Low Turnout for Comprehensive Rezoning Town Meeting

Councilman John J. Grasso (R-2nd District) presented an overview of proposed zoning changes to a handful of constituents Thursday at a town hall meeting held at the (GBIA) hall.

Comprehensive rezoning, a process which occurs every 10 years in Anne Arundel County, provides the county an opportunity to rezone property according to community or county needs. Examples of rezoning scenarios include residential property becoming commercial, and increasing the number of residential homes permitted on an acre of land.

According to Rose Brooks, legislative assistant to Grasso, the rezoning process takes time and involves several steps. Brooks said applications from property owners were received from December 2010 through February 2011 and were then evaluated by Anne Arundel County Planning and Zoning.

Brooks explained that once the requested rezoning scenarios were reviewed, applicants received notification by mail as to whether their application was approved or disapproved. The next steps in the process involve disapproved applicants submitting an amendment request and attending one of four upcoming public hearings to have their case reviewed.

“We had 47 applications come through, but only 17 were approved,” Brooks said. “Out of the 30 applications that were denied, no one filed for an amendment.”

Grasso shared that he believes there may be one or two amendments put through between now and November, but for the most part people appear to trust the decisions of Planning and Zoning.

“Planning and Zoning talks about planning and zoning all day,” Grasso said. “It's like going to a lawyer for legal advice or to an accountant for financial advice. I'm happy with all of the decisions the county made, and I'm not going to go against their decisions unless someone proves to me otherwise.”

The councilman told constituents that he takes every rezoning request seriously, driving to each site and viewing the situation for himself.

“I hop in the pickup and drive around. I see what each area is like. Sometimes, I even get out and knock on doors and ask people how the rezoning would affect them,” he said.

Grasso and Brooks stressed to attendees the importance of filing an amendment and attending a hearing, should one desire to have a rezoning decision overturned. The pair explained that once an amendment is submitted and a public hearing is scheduled, it is important to attend the hearing and plan to share a compelling argument.

Council Chairman Dick Ladd (R-5th District) also attended the meeting, and shared similar sentiments with the group.

“If we put an amendment in, people need to come and talk about it. The community should come in and share their views,” he said. “We listen to everyone who has an opinion. The importance of a community sharing their thoughts is huge and we listen very carefully to what the public has to say.”

GBIA was responsible for both organizing the meeting and putting together a booklet of information for residents, which detailed each rezoning request and the potential change it would bring to the community.

GBIA Vice President Candy Fontz created the materials and said she was movitvated by her desire to keep Glen Burnie residents informed.

“I wanted to bring awareness of the possible changes in the community to residents. It's all about helping members of the community stay informed,” she said.

Upcoming rezoning hearings are scheduled for October 3, October 17, November 7 and November 21. Information about the proposed rezoning and the amendment process can be found on the Anne Arundel County website.