Category: Comp ReZoning

UPDATE- Harford County Council Passes Zoning Amendments That Go Beyond Planning Recommendations

Council Members Reilly (8 amendments) and Boyle-Tsottles (1 amendment) introduced changes that allow high-intensity zoning- see how each member voted.

The chart below summarizes how each Harford County Council member voted on Amendments 1 through 9 to Bill 25-002, the Comprehensive Zoning legislation currently under consideration. The council members introduced, seconded, and acted on all amendments. 

As shown, all of the amendments were approved, which increased zoning intensity beyond what was recommended by Planning & Zoning and the Planning Advisory Board (PAB).

Notably, Councilman Bennett consistently voted “No” on amendments that sought higher-intensity zoning without public justification. He shared the following during the meeting:

Councilman Bennett stated:
“As we go through each of these amendments, I wanted to make sure I shared that… all involve going higher than the recommended placement from Planning and Zoning and the PAB. I think it’s really important for public clarity and consumption that thorough rationale is provided for each one. Without that, I wouldn’t feel comfortable supporting these.”

We appreciate the importance of transparency and accountability in the zoning process, and we will continue to keep you informed on the County Council’s final vote on Bill 25-002, expected during the special legislative session on April 22nd.

Thank you for continuing to be part of the voice for responsible land use in Harford County.

Sincerely,
Friends of Harford

 

Bill 25-002 Amendments Vote Tracker (4_15_25) CorrectedDownload

UPDATE: 2025 Comprehensive Zoning Review

As part of the 2025 Comprehensive Zoning Review, Friends of Harford has compiled the following charts, organized by District, as a resource for the community.

Each chart includes: the application number, map link, property address, total acres, acres proposed for rezoning, current zoning, requested zoning, Planning Advisory Board (PAB) recommendation, County Executive recommendations (Bill 25-002), and Friends of Harford’s (FoH) assessment.

At the conclusion of the review process, Friends of Harford will update the charts to reflect each County Council member’s vote on each application. Any changes to Bill 25-002 will be voted on by the County Council as individual issues.

Now is the time for public input—please take a moment to review the information. Once a property is up-zoned, it is rarely reversed. 

Comprehensive Zoning Review Page and Charts 

 

 

FoH Comprehensive Zoning Review Workshop

What’s next for the 2025 Comprehensive Zoning Review—and what does your community need to do?

Join us to review the properties in your area that are being considered for changes. Discuss what these changes could mean for your community. Outline the steps your community will need to take moving forward.

This is your opportunity to connect with Friends of Harford, gain insight into the zoning process, learn how to advocate effectively for your community, and ask questions.

Your voice matters—stay informed, get involved, and take action!

Date: Thursday, February 13, 2025
Time: 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Location: Abingdon Library
2510 Tollgate Road, Abingdon, MD 21009

Legislative Updates
Bill 24-037: Zoning Code Chapter 267 – Liquor Stores B1 Special Exceptions FAILED

On January 21, 2025, the Harford County Council voted 5-2 to reject Bill 24-037, which sought to permit liquor stores within B1 neighborhood business districts. This decision aligns with community concerns about the proximity of liquor stores to residential areas.

Bill 24-041: Setbacks for Extraction and Blasting Activities WITHDRAWN

Bill 24-041, which proposed amending Chapter 267 of the Harford County Code to align the county’s quarry extraction and blasting regulations with the less protective standards outlined in COMAR Title 26, was withdrawn during the February 4, 2025, legislative session. Friends of Harford had opposed this bill, as it would have weakened safeguards for residents and overlooked the unique needs and circumstances of Harford County.

Scorecard Update February 4, 2025. See how your County Council voted!

Scorecard 2-4-2025.docxDownload

2025 Harford County Comprehensive Zoning Review

Comprehensive Zoning

All land in Harford County is zoned. There are 16 existing zoning categories. The Harford County Code requires that a Comprehensive Zoning Review occur every 8 years to determine if changes should be made to the existing zoning. § 267-13

During the Comprehensive Zoning Review, developers, residents, and other interested parties may apply to alter their zoning classification. The Department of Planning and Zoning reviews these applications and prepares revisions to the zoning maps. These changes are then submitted for consideration and approval by the County Council and, ultimately, the County Executive.

The first round of public meetings are held by the Planning Advisory Board in November. The next opportunity for public input will be in Spring, 2025 when the changes go before the County Council. 

The Department of Planning and Zoning has scheduled two community input meetings with the Planning Advisory Board (PAB) to allow citizens to provide feedback on the 66 Comprehensive Zoning applications received by the Department.  

The meetings will be held from 7pm to 9pm at Aberdeen High School on Monday, November 4th and Bel Air High School on Monday, November 18th.  Citizens must sign up to speak prior to the start of the meeting.  

