Why isn't southern Anne Arundel county more developed? (Baltimore, Annapolis: lawyer, houses)

[stealthfox94]

I have always wondered this, If you look at the distance between Davidsonville or Lothian and D.C it's actually closer to D.C then places such as Waldorf, Clarksburg and Ashburn VA. Those places have all exploded in growth and development in the past decade. Why has non of that development made it to southern Anne Arundel county? Is it because it's considered part of the Baltimore metro area so this could cause confusion? Is it because residents of this area want to keep it rural (which I can understand). I especially think it's odd since route 4 is a pretty direct route into D.C especially if you pick up Suitland Parkway past the beltway, it takes you right behind Nats Park. 50 isn't a terrible commute to D.C either until you hit NY avenue. But it's still better then some places in MOCO or NOVA.

[North Beach Person]

Do you want the book or the Cliff Notes version?

A lot has to do with much of the area being in agriculture or forest preservation tracts. That was somewhat the result of the County's Comprehensive Plan which set aside that area as very low density.

Then add in the Critical Areas which limits building within 1000 feet of tidal waters. All those little rivers and creeks below 214 are tidal (as are a lot above there).

Mix in the new sewer, water and infrastructure rules from PlanMD and you have an area which will likely remain rural for the foreseeable future, especially since the official policy is to push new development to town centers which have the infrastructure (and presumably mass transit. Many don't, that's why a one size fits all statewide plan doesn't work) as well as encouraging in fill development.

That's the short version.

[stealthfox94]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

Do you want the book or the Cliff Notes version?

A lot has to do with much of the area being in agriculture or forest preservation tracts. That was somewhat the result of the County's Comprehensive Plan which set aside that area as very low density.

Then add in the Critical Areas which limits building within 1000 feet of tidal waters. All those little rivers and creeks below 214 are tidal (as are a lot above there).

Mix in the new sewer, water and infrastructure rules from PlanMD and you have an area which will likely remain rural for the foreseeable future, especially since the official policy is to push new development to town centers which have the infrastructure (and presumably mass transit. Many don't, that's why a one size fits all statewide plan doesn't work) as well as encouraging in fill development.

That's the short version.

I wasn't aware of the limitations of development there. As far as "fill in development" goes that is true but it hasn't stopped the ex-burbs that I listed above from growing and developing.

[North Beach Person]

Waldorf and Clarksburg (which doesn't have to deal with Critical Areas) were on the books prior to some of the legislation, they were both targeted as growth areas in their respective County Comp Plans and were both designated town centers for decades. Where is the town center below Edgewater?

Ashburn? Different state, different rules.

[kcmo]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

Do you want the book or the Cliff Notes version?

A lot has to do with much of the area being in agriculture or forest preservation tracts. That was somewhat the result of the County's Comprehensive Plan which set aside that area as very low density.

Then add in the Critical Areas which limits building within 1000 feet of tidal waters. All those little rivers and creeks below 214 are tidal (as are a lot above there).

Mix in the new sewer, water and infrastructure rules from PlanMD and you have an area which will likely remain rural for the foreseeable future, especially since the official policy is to push new development to town centers which have the infrastructure (and presumably mass transit. Many don't, that's why a one size fits all statewide plan doesn't work) as well as encouraging in fill development.

That's the short version.

Yea, most of I-97 goes through protected forest that can't be developed.

That and the complete lack of upgraded infrastructure. The county has terrible infrastructure outside of the already developed areas. Most roads are still unimproved "country" roads that are narrow with no curbs and only two lanes yet the carry 2-3 times as much traffic as they were designed for. So the road system in the county is maxed out and just can't take any more development. It seems like the county does this on purpose to keep the county very low density or rural in many areas.

With the location between DC and Baltimore and being close to the Bay Bridge plus having a destination city within the county (Annapolis), the county could easily have well over a million people, but they have kept growth very limited.

[MidValleyDad]

Don't forget the large areas that are or used to be part of Ft Meade (Patuxent Research Refuge) that were old firing ranges that possibly have unexploded ordinance in them. There are some areas of the Refuge that are believed to still contain some moderately rare WWII tanks that some would like to at least document if not actually recover for historical restoration that groups cannot even get permission to go near because of concern for old ordinance in the area. I doubt those areas will ever be open for development.

