Proposed Tier Designations for Harford County Land Use, Required by State Law, Announced

From Harford County Government:

(Bel Air, MD) – As part of its 2012 legislative session, the Maryland General Assembly enacted Senate Bill 236 – the Sustainable Growth and Agricultural Preservation Act of 2012. The bill furthers the State’s Smart Growth policies and is designed to reduce the impacts of large residential subdivisions with septic systems on farms, forest lands, streams, rivers, and the Chesapeake and Coastal Bays.

Under the law, Harford County is required to designate and adopt a countywide map that identifies four land use tiers. These tiers must be designated based on specific criteria established by the Sustainable Growth and Agricultural Preservation Act. These tiers will identify where major and minor subdivisions may be located and what type of sewerage system will serve them. The bill also requires that definitions for minor and major subdivisions be adopted. As required by State law, all of these actions must be completed by December 31, 2012.

To help land owners understand how this State legislation applies to their property, the Department of Planning and Zoning has established a webpage at www.harfordcountymd.gov/planningzoning. This webpage will provide information on the Act, and details the criteria that were used to establish the four tier designations. The site also contains an interactive map that allows property owners to check the designation assigned to their property.

The webpage will be open for public review beginning August 28th. Questions or concerns should be addressed to Janet Gleisner in the Department of Planning and Zoning at JGGleisner@harfordcountymd.gov by September 28, 2012.

Following this public awareness effort, the County Executive and the County Council will be taking action to ensure that Harford County addresses the requirements of the Sustainable Growth and Agricultural Preservation Act.

For more information please contact Janet Gleisner at 410-638-3230.