The Office of Planning is engaged in several major projects:
Adequate Public School Facilities
Update of Existing Land Use Map
Eastern County Pedestrian and Bicycle Access Plan
Charles Street and Falls Road Scenic Corridor Management Plan
Community Plans
Round 7 Regional Household/Population Projection Adjustments
The Office of Planning is required by law to create regulations for assessing developmental impacts on schools. The most recent assessment of the impact of development upon schools is described in the 2006-2007 School Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance Report. The report, based on September 30, 2006 enrollment numbers, includes maps of each school district and a written description of each issue.
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Baltimore County's land use map was last updated in 2003. Current land use is being identified and transferred onto a new land use map as a layer in the County's geographic information system. The map showing existing land use will help the County to identify vacant land and to project build-out conditions.
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An advisory group was formed to create an action plan for pedestrian and bicycle facilities for the eastern part of the County. Citizen input meetings were held to determine where facilities are lacking and identify opportunities for improving the pedestrian and bicycle network. The plan was approved by the Baltimore County Planning Board and subsequently adopted by the Baltimore County Council on November 6, 2006. Similar plans will be undertaken for the other areas of the county in the future. Learn more about the project and view the plan.
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The planning process will be a collaborative effort between the Baltimore County Office of Planning and the Baltimore City Department of Planning in an effort to seek National Scenic Byway status. The rich scenic and historic resources found along Falls Road and Charles Street have already led to their designation as Maryland Scenic Byways. As the next step, the Office of Planning will take the lead on creating a plan for Falls Road, which lies predominantly within Baltimore County. Falls Road, one of the county's most important travel routes, provides access to many of the invaluable natural, agricultural, cultural, recreational and historic resources that contribute to the unique character of the county. The planning activity, with the broad participation of county and city residents, will establish management techniques to protect these resources, and define their roles in furthering the economic development and tourism goals of the county and the region.
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Community plans are a significant component of the County's community development and conservation initiatives that focus on strengthening the older communities and encouraging commercial revitalization. Learn more about community plans that are under development.
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The Office of Planning is required to provide household, population and employment forecasts at the transportation zone level to the Baltimore Metropolitan Council for use in regional, federally mandated transportation planning and air quality analysis. These forecasts are an important component in many of the Office of Planning's functions, including: master planning, community planning, analyzing land use, structuring growth management policies, modifying zoning, revising development policies and allocating county resources via the capital budget. These forecasts are also the basis for semi-annual population estimates provided to the Liquor Board. The planning horizon for forecasts is 2035.
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Revised May, 29 2007
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