Howard County developers ask for limits on design panel

Howard County (Map, News) - Requiring developments to be reviewed by a Howard County design panel could further hamper a cumbersome planning process, county businesses and developers said.

“We want to make sure the process is implemented in a way that it doesn’t become more drawn out,” said Gregory Lowe, a board member of the Howard County Chamber of Commerce.

The Howard County Council is considering a measure that would create a design advisory panel, a group of five professionals, to review certain projects to ensure their compatibility with the surrounding neighborhood.

The panel would review age-restricted housing and properties in areas where a design manual or master plan has been adopted to guide development, which now is only the Route 1 corridor.

“We’re quite concerned that we start small. We want to do this right,” Planning and Zoning Deputy Director Steve Lafferty told council members at a recent hearing.

The planning director can choose to reject the panel’s recommendations or require the developer to adopt them.

The legislation is the latest in a string of bills aimed at tackling so-called infill development, which is squeezing new development in existing neighborhoods.

Such development often riles neighbors, who say it doesn’t fit in with the character of the neighborhood.

However, the legislation should include a time limit for when the panel can render an opinion and limits on how many times a developer would need to go through the review process, Lowe said.

The legislation also should require the county to revisit the panel after a year or so to determine its effectiveness, he said.

Lawyer Richard Talkin, who represents several county developers, said the original plan was for the panel to be voluntary, a concept the county should revisit.

“We still think that’s the most viable approach, to test this out,” he told council members.

The Howard County Citizen’s Association also offered some suggestions to the bill, including adding a resident to the panel — an idea developers and business representatives rejected.

The County Council is set to vote on the measure May 5.

smichael@baltimoreexaminer.com