General Development Plan 2008

Final Draft GDP 

Complete Document (Chapters 1 - 12, Appendix) 27 MB
Printable Table of Contents

Part 1 - Chapters 1 - 5 (6 MB)
Part 2 - Chapters 6 - 8 (6 MB)
Part 3 - Chapters 9 - 10 (13 MB)
Part 4 - Chapters 11 - 12, Appendix (4 MB)

NOTE: Copies of the Final Draft Plan will also be available at the following County area libraries on approximately April 28th.

Annapolis Area Library
North County Area Library
West County Area Library
South County Branch Library

Read Comments from the Public Forums:
Annapolis High School - January 26, 2009
Meade High School - February 5, 2009
Southern High School - February 3, 2009
North County High School - February 11, 2009

>> GDP Special Advisory Committee Calendar

Welcome to Anne Arundel County’s General Development Plan web page!  The purpose of the web page is:

• To keep County residents and businesses informed of the General Development Plan update and progress
• To provide a vehicle for public input and a means of communication between the public and the County government during the process.

What is the General Development Plan?

Anne Arundel County’s General Development Plan, or GDP, is a comprehensive land use plan prepared in compliance with State requirements and guidelines. The Plan is a policy document that is formally adopted by the County Council. It establishes policies and recommendations to guide land use decisions over the 10 to 20 year planning horizon. The Plan is used by the County in making decisions about growth and development, land preservation, resource protection, and the provision of infrastructure and services.

History of Comprehensive Planning

As a charter county, Anne Arundel County is granted planning and zoning powers by Article 25A of the Annotated Code of Maryland. Article 66B (Land Use) of the State Code also includes some requirements for comprehensive planning that apply to charter counties. The Anne Arundel County Code designates the Office of Planning and Zoning to prepare and periodically update a comprehensive plan to guide growth and development.

The County has had a General Development Plan since 1968, with updates in 1978 and 1986. Historically the County has revised or amended the GDP to reflect demographic, economic, social and environmental changes that have occurred. The 1997 General Development Plan, the County’s current plan, also incorporated policy recommendations that comply with Maryland’s Economic Growth, Resource Protection and Planning Act of 1992 and related “Smart Growth” legislation.

The 1997 GDP contained many recommendations on how the County might better manage growth, conserve the environment, and meet people’s needs. It also contained a generalized Land Use Plan (1997 GDP Land Use Plan) that served as a guide to where various types of development should be located. The County has worked diligently since 1998 to implement many of the plan recommendations.  Major accomplishments include:

• Completion and adoption of sixteen Small Area Plans. These community-based plans, known as SAPs, serve as guides to how individual properties should be used and what facilities may be needed to serve the County’s communities. The plans were prepared with an extensive amount of public outreach between 1998 and 2004. These plans also served as a vehicle for refining the County’s Land Use Plan, and the individual land use plans contained in each SAP have been consolidated to form the County’s current Land Use Plan (2004 Land Use Plan). Each SAP was followed with comprehensive zoning legislation to rezone properties according to the adopted Land Use Plan. The County will continue to implement the many Small Area Plan recommendations over the coming years.
• Designation of Mixed Use Areas and adoption of Mixed Use Zoning legislation. The 1997 GDP and subsequent Small Area Plans identified areas where mixed use development should be encouraged, incorporating a variety of residential, office and retail uses in close proximity. Four new Mixed Use Zoning categories were added to the Zoning Ordinance in 2001, and since that time several properties have been rezoned and some mixed use developments are in the planning stages.
• Creation of a Commercial Revitalization Program. Following on the GDP goal of enhancing existing communities, legislation was adopted in 2001-2002 establishing sixteen Commercial Revitalization Districts along many of the County’s older commercial highway corridors and within older neighborhood centers. The program provides greater redevelopment opportunities by allowing property tax credits and a greater mix of uses in the designated districts.
• Adoption of the Odenton Town Center Master Plan. This Master Plan was adopted in 2003 and establishes development and zoning regulations and guidelines to promote an attractive, viable and pedestrian friendly Transit Oriented Development center near the Odenton MARC rail station.
• Adoption of new functional plans including a Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan (2003) and a Greenways Master Plan (2002).

The Implementation Report on the 1997 General Development Plan contains a full description of the recommendations contained in the 1997 GDP and the actions completed to date towards implementation of the plan.

A primary objective of the 2008 update of the General Development Plan is to provide a solid growth management plan that will ensure a sound fiscal base for the County over the planning horizon. To this end, the County has contracted with a private consultant who will conduct a fiscal impact analysis to assess the future impacts of various land use scenarios. The results of this analysis will aid County staff in determining what additional growth management strategies are needed to accomplish the Countywide goals of balanced growth, preservation, environmental stewardship, viable communities, and fiscal stability.

In addition, new State planning legislation adopted by the 2006 General Assembly mandates that all local jurisdictions’ comprehensive plans include an assessment of the impacts of future land use plans on area water resources, including water and wastewater supply capacities and local tributaries. Additional State legislation requires counties to designate Priority Preservation Areas for the purpose of streamlining State and local funds used for agricultural preservation. Provision of an adequate supply of workforce housing, and strategies to accomplish this, will be another important topic in the 2008 GDP. Containing the majority of new growth within the County’s existing Priority Funding Areas will continue to be a goal of the new General Development Plan.

Work on the 2008 GDP update began in July 2007 and will continue through 2008. It is anticipated that a preliminary draft plan will be available for public review in early 2009, followed by a series of public forums during which preliminary findings and recommendations will be presented. The public forum dates will be posted on this website. Completion of a Final Draft Plan will follow the public forums. The Final Draft Plan will be posted on this website for public review and will be presented to the Planning Advisory Board at a public hearing, followed by introduction of the legislation and public hearings before the County Council. 

Questions and comments related to the 2008 General Development Plan may be directed to  GDP2008@aacounty.org. Information related to the Plan update will be posted on this website periodically throughout the year. We welcome your feedback!

Subscribe to the GDP 2008 E-mail List and receive periodic notices by e-mail when related information becomes available on this website

>> Join the GDP 2008 List