Infrastructure

The Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance of Harford County is intended to assess whether the existing infrastructure in the County is sufficient to meet the needs of new development, while also ensuring that existing residents still have adequate access to services.

The annual report must include information about the number of new housing units approved, number of non-residential building permits approved, and comparisons of population, households, employment for the past 5 years, as well as projected for the next 5 and 10 years.

With this growth in mind, the annual report considers:

  • School capacity and enrollment
  • Sewerage and wastewater treatment
  • Drinking water availability
  • Roads

Emergency response/EMS

The 2015 annual report and Harford County Fire and EMS Master Plan identified the need for 3 additional fire/Emergency Medical Service stations in Harford County at a total cost of $11 million.

  • Riverside area on MD Route 543, just north of US Route 40
  • On MD 543 (Fountain Green Road between Hickory and Fountain Green)
  • Churchville near the intersection of MD Routes 22 and 136

Schools

The preliminary approval of new subdivisions cannot be granted when elementary or secondary schools in Harford County are expected to exceed 110% capacity within 3 years. According to Harford County Planning and Zoning, the capacity of all elementary and secondary schools in the county is currently considered adequate.

Public parks and open space

Parks and open space are not currently part of the Harford County Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance. But we believe that public parks and open space are vital to the well-being and quality of life for county residents and should be given equal consideration to other land uses during zoning and development decisions.

List of Harford County parks & trails