development contained to the PFAs.
Since it first became a hot topic last year for Maryland’s elected officials, MDP representatives have maintained Plan Maryland is simply the resurrection of legislation that has been on the books since 1974. The department’s secretary, Richard Hall, has referred to the initiative as a “game plan.” Department officials have steadfastly asserted Plan Maryland does not replace the individual jurisdictions’ comprehensive plans and does not usurp zoning authority.
Josephson took the rhetoric a step further during the forum in Solomons. When asked if Plan Maryland was “voluntary,’ Josephson replied “yes.” He added that compliance with a measure known as “The Septic Bill” was also voluntary.
Johnston disagreed with Josephson’s assertion. “It’s our belief that the state is going to say ‘we can only give out so much funds,’ ” said Johnston, who indicated the state’s “prioritization” of fund allocation will be tied to compliance with Plan Maryland.
Josephson did admit the mandated “tiers” of developm
