Balto. Co. passes bill allowing mixed-use developments

The Baltimore County Council passed a bill Monday to allow members to create special areas in their districts for denser, multiple-use buildings.

The vote, which passed 5-2, came after months of political wrangling between the council and County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr., a Democrat, over zoning and land-use authority. Republicans Todd Crandell of Dundalk and Wade Kach of Timonium cast the dissenting votes.

Olszewski, facing a burgeoning housing crisis and a dearth of developable land, initially proposed legislation easing county zoning restrictions to allow developers to repurpose aging properties for new uses. That bill would have allowed for some mixed-use buildings to bypass council approval.

The council denied it, arguing that the final say over the county’s landuse laws rests with them. Olszewski agreed in

February to withdraw his bill in exchange for Democratic Council Chair Izzy Patoka drafting an alternative.

The bill passed Monday allows the council to create overlay districts and allow for mixed-use buildings in manufacturing and business districts if they fall within a specific area identified for redevelopment in the county’s 2030 Master Plan. Baltimore County zoning regulations previously did not mention mixed-use developments.

Overlay districts are applied on top of existing area codes or zones and ensure that development in the designated area meets the goals of the community.

Councilman Pat Young, a Catonsville Democrat, acknowledged that “not everybody is necessarily on board or in complete agreement.” He argued that the bill codifies the definition of “mixed use” into county code, and that it pulled the county “in the right direction.”

We The People, a Baltimore County pro-housing advocacy group, called the bill a “foothold for additional progress” but bemoaned that only council members could create overlay districts during the Comprehensive Zoning Map process, leaving them vulnerable to “closed-door discussion and undue developer influence.”

“Because the council has stated that no overlay may be applied unless introduced by the councilmember, we believe this tool will face the same issues as [planned unit developments],” wrote Nick Stewart, a We The People co-founder, in an email. “The council should take this moment to apply this overlay tool to several nodes now — and should reverse its position that any and all overlays should be subject to ‘councilmanic courtesy’ or veto.”

Councilmanic courtesy is a council practice under which members defer to the wishes of a council member on any development projects proposed in their district.

The new law goes into effect May 30, 45 days after its Monday passage.