On February 5, Executive Director Michael Sanderson testified before the Government, Labor, and Elections Committee in opposition to HB 99 – Municipalities – Annexed Land – Land Use and Density.
This bill would effectively eliminate the longstanding transition period before a municipality is enabled to change the underlying zoning, following an annexation of previously unincorporated areas. This path to rapid-fire zoning change could overwhelm county infrastructure and school planning.
Mr. Sanderson discussed the critical conflict in the county/municipal planning are areas where the county supports services, but the municipality does not — and does not reflect those matters in their land use. “It’s mainly about schools,” he said, “and it’s an uncomfortable balance.” Member questions probed the imperfect relationship in newly-annexed areas, and the application of long-vaunted “smart growth” principles to build and develop in areas with the supporting infrastructure.
Supporters from various municipal governments, and the Maryland Municipal League, argued that allowing immediate municipal decision-making in newly annexed areas could trigger more rapid development in areas around existing towns, independent of non-municipal infrastructure limitations.
Abolishing this transition period overnight will have sweeping
and potentially troubling consequences. Handing annexed lands with immediate zoning control to municipal officials risks overwhelming infrastructure that municipal leaders neither manage nor oversee. Likewise, nearby communities may struggle as their services and neighborhoods bear the sudden impact. This sudden shift could have a disastrous effect on road capacity, wastewater treatment, classroom size, emergency services, etc.
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