Department of Planning and Zoning staff will be available starting at 6pm to answer questions about the Comprehensive Zoning process or assist citizens with locating Zoning Issues on a map of the County.  

The meeting will start promptly at 7pm with an introduction from Shane Grimm, Director of Planning and Zoning.  

Citizens will have 3 minutes to address the PAB.  Citizen representing groups will be given 5 minutes to speak.  The members of PAB are present to listen to citizen comment and will not be answering questions.  Citizens will also have the ability to leave written comments at each meeting.

2017 Comprehensive Zoning Review WRAP-UP

Comprehensive rezoning is over for another 6 to 8 years.  This round there were 115 requests by residents or their agents.  Every Councilman introduced amendments to grant a more intense use for a property than the one received in the legislation as presented by County Administration. 

It should be noted that a Land Use Study conducted by the County in 2011 and again in 2014 declared that there was more than adequate land available for every use, be it residential, business or commercial-industrial available well beyond the next CZR era. The study also showed there will be a need for more Residential zoning long before there is a need for more Business or Industrial zoned land. 

Rezoning to a more intense District (up-zoning) often means additional facilities/services will be required from the County.  The cost of funding these new roads and other required infrastructure will be borne by the taxpayers.  Harford County elected officials are responsible for balancing the citizens’ quality of life and taxpayer funding for future infrastructure requirements caused by approved zoning changes. 

In all, 836 acres received requests for rezoning.  Approximately 250 acres were up-zoned from less intense to more intense categories of zoning, e.g., from agricultural to residential, from residential to business, or business to industrial.  Approximately 80 acres were up-zoned in intensity, e.g., R1 rezoned to R3, B1 rezoned to B2, etc.

To sum up by District:

FOH is satisfied with the District A results.  District A had 20 requests for more intense rezoning.  Three up-zonings were supported by the County, two of which had the endorsement of the community.  One additional up-zoning was by amendment from the Councilman. About 8 acres went from Residential to Business or Industrial zoning, while about 10 acres went from B2 to B3 zoning.

FOH is severely disappointed with District B rezoning. District B had 25 requests with 2 requests withdrawn.  About 57 acres were granted more intense kinds of zoning, including 50 Agricultural acres converted to Business or medium-intensity Residential zoning. Plus, 14 acres increased intensity within the same zoning category (majority were from B2 to B3, the Highest Business Intensity).

FOH strongly opposed the high intensity up-zoning of about 45 acres at the outer edges of the Development Envelope (intersection of Mountain Road (Route 152) and Route 1), recently added and approved July 2016 by Harford County Council.  Severe up-zoning was granted even though there are rural homes and a farm in Agricultural Preservation on the Development Envelope’s boundary in this area .  The decision was in violation of HarfordNEXT, and contrary to the rationale applied in District F, where the County reduced an owner’s request for R2 zoning to only R1 at the Development Envelope boundary near rural homes.  FOH is disappointed with the representation and lack of explanation from District B County Councilman and Administration regarding the approval of intense up-zoning to R2 and B3 in the Fallston Community area.

FOH was reasonably satisfied with the results of District C.  District C had 17 requests.  While we disapproved of the conversion of 3 R2-zoned properties to B2 or Commercial Industrial,  these totaled less than 1.5 acres. 

FOH is pleased with the results of District D.  District D had 23 requests.  We supported the community in their work to insure that the 3 properties at the intersection of Routes 23 and 24 were restricted to R1 zoning, and that the Madonna property remained AG.

FOH was also content with the results of District E.  District E had 11 requests.  We agree with the amendment to rezone the 6 requests next to Ripkin Stadium to B1, and the zoning has been coordinated with the city of Aberdeen.

FOH was very disappointed with District F results.  District F had 20 requests.  In spite of Harford expecting to need residential units long before the county runs out of either Business or Industrial-zoned land, District F sacrificed 122 acres of Residential land in favor of yet more Industrial land.  There was a net loss of 100 acres of high-density (primarily R4, some R3) residential land converted to Industrial, partially offset by a loss of 21 acres of  Agricultural land that was rezoned to R1 (lowest density).  The only good news was the Treese Way development off Laurel Brook was not up-zoned and remains R1;  it has many  Natural Resource Districts.

In summary, Districts A, C, D and E were largely acceptable and we thank the Administration and Council members from those districts.  We remain strongly opposed to the rezoning results of Districts B and F.

