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Region Plans

NEW: Apply to serve on the Stakeholder Advisory Committee for Regions 1, 3, or 9

The Stakeholder Advisory Committees (SACs) will play a key role in developing the Region Plans, meeting regularly to collaborate on goals and strategies for the region, and making recommendations on proposed zoning changes during the comprehensive zoning process. The committees will be appointed by the County Executive and approved through a resolution by the County Council. Each committee will include nine to 15 members who represent the diverse interests of each region.

The Office of Planning and Zoning will accept applications for SACs for Regions 1, 3, and 9 from May 16, 2023, to 11:59 PM on July 11, 2023. Interested parties can view supporting information and the application here:

When you are ready to complete and submit your application click here to access the online application.

 

NEW: Draft Zoning Map and Zoning Change Application Now Available

 The Draft Zoning Maps for Regions 2, 4, & 7 will be available for public review from May 1 to June 1, 2023. During this time, property owners or their representatives can file a zoning change application. To access the public review tool and zoning change request application, see the links to the hubsites below.

Region 2 - Communities of Jessup, Annapolis Junction, Laurel, Maryland City, Fort Meade, Patuxent Research Refuge, and parts of Hanover

Region 4 - Communities of Pasadena, Gibson Island, Severna Park, Arnold, Cape St. Claire, Broadneck

Region 7 - Communities of Greater Annapolis, Parole, Riva, Annapolis Neck, Bay Ridge, and Highland Beach

 

NEW: Put Your Community on the Map

Anne Arundel County is beginning the second of three sets of community-based Region Plans. The plans will focus on areas designated in the County’s General Development Plan as Regions 1, 3 and 9. As we begin the planning process for Regions 1, 3 and 9, we invite community members to fill out a brief questionnaire and use a map to identify the things they love about their community, what they’d like to see improved, and what ideas they have for the future. Comments on the Feedback Map will be accepted from April 3, 2023 until June 30, 2023. 

 

Overview

The Anne Arundel County Region Plans are community-driven land use documents that build on the work of Plan2040—the Countywide General Development Plan—in smaller areas. The Region Plans will evaluate community assets and needs, present a shared vision for the next 20 years, and make specific recommendations about planned land use, zoning, environmental protection, transportation improvements, public facilities, and community design. The Region Plans will be used as a reference for informing future requests that directly affect your neighborhood in areas such as modifying zoning, private development plans, and the capital budget and improvement program. They are an opportunity for you to shape your community.

The process is underway for Regions 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, and 9. Please click here to be directed to the Community Hub websites for each Region Plan.  

 
  • Region Plans Overview and Order

    Region Plans offer community members an opportunity to develop a shared vision for their future. With the adoption of Plan2040, the County’s most current General Development Plan, the County Council has directed the Office of Planning and Zoning to work with communities to prepare plans for each of the County's nine Regions. Click here for a map of the nine Regions.

    The Region Plans will include an evaluation of community assets and needs, a shared vision for the next 20 years, and specific recommendations about land use, zoning, environmental protection, transportation improvements, public facilities, and community design. The Region Plans will build on the work of the previous Small Area Plans as well as Plan2040. 

    Preparation of the Region Plans will need to be staggered over time in recognition of limited resources to facilitate community engagement, conduct research and analyses, and write the Region Plans. It is expected that each Region Plan will take 24 to 36 months to complete. The County Council determined the order of the Region Plans based on a number of factors including amount of development and change in the regions and geographic distribution.

    Regions 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, and 9 are currently underway. You can read more about the ongoing work in these Regions by clicking here. The anticipated schedule for the second and third rounds of Region Plans is below. Please note that the targeted start dates are for pre-planning. The pre-planning phase includes the Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC) application window, application screening, SAC appointment, and SAC kick-off. This phase also includes background research. Pre-planning is included in the overall 24- to 36-month estimate for the Region Plan timeline.

    Click here to view the timeline for the next six Region Plans.

  • Region Plan Public Engagement: Regions 2, 4, and 7

    May 1, 2023 - June 1, 2023: Draft Zoning Map Public Review and Zoning Change Application

    The Draft Zoning Maps for Regions 2, 4, & 7 will be available for public review from May 1 to June 1, 2023. Review and share your thoughts on the zoning for Region 2, Region 4 and Region 7.

    During this time, property owners or their representatives can file a zoning change application. To learn more about this process, see the Region 2, Region 4 and Region 7 hubsites.

    April 27, 2023: Virtual Public Forum

    The Office of Planning and Zoning hosted a virtual public forum on Thursday, April 27, 2023. There were two sessions, one at noon and one at 6:00 PM, to explain how to use the comprehensive zoning public review tool, review the online zoning change request application, and answer questions. To view the recording of the noon session, click here. To view the recording of the 6:00 PM session, click here.

