Some raise concerns over land use appeals bill

Annapolis (Map, News) - When Dels. Elizabeth Bobo, D- Howard, and Virginia Clagget, D-Anne Arundel, introduced a bill that would have allowed anyone to appeal a land use decision, it did not sit well with the business community.

“It would allow people with little or no justified grievance to appeal a zoning decision,” said Heidi Gaasch, director of government affairs for the Howard County Chamber of Commerce.

The Maryland Chamber of Commerce says under current law not just anyone can appeal a land use decision and charter counties outline who can file a zoning appeal. The bill widens the door on who can file.

The Maryland Association of Counties also took issue with the language.

“Requiring that a party appealing be aggrieved makes sense,” MACO director David Bliden told the House in a written statement. “It assures there is a true adversarial, rather than academic, interest in the matter at issue.”

The legislation affects seven counties, including Howard and Anne Arundel. It was amended recently to allow charter counties to include “a person who is not aggrieved by the decision or action” among those who can appeal a land decision. The House passed the amendment and the Senate will take up the bill on Monday.

The bill calls for the counties to adopt the change.

“It enables them to adopt the same rights all the other counties have,” Bobo said.

The issue of standing is a familiar one in Howard where four residents have been fighting plans to build a high-rise tower in downtown Columbia, but the bill has no bearing on the tower debate, Bobo said.

smichael@baltimoreexaminer.com

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