Community raises concerns about proposed housing change

Howard County (Map, News) - A proposed change in the housing rules for the rural West has some Howard community members concerned about the predictability of government.

“It is unfair to me to take [housing] allocations from the rural West,” said Mildred Nixon, whose family owns Nixon’s Farm in West Friendship, which they say would be affected by County Executive Ken Ulman’s proposal for environmentally friendly neighborhoods.

As an incentive for developers to create green neighborhoods, the measure would take 100 houses the county allotted to the rural West and set them aside for builders that develop green neighborhoods. The county allows 1,850 houses to be built each year.

When facilities such as schools and roads are not available, developers often have to wait for the allotted houses to become available.

Taking away 100 units from the West would affect 41 houses waiting to be built, Planning and Zoning Director Marsha McLaughlin said.

Nixon, who testified Monday at the County Council’s public hearing, said his family has been waiting nearly a year for housing allocations to become available so they can finally sell their farm. She asked that current plans in the pipeline be exempt.

Several in the development community echoed the concerns.

“Don’t do it,” William Erskine, a land-use lawyer with Reese and Carney LLP, told the council, adding that changing the allocations “pulls the rug out from underneath” those awaiting housing allotments.

Ulman said he was “taking a look at” the housing that would be affected by the legislation.

“The fact is, when you make a decision to slow the rate of growth in the West, there is going to be some impact to that, and that is the decision we made,” he said.

He said the administration did weigh the concerns about the predictability of government.

“Sometimes the government needs to step in the public’s interest,” he said.

ON THE NET

Howard County Executive Ken Ulman’s green legislation may be viewed at howardcountymd.gov/CountyCouncil/Legislative_Pending.htm.

smichael@baltimoreexaminer.com

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