Conduit Street

The Maryland Department of Planning (MDP) is seeking nominations for its 2011 Smart, Green & Growing Partnership Awards.

• Greenbuilding
• Government Innovation
• The Florence Beck Kurdle Award for Community Activism and Achievement
• Development & Redevelopment / Revitalization
• Excellence in Agricultural Stewardship Award 
• Buy Local Agricultural Challenge Award 
• Youth Education and Awareness 
• School Siting/Construction/Renovation 
• Natural Resource Protection 
• Economic Development and Job Creation 
• Smart Moves 
• Sustainable Infrastructure/ Innovation in Stormwater Management 
• Maryland Smart Sites 

The Maryland Historical Trust   is now accepting applications for more than $10 million in Sustainable Communities Tax Credits for commercial rehabilitation projects in eligible communities.  The deadline for commercial project applications is September 15, 2010. 

The Sustainable Communities Rehabilitation Tax Credit is available for commercial (income-producing) properties including office, retail, rental housing, etc. at different credit levels based on property type: 

• 20% credit for “certified historic structures”
• 25% credit for “certified historic structures” that are high-performance buildings (LEED Gold certified or the equivalent)
• 10% credit for non-historic “qualified rehabilitated structures”

Application Information for Commercial and Residential Properties 

A July 29 Baltimore Sun article discusses the complexity and challenges of a Howard County land preservation deal to preserve a significant portion of the estate and manor of Charles Carroll, a signer of the Declaration of Independence.  Some county residents also objected to the deal, which relies on a mix of development and preservation agreements.

A plan to cluster development in one corner of historic Doughoregan Manor while preserving the rest of the once-vast Colonial estate received final, unanimous approval from the Howard County Council late Thursday.

The complex plan would provide more than $19 million over two decades in agricultural preservation money to Camilla and Philip D. Carroll, descendants of Charles Carroll of Carrolton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. …

Under the plan, 325 homes can be built on 221 acres in the northeastern corner of the estate, near Frederick Road and west of Centennial Lane. The Carrolls would give 36 acres to Howard County to more than double the size of Kiwanis-Wallas Park on Frederick Road. The rest of the land will be preserved.

To accomplish all that, the County Council approved extending water and sewer utilities onto the development portion of the property, and also approved adding 500 acres of farmland to the county’s Agricultural Preservation program, under which the Carrolls will be paid over the next two decades.

As reported by the Baltimore Sun, a developer has offered to build a new contract school as part of  a new development in the Laurel area, but first certain utility and zoning changes need to be approved by the county.

Anne Arundel County Councilman James Benoit said Monday that he plans to ask County Executive John R. Leopold to allow the council to consider the county’s public utilities plan in an effort to move forward a developer’s plan to build a free contract school in Laurel. The school would be an incentive to allow 1,000 homes to be built, which has garnered an abundance of community support.

But county officials have said the developer must follow the same process as everyone else, including the project’s inclusion in the county’s water and sewer master plan and zoning approval through the county’s once-a-decade rezoning, which is set to happen later this year.