Bevins: Sixth District CZMP Wrap-up

On August 28th, the County Council held a special session and voted on nearly 300 zoning “issues” marking the conclusion of the 2012 Comprehensive Zoning Map Process (CZMP)  Upon voting on the individual issues, the Council approved new zoning maps which took effect September 10th.  Over the course of the past year or so, I have provided several updates in my newsletter, and offered comments at various community meetings, regarding the various details of the CZMP and issues within the sixth district.
 
Zoning is a complicated legal mechanism, but generally speaking, it is a planning tool used by many local governments to regulate how land is used, in order to protect the public health, safety, morals, and/or general welfare.  The County Council plays a critical role in land use and zoning, and we have a major responsibility as the decision making body in the CZMP once every four years. 
 
There are two basic components of zoning:  maps and written regulations.  The Baltimore County Zoning Regulations (BCZR) establish the various zoning classifications and provide for various restrictions and permitted uses within each zone.  The zoning maps establish the official zoning boundaries and apply the zoning classifications to the parcels of land. 
 
During the 2012 CZMP, the nature of the issues varied – from requests for increases or decreases in residential density, to changes from residential to industrial to commercial zoning, resource conservation and/or large mixed-use projects.  Locally, certain issues maintained a higher profile than others, but I made it a point to personally analyze and review each and every issue carefully, considering the many positions of the petitioners, property owners, neighbors, community groups and county agencies.  Balancing these often conflicting perspectives with individual property rights, community concerns, plans for smart growth, and environmental impacts was a challenging endeavor.
 
Of the nearly 300 county-wide issues, 43 were located in the sixth district.  There are approximately 32,000 acres of land in the sixth district, and the CZMP issues were spread over approximately 1500 acres – less than five percent (5%) of the total land in the district.  In the end, the zoning was changed on just 244 acres.  In other words, sixteen percent (16%) of the requested acreage was rezoned, while the zoning on 84 percent (84%) of the eligible land was left unchanged.  Geographically, less than one percent (0.8%) of the land in the sixth district saw some sort of zoning change, whether it was upzoned or downzoned, though each of these changes will have long-lasting impacts.  Still, retaining the existing zoning on the other 99% will have incredible impacts of its own, especially in rural and/or environmentally sensitive areas. 
 
The final Log of Issues reflects the zoning decision for each CZMP issue and is available on the County website at: www.baltimorecountymd.gov/czmp.
 
While the decision making process was not easy, I believe that my decisions reflect a good balance, and will keep eastern Baltimore County headed in the right direction.  The new zoning maps will promote economic development opportunities, while protecting natural resources and preserving the character of many of our neighborhoods in eastern Baltimore County. 

Cathy Bevins,
Councilwoman, Sixth District