Land Use and Development in Howard County

The Sierra Club opposes sprawl development. Excessive new building construction, or inappropriate use of property, can lead to degradation of land and water. In Howard County, decisions about construction projects are governed by the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (APFO) and the Development Regulations.
 
Howard County's Department of Planning and Zoning (DPZ) hired a consulting firm (Clarion Associates) to conduct a Development Regulation Assessment, which included a review of the zoning code, as well as regulations, policies and manuals related to land development. Phase I is an assessment of the development regulations and was completed on January 25, 2018. The Assessment and an Annotated Outline is now available for review on the project website.

Phase II is the drafting of a new unified development code. As of February 28, 2018, DPZ will be engaging in a solicitation process to retain a consultant for Phase II. Additional comments on the Assessment may be submitted online. The comment database will continue to be updated and these comments will be provided to the consultant selected for Phase II.

For more information, contact the Department of Planning and Zoning at (410) 313-2350 or email Julia Boone at jboone@howardcountymd.gov.

The Land Use and Development Committee is dedicated to studying the Assessment and recommending revisions to the existing regulations. Our goal is to strengthen environmental protection in every phase of development. In particular, we advocate for stricter rules limiting or eliminating development on parkland and on property designated as ecologically valuable on the Green Infrastructure Network. Contact us at howardcounty@mdsierra.org to learn more.