New: Planning Advisory Board Review of Draft Region Plans
The Planning Advisory Board drafts of the Region 2, Region 4, and Region 7 Plans and Comprehensive Zoning Map are available through the Region Plan Hub sites.
The Planning Advisory Board will review the draft plans and comprehensive zoning map at public meetings in the Chesapeake Room of 2664 Riva Road. See the PAB agenda below for more information on how to attend the meeting and how to provide public comment. Please note: agenda times are tentative and subject to change depending upon how quickly the PAB discusses items on the agenda, as is disclosed on the agenda.
| Region 2 - PAB deliberation on November 2, 2023 | Region 7 - PAB deliberation on November 2, 2023 | Region 4 - PAB deliberation on November 3, 2023 |
New: Apply for a comprehensive zoning change in Regions 1, 3, or 9
Applications to request a zoning change in Regions 1, 3, and 9 will be accepted from October 3 to November 30, 2023, at 11:59 PM. The application tool includes instructions, an online form for owners or their representatives to apply for a zoning change for their property, a reference map with the adopted zoning and Plan2040 planned land use, and information on next steps.
The Office of Planning and Zoning will host virtual public forums on Tuesday, October 10, 2023. There will be two sessions, one at noon and one at 6:00 PM, to explain how to complete the zoning change request application and answer questions. While the presentation will be the same at both the noon and 6:00 PM sessions, questions during the Q&A sessions may be different. See the links below to register for the info session.
| Online Application Tool | Public Meeting Recording | Public Meeting Presentation |
Region Plans
The Region Plans gather regional and community-scale data and perspectives from local communities to implement and enhance the goals, policies, and strategies of Plan2040. The plans are intended to inform a shared vision for the next 20 years and identify specific recommendations about land use, zoning, environmental protection, transportation improvements, public facilities, and community design. The preliminary drafts of the Region 2, Region 4, and Region 7 plans are were available for public review and comment from July 26, 2023 through August 28, 2023. During this review period, the public also had an opportunity to comment on the Preliminary Draft of the Zoning map. For the next steps, see the "Stay Involved" section of the respective hubsite or consider signing up for updates here.
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.
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Region 1Region 1 includes the north County communities of Linthicum Heights, Brooklyn Park, Curtis Bay, Ferndale, and parts of Hanover and Severn.
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Region 2Region 2 includes the west County communities of Jessup, Annapolis Junction, Laurel, Maryland City, parts of Hanover, and Ft. Meade.
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Region 3Region 3 includes the central and eastern communities of Glen Burnie, Severn and a portion of Millersville as well.
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Region 4Region 4 includes the Pasadena, Severna Park, Arnold, Gibson Island, Cape St. Claire, and Broadneck communities.
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Region 7Region 7 includes the communities of Annapolis, Annapolis Neck, Parole, Bay Ridge, Highland Beach, and Riva.
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Region 9Region 9 includes the Southern communities along the Chesapeake Bay, such as Deale, Mayo, North Beach and more.
Region Plans in the Community
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. Click here for the anticipated schedule for the second and third rounds of Region Plans. 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.
October 2023: Planning Advisory Board (PAB) briefing and public hearing on PAB drafts of Region Plans and Zoning Maps
- Region 2 - PAB briefing on October 18, 2023
- Region 4 - PAB briefing on October 24, 2023
- Region 7 - PAB Briefing on October 19, 2023
July 25, 2023 - August 28, 2023: Public Review of Preliminary Draft Plans and Zoning Map
The preliminary drafts of the Region 2, Region 4, and Region 7 plans were available for public review and comment from July 26, 2023 through August 28, 2023. During this review period, the public also had an opportunity to comment on the Preliminary Draft on the Zoning map. For the next steps, see the "Stay Involved" section of the respective hubsite or consider signing up for updates here.
May 1, 2023 - June 1, 2023: Draft Zoning Map Public Review and Zoning Change Application
The Draft Zoning Maps for Regions 2, 4, & 7 were available for public review from May 1 to June 1, 2023. During this time, property owners or their representatives could file a zoning change application. Staff hosted drop-in sessions throughout the region where they briefed community members on mapping changes and reviewed the initial draft zoning map.
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.
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 6:00pm.
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
November 28-December 6: Drop-In Sessions
Staff will host Drop-In Sessions for Regions 1, 3, and 9. Stop by any time throughout the day to learn more about the natural environment and recommendations for region planning in your community!
- Region 1: Wednesday, December 6, 2023 at the Linthicum Library, from 11:15 am - 7:00 pm
- Region 3: Tuesday, November 28, 2023 at the Severn Library, from noon - 7:00 pm
- Region 9: Wednesday, November 29, 2023 at the Deale Library, from noon - 5:30 pm
October 14, 2023: Stakeholder Advisory Committee Kickoff
The first meeting of the Stakeholder Advisory Committees (SACs) for Regions 1, 3, and 9 occurred on Saturday, October 14, 2023. This meeting was in person for SAC members in Millersville at the Maxwell Frye Utility Operations Complex, with an option for the public to attend virtually. For details, please visit your Region's Hub site in the Stay Involved section, under Past Activities.
October 10, 2023: Virtual Public Forum
The Office of Planning and Zoning hosted two virtual public forums on October 10, 2023, to explain how to complete the zoning change request application and answer questions. A recording of the session and a copy of the presentation are available on Region Hub sites in the Stay Involved section, under Past Activities.
October 3, 2023 - November 30, 2023: Apply for a Comprehensive Zoning Change
Use the online application tool to apply for a comprehensive zoning change in Regions 1, 3, or 9. For more information on comprehensive zoning, see the Hub site for your respective Region or check out the comprehensive zoning website for more information.
September 13, 2023 - November 1, 2023: Vision Statement Questionnaire
The Office of Planning and Zoning collected input to help direct the vision for future planning in Regions 1, 3, and 9. Participants shared ratings on land use, recreation, housing, economic development, and more by filling out a brief questionnaire. Once processed, results will be shared on Region Hub sites.
June 21, 2023 - June 29, 2023: Open Houses
Staff hosted Open Houses in Region 1, 3, and 9 to spread the word about Stakeholder Advisory Committee applications and to learn more about challenges and opportunities in each of the three regions.
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.
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.
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 SACs are appointed by the County Executive and approved through a resolution by the County Council. County Code requires that each committee contain nine to 15 members who represent the diverse interests of each region.
Stakeholder Advisory Committees for Regions 1, 3, and 9 are appointed. Please see Resolutions 33-23, 34-23, and 35-23 for details. Applications for SACs in Regions 5, 6, and 8 will open in Spring of 2023. Please sign up for emails to stay updated on the process at aacounty.org/opzsignup.
Learn more about SACs: