Group Mounting Referendum Challenge to Comprehensive Zoning

A group of Howard County residents unhappy about the county's comprehensive zoning changes are working to place a referendum regarding certain parts of the legislation on the ballot in 2014.

Lisa Markovitz, the chair person of Citizens Working to Fix Howard County, said the group collected the necessary signatures to keep the effort afloat by the Oct. 6 deadline. The group's goal is to get 10,000 signatures to ensure the measure is placed on the ballot in 2014. They've been gathering signatures at sporting events, grocery stores and other locations around the county.

"It is going very well," said Markovitz in an email. "A very large percentage, over 90% of people asked to sign, do sign."

The county requires about 6,000 signatures to place a referendum on the ballot, but some could be struck down. Half of the 6,000 are due on Oct. 6.

The referendum is not intended to repeal all the changes made during comprehensive rezoning, but focuses on the more controversial changes approved by the Council in July that made parcels in Clarksville, Ellicott City, Fulton and Elkridge into higher intensity uses.

For example, a 7.5 acre parcel in Ellicott City—Shipley's Grant on Waterloo Road—was rezoned from one house per three acres to approximately two houses per acre. Another issue is a warehouse area in Elkridge was rezoned to transit oriented development, which allows multi-use office and high-density residential centers.

"What the referendum does is it takes these oppositional issues to the voters," said Markovitz.

She said core groups that make up the opposition include Clarksville residents opposed to a mortuary being built in their community, Fulton residents who oppose more development at Maple Lawn South, Savage residents who are upset that a scenic area near Savage Mill could be turned into a residential development, and small farmers concerned about restrictions on what size structures they can build on their property.

One of the primary concerns among the opposition is that allowing increased development in the county will overburden the public infrastructure such as schools and roads.

"Who's going to pay for the impacts on our infrastructure?" asked Markovitz. "Other counties do this differently, they define smart growth as pacing with government infrastructure." 

County Council member Courtney Watson told the Howard County Times she welcomed the challenge, "I support the right of the citizens to take this or any legislation to referendum and let the process take its course."

The County Council spent months working on comprehensive rezoning over the spring and summer, before approving the legislation during a marathon session in July.

Comprehensive rezoning happens about once every 10 years to give land owners an opportunity to make zoning changes to their property.