    March 1, 2023 - April 3, 2023: Draft Region Plan Strategy Questionnaire

    The Office of Planning and Zoning launched online questionnaires to gather feedback from community members on Draft Region Plan Strategies developed by OPZ staff and reviewed by the SACs. Draft strategies are based on input received through public comments, County Department presentations, and SAC member’s personal experiences. 

    The results for the questionnaires will be reviewed by OPZ and the SACs to make changes based on community feedback.

    September 15 - November 1, 2022: Visioning questionnaire

    The Office of Planning and Zoning collected information on the future of transportation and mobility, community design and identity, housing, local economic development, and community facilities in Regions 2, 4, and 7. Feedback on these key topics will help outline a Vision that will guide each Region Plan. The questions reflect public input received to date through outreach events, small group interviews, questionnaires, community feedback mapping, and Stakeholder Advisory Committee meetings. A summary of the results from the questionnaire can be found on the Hub sites.

    April 20, 2022: Community Forum 

    The Office of Planning and Zoning hosted a Community Forum addressing the Regions 2, 4, and 7 Plans on April 20, 2022. The purpose of the Forum was to: 1) Inform residents about Region Plans; 2) Listen to input from residents, and answer any questions regarding the Region Plans process and timeline; 3) Share and discuss ideas across the Regions; 4) Demonstrate the interactive Feedback Maps, and preview other community engagement opportunities. Click here to view the slides presented at the Community Forum.

    There were two options to attend the virtual meeting on April 20:  an afternoon session beginning at noon, and an evening session beginning at 6:00 PM. The recordings of both sessions are linked below. 

    Click here to view the recording of the afternoon meeting on April 20 at noon. Click here to view the recording of the evening meeting on April 20 at 6:00 pm.

    March 3, 2022 - June 9, 2022: Community Feedback Map questionnaire

    The Office of Planning and Zoning launched an online interactive map which allowed users to spatially identify areas residents and visitors love, that need fixing, or could be an opportunity for a new amenity for the community. Results for the questionnaire can be found on the Hub sites.

    January 2022: SAC meetings began

    The SACs began to meet monthly starting in January 2022.

    December 11, 2021 - March 11, 2022: Community Needs questionnaire

    The questionnaire asked residents and visitors to the respective regions what they enjoy most and what they find challenging about living, working, and playing the region.

    December 11, 2021: Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC) Kick-off

    The Region Plan process for Regions 2, 4, and 7 kicked off on December 11, 2021. For a recording of the event, please click here. Please visit the Region Plan Community Hub websites for more information and updates.

    * Note that some Region Plan teams may have had additional targeted outreach. To explore those opportunities, please visit the respective Hub sites

  • Region Plan Public Engagement: Regions 1, 3, and 9

    April 3, 2023 - June 30, 2023: Community Questionnaire and Feedback Map

    As we begin the planning process for Regions 1, 3 and 9, we invite community members to fill out a brief questionnaire and use a map to identify the things they love about their community, what they’d like to see improved, and what ideas they have for the future. 

    Region 1 - Communities of Linthicum Heights, Brooklyn Park, Curtis Bay, Ferndale, and parts of Hanover and Severn.

    Region 3 - Communities of Glen Burnie, Severn and a portion of Millersville. 

    Region 9 - Communities of North Beach, Tracy's Landing, Deale, Churchton, Shadyside, West River, Galesville, Mayo, Edgewater.

  • Region Plan Community Hubs

    The Region Plan Community Hubs for Regions 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 and 9 are now live! To see which Region you live, work, or play in, please see this web map.

    The Hubs provide project updates and a variety of opportunities for input into the planning process for each region. Visit your Region’s Community Planning Hub to learn more and get involved. You may also subscribe to the Region Plans mailing list by clicking here.

  • Stakeholder Advisory Committees
    Stakeholder Advisory Committees were established for Regions 2, 4 and 7 to work collaboratively with County staff to prepare the Region Plans. These Committees were appointed by the County Executive and approved through three separate resolutions on November 1, 2021 by the County Council. The Committees include 9 to 15 members who represent the diverse interests of each Region.
     

    The Office of Planning and Zoning will accept applications for SACs for Regions 1, 3, and 9 from May 16, 2023 to 11:59 PM on July 11, 2023. If you would like to serve on the committee for one of these regions, please see below for next steps:

    When you are ready to complete and submit your application click here to access the online application.

    If you have further questions about the SACs, see the Region Plans FAQ.