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?


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. 

Scorecard Update May 2022

Proposed Mega Warehouse Concerns

Abingdon Business Park and Perryman Peninsula share burdens from proposed mega-warehouse complexes.  One writer to the Aegis shared those concerns.

The following Op-Ed was published in the AEGIS January 26, 2022

Greg LaCour shows his teal Protect Perryman Peninsula cap. Matt Button/The Aegis

County should halt warehouse developments to protect environment

I watched the last couple meetings of the Harford County Council and was interested in the comments about Perryman. 

The citizens living in Perryman have every right to be concerned about adding more warehouses, especially ones built on Harford County wells. Also more heavy truck traffic on county roads increases the already dangerous conditions. All this is above and beyond what they should have to deal with. Developing this property would increase environmental damage to Bush River and the Chesapeake Bay.

Billy Boniface, chief adviser to County Executive Barry Glassman, wrote to the owners of the Perryman property and suggested they put the property in preservation. He indicated this would create a lifetime legacy for the county and the property owners. Members of the Abingdon Business Park coalition have asked Boniface to write a similar letter to the owners of this 325 acre property. He did not acknowledge this request. Citizens involved with Abingdon coalition have also voiced concerns at the council meetings. They have written letters and met individually with their representatives. They mentioned the vacant warehouse and retail spaces, concerns about the effect of pollution, heavy traffic and loss of property values. The folks in Abingdon, as in Perryman, want to see a halt to warehouses that are adjacent to or in residential areas regardless of the zoning. They want to make sure the Ha Ha Branch, Otter Point Creek, Bush River and the Bay are not contaminated by heavy truck traffic and related chemical runoff.

This council voted to include Abingdon Business Park in the enterprise zone in April 2019. This was a bad decision.

Enterprise zone tax relief is for under developed property or property that needs revitalization. This incentive is to create good paying jobs. The enterprise zone investment is to create an economic engine for the county. Warehouse jobs are not high paying jobs. Robotic machinery is often used in place of workers. And as we know, warehouses often stay vacant at county taxpayer expense.

Destroying woods, wildlife, streams and rivers can never be undone.
Harford County residents deserve better.

Janet Hardy, Abingdon


For more information on the opposition to proposed projects click on links below. 

Save Abingdon Woods

Protect Perryman Peninsula  

Friends of Harford Scorecard, Update March 2021

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:

Bill 21-001 Community Solar Energy Generating System (CSEGS)

Sponsor: Council President Vincenti for County Executive Glassman
Adds CSEGS to Zoning Code definition as a principal use of sun for electric power generation

  • Added as a Special Development where Director of Planning & Zoning has sole authority to allow
  • Limits to 2 megawatts of capacity (AC)
  • Not allowed in AG
  • Not allowed in Natural Resource District or Chesapeake Bay Critical area
  • All residential has acreage limitations and added buffering
  • Allowed in all business, commercial and industrial districts with current buffers
  • Required decommissioning to original land with a payment to the County of 115% of anticipated cost for the
    entirety of the use For more Information

FOH: Opinion: A Special Exception rather than a Special Development should be required for approval to allow neighbors the opportunity to weigh in on the use. This use should be allowed in the AG District.

Amendments introduced by Councilman Wagner and sponsored by all County Council members.

New Definition- Viewshed as an area of land, water or other environmental element that is visible from a fixed
vantage point, in context with historic preservation. Viewsheds may be described as areas of particular scenic or historic value that are deemed worthy of preservation from impacts resulting from development or other
forms of change.

Replaces uses and districts with the following:
• Requires the use to be a Special Exception (not a Special Development)
• GI District will be a permitted use and not require a Special Exception
• Removes parcel size limitations
• Increases structure location to 250′ from offsite dwelling unit from 200′
• Adds that no location will be within the Viewshed of a property listed on Harford County Historical list.
• Site shall avoid visual corridors that are scenic Viewsheds or areas. Shall not be located within 1 mile
on either side of any designated scenic by-way on any County or State maintained road.
• Increases time for restoration of site for decommissioning from 6 to 12 months.
• Increases bond, surety, letter of credit or other financial assurance from 115% to 125% of anticipated
cost of removal.
Vote was unanimous in approval of all amendments.

View Scorecard

FOH Scorecard June, 2020 UPDATE

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

County Executive VETOES Bill 20-005 and Council Overturns Veto with Shrodes Dissenting

Bill 20-005 Claims settlement information

Sponsors: Councilman Robert Wagner and Andre Johnson

Requires the Administration to notify the County Council of any legal claims/lawsuit settlements over $100,000 from any fund to be reviewed and approved.

Currently only those claims paid out by the Self- Insurance fund needs review and approval by the Council.

[Amended on 4/21/20 to require Administration to deliver written report to the County Council every 6 months and include all information pertinent to claims or lawsuits. Amendment withdrawn 5/5/20.]

The Council may not disclose information until there is public notice. This remains unchanged from original bill 94-032.  More Information

Friends of Harford Legislative Scorecard 

 

Legislative Scorecard UPDATE February, 2020

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! 

NEW Proposed Legislation:

  • Bill 20-001 Commercial Amusement and Recreation
  • Sponsor: Council President Vincenti for County Executive Glassman
  • Summary: Amends the Zoning Code adding COMMERCIAL AMUSEMENT AND RECREATION as a Permitted Use in the R4 Zoning District, subject to specified requirements regarding yard buffers, hours of operation, and allowable lighting sources. Plus, amendment introduced will increase hours of operation to 8 AM to 10 PM daily.

Read Bill Here

This bill is needed to support Resolution 001-20; a $1 sale of 25 acres Washington Court Surplus Property to Coppermine Fieldhouse, LLC; requiring the owning company to use land as an athletic field
facility for 20 years.  This is not currently allowed in the R4 Zones. Read Resolution HERE.

Friends of Harford Opinion: Legislation should not be enacted County-wide for one company, owner or project. Rather, a use not permitted in a zoning district may be granted via a Special Exception as are Country and Swim Clubs, and Assembly Halls for example in R4.   

Public Hearings: 2/4/20 6:15 pm 

Friends of Harford will update the scorecard after the vote. 

Harford County Legislative SCORECARD

Zoning Changes Update & New Scorecard

Friends of Harford News and Views
June, 2019

Bill 19-016 – Zoning Code Changes- Public Hearing Input- June 4, 2019

Recently, Friends of Harford President, Stephanie Flasch provided public input on Bill 19-016 (Zoning Code Changes) See full text of comments here. 

See full text of Bill 19-016 HERE. 

There is still time for citizens to send their comments to the County Council.
Call or email the County Council at (410) 638-3343 or council@harfordcountymd.gov 

Friends of Harford tracks the voting records for land use legislation via the SCORECARD. The Friends of Harford scorecard will be updated with amendments and voting record for land use legislation. 

Scorecard

Why We Asked

Friends of Harford- Why we asked the Candidates these questions:

Unless you’ve been personally affected by a County land use decision, you may be wondering why we asked these particular questions of local candidates.  The following links provide reasons for the questions asked.

View the candidate responses HERE. 

Reasons we asked the County Executive Candidates these questions

Reasons we asked the County Council Candidates these questions

Election 2018- Voting Info

Have you registered and reviewed the candidates for the 2018 GUBERNATORIAL PRIMARY?

Land use decisions are made locally. In anticipation of the upcoming election, Friends of Harford asked Harford County Candidates for County Executive and County Council questions about land use issues.

Link to responses HERE.

THE 2018 GUBERNATORIAL PRIMARY