Baltimore County began incorporating smart growth managment policies in the late 1960s. The urban rural demarcation line (URDL) that was established in 1967 identified the areas of the County that had or would receive public water and sewer infrastructure, and therefore would accommodate urban residential, commercial and employment development. In the rural areas, reliance on private well and septic systems limited the amount of development that could be accommodated, and thereby helped ensure the area’s continued use for agriculture, natural resource protection, and low density rural residential uses.
In 1975, as part of the Baltimore County Comprehensive Plan, the County established urban and rural zoning and created two growth areas - Owings Mills and Perry Hall-White Marsh. Future development was to be directed to these growth areas to maximize the efficiency of County revenues spent on transportation improvements, utilities, and other capital projects, in addition to preserving important natural and agricultural resources.
The Baltimore County Master Plan 1989-2000 created land management areas (PDF) with specific policies to accomplish the goals for each area. Master Plan 2010 refines these land management areas, and further distinguishes between urban land use management areas and rural land management areas. The urban land management areas consist of community conservation areas, employment centers, the two growth areas (Perry Hall-White Marsh and Owings Mills), and the Towson Urban Center. The rural land management areas include agricultural preservation areas, resource preservation areas, rural residential areas, and rural commercial centers.
In 1997, state legislation enacted the Smart Growth, the Rural Legacy and the Priority Funding Area programs to preserve agricultural, natural, and cultural resources, support community conservation, and establish priorities for state spending.
Baltimore County designated its Priority Funding Areas (PDF) (PFAs) as essentially those areas within the County’s URDL. By targeting funding to the PFAs, the County and state can jointly enhance opportunities for economic growth and community conservation.
The Rural Legacy Program assists the County in its efforts to preserve areas rich in agricultural, historic, scenic, and cultural resources, and provides opportunities to acquire parkland. The state structured the program to encourage local land trusts and local jurisdictions to prepare rural legacy plans that seek to protect significant and threatened resources. Through an annual competitive selection process, Baltimore County chooses plans to submit to the state for funding. The Rural Legacy Areas map depicts the areas that are eligible for the program.
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Revised February 14, 2006
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