Scorecard Update June, 2024

Friends of Harford (FoH) thanks the Council for withdrawing Bill 24-018, which proposed allowing liquor stores to operate in B1 areas. FoH had several concerns about this bill:

  • A zoning change for one business, described as the reason for this legislation, would affect all of Harford County.
  • Evolving state laws could allow cannabis dispensaries next to liquor stores.
  • Passage of this bill could have created serious problems throughout the B1 districts in the County. 

The Council’s decision to withdraw this legislation is a crucial step in preserving our zoning process, ensuring community input, and maintaining the character of our neighborhoods. 

Friends of Harford Land Use Legislative SCORECARD.

corrected Scorecard6-2-2024 (1)Download

See how your County Council voted!

Scorecard6-2-2024-2-Version-2Download

Friends of Harford Statement on Bill 24-001 Accessory Dwelling Units

Stephanie Flasch wrote to Harford County Council sponsors of Bill 24-001: Councilman Penman, Councilwoman Tsottles and Councilman Guthrie on behalf of Friends of Harford. The letter outlines concerns regarding Bill 24-001, particularly its implications for impacts to our communities. 

Friends of Harford Letter to Harford County Council Re: Bill 24-001
Position-Statement-Bill-24-001-1Download

Harford County Proposed Bill 24-001

Bill-No.-24-001-As-Introduced-1Download

Friends of Harford 2023 Annual Meeting

All are welcome to attend the Friends of Harford Annual Meeting. Join us Saturday, April 22, 2023 at the Anita Leight Estuary Center located at 700 Otter Point Road, Abingdon, Maryland from 1pm-3pm.

Friends of Harford continues to support community-based advocacy, provide up-to-date resources for land use development procedures and advocate for policies for responsible land use.

Spring kick-starts the Friends of Harford (FOH) 2023 fiscal year! Harford’s quality of life remains our priority!

Your support helps Friends of Harford to:

  • Publish a Scorecard – tracks land use legislation and voting records of County Council representatives. Recent Action: Bill No. 23-005 – As Introduced Moratorium-Warehouse
  • Issue Alerts to Citizens: Development Advisory Committee (DAC), Community Input Meetings (CIM), Special Exceptions for development and Legislation. Recent Action: Eva Mar, Price Property.
  • Educate Community Groups about the Zoning Code and Development.
  • Provide Testimony at Public Hearings. Public Input Action: Bill 22-003 – Perryman Peninsula Moratorium, Bill 21-003 – Gas Station. 
  • Maintain an Informative Website with Topics on Navigating the Land Use Process in Harford County. 

Click to Donate!

Abingdon Woods UPDATE- January 20, 2023

Harford County filed a brief to Harford County Circuit Court on January 18, 2023 changing the County’s position on the current Forest Conservation Plan (FCP) for Abingdon Business Park.

The County is now in agreement with the Maryland Supreme Court, which raised concerns about the current FCP. Any permits issued under the current plan are no longer valid and there is a stop work order. 

The Save Abingdon Woods Coalition took this position back in September of 2019 when meeting with the Harford County Director of Planning and Zoning to point out a number of serious deficiencies in the current Forest Conservation Plan and to ask the county to seek a new one by starting from scratch with a new Forest Stand Delineation and a new Forest Conservation Plan.

Save Abingdon Woods and Friends of Harford and others are delighted to learn that the current administration agrees with this position. 

AEGIS January 20, 2023

Harford County Halts Work At Abingdon Woods Development

Save Abingdon Woods UPDATE- August 27, 2022

“Today the court recognized the importance of the state’s forest protection law and ensured attempts to bypass the law can be easily challenged in court.” Chesapeake Bay Foundation Director of Litigation Paul Smail

Chesapeake Bay Foundation August 26, 2022 Statement
RE: Court-of-Appeals-Forest-Law-Ruling-Download

Maryland Court of Appeals rules that Chesapeake Bay Foundation may appeal the forest conservation plan from the Abingdon Woods development-AEGIS, August 27, 2022

The Maryland Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and its five citizen co-plaintiffs, allowing them to appeal the forest conservation plan for the Abingdon Business Park development.

According to a statement from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the organization “plans to contest the forest conservation plan for the Abingdon Woods project in Circuit Court. If successful, CBF will seek relief for citizens affected by the significant amount of forest clearing already conducted by the developer while this Court of Appeals case was pending.”

