A county in conflict
From the
A county in conflict
Divergence of public will, public policy seen as Howard's single largest problem
By Gerald P. Merrell
sun reporter
February 18, 2007
figures in support of two modest developments in Elkridge to aid moderate-income
families. Less than 90 minutes later, he bowed to unrelenting opposition from
residents and scrapped both projects, at least temporarily.
That experience encapsulates a broader issue for the county: The divergence
between public policy and public will.
The conflict, some say, may be the county's single largest problem because it
pervades discussions on many of the most critical issues.
"I think it is true that there is a conflict between what the general public
wants and what the politicians want or the government believes should happen,"
says Katherine L. Taylor, an attorney who has represented residents opposed to
development. "Unless the public policy is one to benefit the people who are
directly affected by the land-use changes, I think there will always be that
conflict."
William E. Erskine, a partner with the law firm Reese & Carney, LLP, whose
clients include several developers, says, "It's a very delicate balancing act
that public officials have, because there are competing interests."
The divergence, he says, threatens efforts to ensure responsible growth.
"The whole concept of Smart Growth, which is to direct your development and
residential growth in areas that can accommodate it, is being resisted by the
people where it would take place," Erskine says.
The conflict is not limited to where to place low- and moderate-income housing.
It is seen on many levels: Growth in the broadest sense, density, in-fill
development and the future of
downtown
"It's a challenge," says Marsha S. McLaughlin, director of the Department of
Planning and Zoning. "The county is a wonderful place to be, and we have a great
quality of life. ... But there is a very limited amount of land. One option is
to sprawl all over western
McLaughlin says a "larger public dialogue" might be beneficial to shape
development policy.
"Clearly, it becomes increasingly painful waging battles on a
neighborhood-by-neighborhood basis," she says. "We will grow. We just have to
have an understanding of where we want to grow."
The timing could be right for such deliberations, McLaughlin says, because the
county is not engaged in comprehensive rezoning, when tempers often flare and
the focus is on specific properties and not broad policy questions.
of public response to implementation.
"The error that politicians make, and the developers as well, is not stepping
into the shoes of the people who live there and saying, 'What would we want
here? What would we expect?' "
"The big problem is that the people who are affected have no input or no choice.
The only way they have input is to be pro
That has been especially evident in the efforts to provide housing for moderate-
and low-income families.
While the need for those units is rarely disputed, that has not translated into
acceptance for specific developments in many cases.
Indeed, the problem was underscored recently when a
report to
Ken Ulman noted that providing affordable housing "is one that the community
supports in principle, but often opposes in implementation."
Liparini, president and chief executive officer of Brantly Development Group,
recently encountered that incongruity at a community meeting when he proposed
building 20 duplex units on 7.22 acres, and eight duplexes on 1.5 acres in
Elkridge.
Both parcels are zoned R-12, for single-family residential lots of 12,000 square
feet.
The structures, Liparini promised, would be designed to appear as single-family
homes to blend in with the neighborhood and be affordable to more people by
costing an estimated $250,000 to $300,000.
His son, Nick, an executive with the firm, told an audience of Elkridge
residents that changing demographics require different types of housing units
and that, particularly in
subdivisions, will represent much of the new-home construction.
Those points have been made repeatedly by county officials.
But the audience, estimated at 100 and made up largely of Elkridge residents,
adamantly objected to the duplex projects.
County officials sometimes find themselves at odds with the very policies they
assert to support.
The Elkridge residents found support in County Council member Courtney Watson,
who declared, "Some people will say this is exactly what is needed to increase
our stock of affordable housing," but "two-family dwellings is not compatible
with Elkridge."
And a proposal for an apartment complex in Font Hill for moderate-income earners
was opposed by Ulman and Watson, both of whom say the project would be
incompatible with the neighborhood. The development was ultimately killed.
"Current neighbors and current residents are very important stakeholders,"
Erskine says. "We have an obligation to them and to our children. What's the
plan and where are they going to live?"
But he says words like compatibility, density and neighborhood character often
reflect "the NIMBY affect."
That's an acronym for Not In My Backyard.
"Everyone can agree that we should have moderate-income housing," Erskine says.
"But not next to us."
everything has to look the
illegitimate consideration.
"Perhaps there should be a regulation to require certain restrictions -- that
in-fill developments within existing neighborhoods somewhat conform in size and
architecture," she says. "The problem is, how do you define it?"
Erskine believes the conflict is just beginning: "I think we're absolutely going
to see more of this as we run out of space, as areas that have not been
economical for development now are quite viable. Those pressures are going to
continue and intensify."
McLaughlin acknowledges there is a critical need for affordable housing and sees
more in-fill development. But, she says, "They have to be a good neighbor."
gerald.merrell@baltsun.com
Copyright © 2007, The
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