AACo for the Next 10 Years!
Every 10 years, the County makes long range plans for where housing, commercial development, and open space will be located for the coming decade. After two years of preparation, plans for the first third of the county are now before the County Council, or will be soon. Citizens need to plug in to what is being planned for their communities and speak up before irreversible actions are taken to change the nature of neighborhoods and commercial areas. These next few weeks will determine the future of land use and the quality of life in our communities.Â
The final recommended drafts of the Regional Plans and Comprehensive Zoning Maps for Regions 2 and 7 have been introduced to the County Council this month.
Region 2 includes the west County communities of Jessup, Annapolis Junction, Laurel, Maryland City, parts of Hanover, the Patuxent Research Refuge, and Fort George G. Meade.
Region 7 includes the Annapolis Neck peninsula, including the Town of Highland Beach, and the Riva community. A majority of the region is in the City of Annapolis, a separate jurisdiction with its own planning authority.
Region 4 will be considered in a month, includes the Broadneck and Lake Shore peninsula communities of Pasadena, Severna Park, Arnold, and Cape St. Claire.
There will be opportunities for public testimony at coming Council meetings. More detail about the Plans and Maps is available at the Region Plan Hub (https://region-plan-hub-annearundelmd.hub.arcgis.com/)
These are powerful and rare opportunities to significantly change our neighborhoods. More housing is desperately needed in the county, but where? Commercial areas are desperately in need of revitalization, but where? More open space is needed, but where?
These are the issues at stake right now. Get smart. Get busy. Get your neighbors engaged. Spread the word.Â