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by kcmo

Yea, most of I-97 goes through protected forest that can't be developed.

That and the complete lack of upgraded infrastructure. The county has terrible infrastructure outside of the already developed areas. Most roads are still unimproved "country" roads that are narrow with no curbs and only two lanes yet the carry 2-3 times as much traffic as they were designed for. So the road system in the county is maxed out and just can't take any more development. It seems like the county does this on purpose to keep the county very low density or rural in many areas.

With the location between DC and Baltimore and being close to the Bay Bridge plus having a destination city within the county (Annapolis), the county could easily have well over a million people, but they have kept growth very limited.

Actually 97 goes through some pretty densely built up areas. Just because the builders didn't clear cut the trees doesn't make it protected, although it somewhat is now. Again the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Compact and Critical Areas have a lot to do with that (although Critical Areas has some work around built in).

[MidValleyDad]

Then there are tidal zones (which extend up creeks I believe) and wetlands, flood plains all of which take some amount of land in a region as flat and near a major body of water around here

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by MidValleyDad

Then there are tidal zones (which extend up creeks I believe) and wetlands, flood plains all of which take some amount of land in a region as flat and near a major body of water around here

All those rivers and creeks are tidal. The Patuxent is tidal up to Wayson's Corner at the very southern end of Anne Arundel, so Critical Areas impacts everywhere. As you mentioned there are also restrictions near marshes and flood zone.

Even in IDA zones we now have to require people to have rain barrels on new construction rather than full downspouts into their yards. That's all an impact the WIP regulations have. You have them up there, too, and they're just as strict. And the bill hasn't come due yet on the cost for major developments like large buildings and roads.

When we built a new Town Hall a few years ago we were required to contain all the runoff on the property. That's why 2/3 of the roof area is a green roof and all the downspouts run into a dry well.

We're getting ready to redirect an outflow pipe for stormwater, a 12 inch line thats, maybe, 100 feet long which picks up runoff from the street in front of two houses. We're at three individual permits and counting and still have to go through the review process.

[Quick Enough]

Originally Posted by stealthfox94

I have always wondered this, If you look at the distance between Davidsonville or Lothian and D.C it's actually closer to D.C then places such as Waldorf, Clarksburg and Ashburn VA. Those places have all exploded in growth and development in the past decade. Why has non of that development made it to southern Anne Arundel county? Is it because it's considered part of the Baltimore metro area so this could cause confusion? Is it because residents of this area want to keep it rural (which I can understand). I especially think it's odd since route 4 is a pretty direct route into D.C especially if you pick up Suitland Parkway past the beltway, it takes you right behind Nats Park. 50 isn't a terrible commute to D.C either until you hit NY avenue. But it's still better then some places in MOCO or NOVA.

A local politician, Virginia Clagett, got a "farm preservation "bill past. back in the 80's I think.

Her husband was a D.C. lawyer and were "into" horses and they wanted "gentleman farms" for their horses, there were a bunch of "horse" farms already, and did NOT want to be surrounded by housing communities.

"moved in 1968 to South County and bought a really, really, really old house called Holly Hill. It’s 250 acres,"

"Today, Clagett stresses the importance of saving the land you live on in every aspect. Farmland may be limited to certain areas of Maryland, but the environment stretches across the entire state. “Even if you don’t have farmland," (wink, wink, save the gentleman's horse farms, note her "clubs" below)

"County Council Bill 2-81 that brings out her pride. As the second bill passed in 1981, it allowed for rezoning of residential and agricultural areas around Anne Arundel County. “I think, over the years, the thing people remember me for most is the environment. My first bumper sticker was ‘if you don’t control the county’s growth, it will control you.’ If you don’t save the land, you will never save the water. What I did in the 1980s, given the power of zoning for the County Council, was change the zoning for all farm and residential/agricultural land from one house every two acres, to one house every twenty acres"

Virginia Clagett | What's Up Magazine


"Virginia P. Clagett is an American politician from Maryland and a member of the Democratic Party. She served in the Maryland House of Delegates, representing Maryland's District 30 in Anne Arundel County, until her 4th term ended in December 2010. A proven vote-getter for decades, she lost re-election in November 2010 to Delegate Herbert H. McMillan. Clagett is a member of the Marlborough Hunt Club, a local Fox Hunt in Southern Maryland."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_P._Clagett