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation originally filed in Harford County Circuit Court in January 2020. The circuit court dismissed the case in August 2020, saying the plaintiffs had appealed prematurely because “there was more for the [Harford County planning and zoning] agency to do,” and that they could not appeal until a final decision was made on the development’s final site plan.

However, Judge Brynja Booth holds that the Maryland Forest Conservation Act of 1991 allows for a forest conservation plan to be appealed before it approved and that the forest conservation plan is, in fact, a “‘final decision’ for appeal purposes.”

According to the court opinion, “a forest conservation plan indicates the limits of disturbance for the proposed project and how the existing forested and sensitive areas will be protected during and after development.”

Project opponents maintain that the forest conservation plan for the Abingdon Business Park would allow for the clearing of more trees than allowed by state and local law.

Read More:

https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/harford/aegis/cng-ag-maryland-court-appeals-chesapeake-bay-foundation-abingdon-woods-20220826-u6cinim7dfe2ppcxryft3jfiem-story.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=The%20Aegis%3A%20Top%20stories&utm_content=681661768917&smtrctid=

2022 Candidate Questionnaire

Friends of Harford, Inc. focuses on Harford’s land use issues, working for a fair balance between the rights of those wanting to develop a property and the rights of neighbors who might be impacted by that development.  

Land use is controlled by the County Executive and County Council members. 

In anticipation of the upcoming election, Friends of Harford is asking candidates for County Executive and County Council to respond to the questions below, so we may understand your perspectives and reasoning on these issues.

The responses received to date can be viewed at Candidate Responses.  

Responses from candidates are due back to us by June 20, 2022 via email.

  1. The Master Plan, Harford NEXT, calls for a study on expanding the development envelope in an area beginning at I-95/MD 543 moving northwest along MD 543/Shucks Road to Harford Community College and beyond to US 1 at Hickory. What is your view on expanding the development envelope, specifically the aforementioned MD 543 proposal? Will you support any expansion of the Development Envelope? If yes, what location(s) and reason for expansion?                                                                                                                                                 
  2. Would you approve a request by a landowner or other interested party, as done in neighboring Baltimore County, to downzone their property? If yes, under what circumstances?
  1. Would you consider introducing legislation to define, measure and reduce noise, light and air pollution?
  1. Traffic congestion problems are encountered daily by Harford County citizens. What do you propose to address traffic issues?
  1. Would you support amending approval procedures of Zoning Code 267-39 – Retention and Afforestation, specifically (F) tree waiver grants and, to commission a Waiver Advisory Board?
  1. Do you commit to meeting with advocates to discuss the amendment or repeal of legislation that citizens find changed the Zoning Code unfavorably? For example, Bill 21-003 Motor Vehicle Filling or Service Stations and Bill 18-036 Zoning Definitions Intermittent Streams and Perennial Streams?
  1. Do you approve of Light Industrial (LI), Commercial Industrial (CI) or General Industrial (GI)) zoning adjacent to residential communities or within a Village District? If not, would you amend the zoning code to uphold your views?  Would you research and recommend increased protections for residences from commercial and industrial neighbors by increasing buffers and their types?
  1. Do you support legislation to create graduated zoning districts next to residential except Mixed Use districts?
  1. Would you consider reestablishing the public’s right to receive a timely interpretation of the Zoning Code rather than the current determination definition used? If not, why?
  1. Why are you running for office?
Candidate-Questions-March-2022-FOHDownload

Scorecard Update May 2022

View the lastest Harford County Council legislative “scorecard” provided by Friends of Harford. 

Stay tuned for updates on land use legislation and track how your County Council representative voted! 

Highlights include: 

Bill 22-003- Perryman Peninsula Moratorium– Passed unanimously by Council, then vetoed by County Executive.

FOH OPINION– Failure to submit the opportunity for individual Council members to support the moratorium again shows a lack of transparency in the local legislative process. Seven Council members voted to approve the moratorium and now not one of them were given the opportunity to speak to the public about the bill.

County Executive Glassman vetoed the bill May 2, 2022 and County Council President Vincenti chose not to discuss overriding the veto the following legislative session. By Harford County charter, the council has until the following legislative session, which would have been the May 3, 2022 meeting, the day after the veto to override the veto of a bill. 

The legislative branch, led by Vincenti should have been aware of the process of veto and should have been prepared to discuss this in the presence of citizens. Instead, there was no discussion, disappointing many citizens. 

Friends of Harford SCORECARD UPDATE MAY 2022Download
Scorecard Update May 2022