Parking is one of the biggest challenges to smart growth because it consumes large amounts of land that could be developed. Parking requirements now drive many site designs and play a crucial role in financing for new developments. Maryland conducted a study which identifies and addresses best practices for three areas of parking challenges faced by developers, which are parking management, which identifies strategies to control the supply and demand for parking, parking design, which proposes strategies that reduce the aesthetic and environmen.. Read More

The City of Annapolis, the capital of Maryland, is set in the heart of the Chesapeake Bay. Only 29 miles east of Washington D.C., Annapolis has a population of 36,524 people, with a population density of 5,326 people per square mile. Annapolis has several public transportation options, including an eight-route bus system and railway connecting the city to nearby Washington D.C. and Baltimore. Annapolis uses an integrated approach in regulating the planning, design, and sustainability of buildings. The city’s sustainable building law manda.. Read More

In its alternative energy facilities regulation, Worcester County defines solar energy systems, in part, based on energy capacity. It defines large solar energy systems as those with a rated capacity of two hundred kilowatts or greater. Medium solar energy systems are ground-mounted systems with a rated capacity greater than five kilowatts but less than two hundred kilowatts or roof-mounted systems of any capacity in excess of five kilowatts. Finally, small solar energy systems have a rated capacity of five kilowatts or less. .. Read More

Howard County, Maryland offers guidelines for installing solar energy systems in historic districts. For example, one recommendation is to install solar panels on roof surface so it is not visible from a public way. The guidelines also include practices one should avoid, like removing historic roofing materials in order to add solar panels... Read More

In response to state and federal initiatives to reduce energy consumption and increase energy production from renewables, Kent County created its Renewable Energy Task Force to study and evaluate the benefits of renewable energy generation at multiple scales, make recommendations about appropriate renewable energy technologies, and propose policy changes and ordinance amendments. In 2011, the Task Force successfully proposed amendments to the County Code, adding both permitted use and special exception provisions for small-scale solar energy sy.. Read More

Bill 44-20 requires the Office of Legislative Oversight to submit a racial equity and social justice impact statement for each zoning text amendment. The bill encourages the Office of Legislative Oversight to work with the planning department to develop the impact statement. Montgomery County already had this requirement in place for bills and this new bill is an extension of that. The county’s Racial Equity and Social Justice (RESJ) statements can be found here. One is also included here. After RESJ statements are completed, the bill is sen.. Read More

Baltimore, Maryland, enacted an ordinance granting a Building Official authority to petition the Court for appointment of a receiver to raze, rehabilitate, or sell a vacant building. The petition must include: a copy of the original notice and order to rehabilitate; affirmation by affidavit that the rehabilitation has not yet been completed; and the identity of the proposed receiver (if it is not the Building Officer). As an alternative to assigning a receiver, the Court may appoint an owner, mortgagee, or other person in interest to the .. Read More

The Maryland State Legislature enacted House Bill 743 in 2000. This Bill created a procedure known as a special tax sale in Baltimore, Maryland. Upon a commitment by a purchaser to quickly foreclose and redevelop properties, the City may package vacant properties in a tax lien sale, setting the minimum bid prices less than the full amount of payments owed on the property, including unpaid taxes, fines and penalties assessed on the unpaid taxes, and the costs incurred in making the sale. If the purchaser fails to comply with the stipulations .. Read More

Baltimore County, Maryland is part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan area. As of 2004 Baltimore County’s population was estimated to be 763,181. Baltimore County’s boundaries do not actually include the City of Baltimore. The northern regions of Baltimore County are primarily rural, home to old deciduous forests. The County’s population density is 1,260 people per square mile, and the County has a total area of 682 square miles. Baltimore County’s green building incentives come in the form of property tax. Properties that may receive .. Read More

The City of Annapolis, the capital of Maryland, is set in the heart of the Chesapeake Bay. Only 29 miles east of Washington D.C., Annapolis has a population of 36,524 people, with a population density of 5,326 people per square mile. Annapolis has several public transportation options, including an eight-route bus system and railway connecting the city to nearby Washington D.C. and Baltimore. Annapolis uses an integrated approach in regulating the planning, design, and sustainability of buildings. The city’s sustainable building law manda.. Read More

Prince George’s County has one of the strongest environmentally oriented statement of purposes, as the law intends to “protect the biological and environmental quality of the watersheds” under its jurisdiction. The ordinance does not prohibit development in the floodplain, but implements a series of innovative approaches to management that include compensatory storage and stream buffer zones... Read More

The Forest Conservation and Reforestation Ordinance establishes a forest conservation and reforestation program for the Town of Laytonsville in compliance with the standards prescribed by the Maryland General Assembly. The Act regulates timber harvesting as well as other activities that may result in the cutting, clearing, or grading of forest and defines terms related to and including “afforestation”, “forest”, and “reforestation”. Finally, the ordinance prescribes penalties for noncompliance... Read More

In its Zoning Chapter, the Town of Berlin has created a section specifically for site design guidelines, Section 108-274. Within that section, Berlin has authorized solar energy use. A developer or owner must consider the feasibility and desirability of active and passive solar energy use before installation. Builders must also “orient proposed buildings and provide structures to provide for solar energy use and to preserve solar access of adjoining properties.” .. Read More

According to Denton, Maryland’s zoning chapter, solar collectors and similar equipment, fixtures, and devices are exempt from district height limitation set forth within the rest of the chapter. The chapter, however, makes no mention of where solar collectors are actually permitted. Additionally, within its Bufferyard Requirements Appendix, the Town of Denton makes a small mention of solar access. In a sub-section under the Plant Material section, the Town allows for understory trees to be substituted for canopy trees where canopy trees would d.. Read More

According to Denton, Maryland’s zoning chapter, solar collectors and similar equipment, fixtures, and devices are exempt from district height limitation set forth within the rest of the chapter. The chapter, however, makes no mention of where solar collectors are actually permitted. Additionally, within its Bufferyard Requirements Appendix, the Town of Denton makes a small mention of solar access. In a sub-section under the Plant Material section, the Town allows for understory trees to be substituted for canopy trees where canopy trees would d.. Read More

Hagerston, Maryland has integrated an Alternative Energy Sources/Generators section, Section K(12), within its Zoning Ordinance supplementary regulations. According to that section, before an applicant can install a solar energy system on her property, she must first submit a zoning permit application with a plan for review by the Planning and Code Administration Division. “Once the zoning permit is approved, the applicant may apply for proper permits from the Code Administration Office.” Section K(12) permits ground-mounted solar collection sy.. Read More

The city of Baltimore has implemented a Bicycle Master Plan. The plan sets out the vision of making significant improvements in providing access to safe and user-friendly bicycling facilities over the course of 15 years. From 2005-2015, with dedicated funding, more than 100 miles of bicycle facilities have been installed in the city already. There is a full-time Bike Planner on staff at Baltimore’s Department of Transportation; but improvements are still necessary. The Bicycle Master Plan proposes to increase bicycle infrastructure and bette.. Read More

Baltimore has a vacant property reclamation project termed “Project 5000.” The purpose of the project is to purchase vacant properties in “competitive, emerging, and stable” neighborhoods, but the most recent Master Plan calls for an extension of this project to “transitional and distressed” areas. Further, the plan calls for offering interest groups the chance to convert or purchase the vacant lots for conversion into community gardens, among other uses. In combination with Project 5000, the Master Plan calls for support of a Community Gard.. Read More