Final Bill 17-015 Chart with Amendments & FOH Evaluation- File Below 

Final-CRZ-bill-17-012-chart-with-amendments (updated 4-1-25)Download

Public Input for 2017 Comprehensive Zoning Review

2017 Comprehensive Zoning Review Public Input 

Two things determine what can happen on a property: the zoning of the property and the Zoning Code.  The Zoning Code changes frequently, but the ongoing Comprehensive Zoning Review (CZR) is most citizens’ ONLY chance to influence  zoning.

Here is the LIST OF PROPERTIES  that have requested a change in zoning, what each will likely be given unless the public objects (column heading “Bill 17-015”) and what FOH recommends (FOH column).  A summary of the properties we’re most concerned about is HERE. 

We urge you to speak up for the zoning you feel is right. Either speak up at the County Council’s final public hearing on Monday October 2 (Aberdeen HS at 6:30pm) or Thursday October 5 (Bel Air HS at 6:30pm).  You’ll have up to 3 minutes and need to arrive early to sign up to speak.

As always, we also urge you to email your opinion to the County Council. 

 

Mixed Use In Your Backyard

The term “Mixed Use” is the basic principle of integrating where we live, work and shop and allows for various configurations and densities. 

The Harford County Zoning code §267-76, amended August 22, 2016 permits Mixed Use Centers* in every business, commercial and industrial zoning and in the high density R4 zoning.  All that is required is 5 acres of land inside the development envelope with access to a primary road and access to public water and sewer. Except for rubble fills, every use permitted in B1, B2, B3, CI, GI, LI and R4 zoning districts are permitted in the Mixed Use District REGARDLESS OF THE UNDERLYING ZONING.  

This means that properties intended to have low-intensity B1 zoning can be used at higher intensity, or for large commercial and industrial facilities, without public input, by establishing a Mixed Use District. 

B1 Neighborhood Business District is intended to provide limited retail services convenient to residential neighborhoods near the permitted business. B1 has standards which are compatible with low-density residential districts. 

We believe zoning code §267-76, should be amended to remove B1 areas from this use. 

We believe it is wrong to allow high intensity, high impact, and high traffic industrial and business uses in what is supposed to be low-impact B1 zoning 
(i.e., limited retail and service facilities for nearby residences).  We believe Mixed Use Centers should not be allowed on properties zoned B1.
 
The concept of a mixed use center that creates a combination of business and residential uses and a reduction of vehicle miles traveled is a good concept. But Mixed Use Center should not enable developers to supersede low-intensity B1 zoning standards, in effect rezoning properties to higher intensity without public input.  

We urge you to contact the County Council and ask them to amend the Zoning Code to remove Mixed Use Centers in B1 zoning districts.

*Mixed Use Centers are Special Development uses, meaning they are uses that are automatically allowed when they meet certain additional design requirements.

Review Harford County Zoning Code’s standards and descriptions HERE

Quickly compare the Uses permitted under different zoning, click HERE. 
Allowable B1 zoning uses are on pages 18 and 19.
 

Transparency & Public Input

The latest example of Harford County enacting legislation without full open and transparent public input was the County Council’s approval (6-1) of the HarfordNEXT Master Plan on June 21st 2016.

The public was allowed to comment on the plan on June 7th.  However, 16 amendments were made on June 14th, 15 were presented by Councilman Mike Perrone, and 1 amendment was provided by the County Executive.  Private letters, phone calls and emails were admissible for comment about the bill and the amendments provided, however no public speeches or comments about the bill or its amendments were allowed during the subsequent Council meetings on the 7th, 14th or 21st by the Council decree as provided by Council President Slutzky with approval by the 6 Councilmen.

On June 21st, County Council members and the County Executive presented a further 34 amendments.  The public was not allowed to view any of the amendments, nor could they comment on them.  Some of the amendments created major changes in the bill.

That evening, the Council voted on each amendment and then voted for passage of the bill.  Again, that evening, no citizen was able to speak publicly about the bill, the amendments or the vote.  The Council then adjourned for the summer allowing only 2 sessions until September.

Under the County Code, Chapter 4: Administration of Government, Section 4-19 Sessions of Council, A., it states that “such additional days as the Council may determine, are designated as legislative sessions days for the enactment of legislation”.  It further states that no more than 45 sessions may occur during one year.  To date, 21 sessions have occurred, leaving ample opportunity for special sessions to listen to citizen comments concerning amendments prior to voting on legislation.

We believe this right of public input needs to be expanded to allow comment on all amendments.  The habit of springing a change at the last minute without warning and without comment is unwarranted.

The Comprehensive Rezoning legislation will be forthcoming. This can affect every single piece of property and could impact every Harford County citizen in some manner, be it good or bad. The County Council should require adequate time for public comment before, during and after introduction of legislation and its amendments.  The Council needs to plan ahead and be ready for legislation, not wait until the eleventh hour.