I would like to thank the members of the Planning Board for the important role you played in the design and passage of the Renaissance Redevelopment Pilot Program. This landmark legislation will be a valuable tool in the renaissance of our older communities and the preservation of our rural areas and open space.
Jackie MacMillan will present a detailed update on the approved legislation later in the meeting.
Like you, I believe that one of the great strengths of Baltimore County is the variety of neighborhoods and lifestyles we have, and the balance between urban, suburban and rural living that we have worked so hard to maintain.
The high quality of life we enjoy is, in part, what allows us to maintain a strong workforce, a strong connection with our history, and it helps us attract the kind of forward-thinking companies that will anchor our economy for the next generation. Keeping up our quality of life means carefully examining the many things that contribute to our neighborhoods, and mapping out practical strategies to not only protect our resources, but to enhance them for future generations.
Thoughtful management of our resources is not just good environmental strategy, it strengthens our economy and our communities. Protecting open space, careful planning in our growth areas, and the renaissance of our older communities will keep down the cost of infrastructure, keep up our water and air quality, and ensure that future generations enjoy the same natural wonders that we see in our communities today.
The renaissance of our older communities is underway, but the renewal of our neighborhoods is about more than reviving old shopping centers and filling business districts. It is about integrating the natural assets of Baltimore County and the day-to-day lives of our people. Our economy, our government, our environment - these are not independent of each other.
This year, every fifth-grader in Baltimore County participated in the EcoTrekkers program at the Marshy Point Nature Center. They, as well as everyone who visits the nature center, get an opportunity to observe the natural Baltimore County, and to understand how our environment affects us and how we affect it. It is a unique program that improves the quality of the education we provide, and it is made possible by a long-term commitment to protect open space. It is also a smaller version of what we hope to do in the coming weeks.
This County has a long, nationally and internationally recognized approach to wise management of growth. It stretches back over 30 yrs with the URDL, the designation of rural preservation areas, downzoning, the adoption of growth centers, our land preservation efforts, and resource protection programs not only in our rural areas but also within the URDL; the list is long and distinguished.
Now we must look to see how these programs and approaches prepare for and carry us into the future.
Today is the first in a series of presentations by DEPRM for the Board and for the viewing audience on a number of important issues to help us prepare for the future. This is Baltimore County's Green Renaissance: Protecting and Enhancing Today's Resources for Tomorrow.
I'm going to turn the podium over to David Carroll, Director of the Department of Environmental Protection and Resource Management, who'll give you an overview of the Green Renaissance series and today's presentation on the first green renaissance initiative, the Montreal Process.
Revised February 1, 2005
Courthouse 