The Maryland Department of Planning (Planning) and our partners have been busy the past few  months, hosting or collaborating on the following events:

August 15: Regional Resources Workgroup Presentation to Commerce Subcabinet, Ocean City

September 12: Statewide Joint Land Use Study Implementation Meeting, Baltimore

September 20: Planning Directors Roundtable, Crownsville

September 23: Sustainable Growth Commission Meeting, Easton

September 24: Brownfields Bootcamp, Easton

September 25: Planning Commissioner Workshop, Leonardtown

October 6-7: APA Maryland Chapter Annual Conference, Cumberland

This special edition of Planning Practice Wednesday was a team effort, with planners from multiple department divisions contributing blogs to  update you on a few of these events, with a focus on presentations at the Planning Directors Roundtable and APA Conference. We also are highlighting the tools and partnerships under development. 

We even have a new logo!

SmartDG+ is shining a light on solar siting in Maryland, ushering in a new era on the wind [turbine]s of change by providing access to mapped data to help developers and local governments evaluate screening factors—like proximity to existing transmission lines—to select prime locations for their solar and wind projects.  The mapping tool is co-sponsored by DNR’s Power Plant Research Program (PPRP) and the Maryland Energy Administration.

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Introduced in the June edition of Planning Practice Wednesday and launched in August, the Maryland Protected Lands Dashboard provides a quick assessment of the status of Maryland land preservation at the state, regional, and county levels.  The 12 categories of protected lands include federal, state, county, and private programs.

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“What can the Maryland Department of Transportation’s State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) do for you?” was the question posed by Meredith Hill, Innovative Planning and Performance Division Chief at the September Planning Directors Roundtable.

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At the planning directors roundtable on September 20, Planning presented the newly completed Transportation Element Checklist.

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At the Planning Directors Roundtable in Crownsville, Planning introduced its work on House Bill 1045. The bill, adopted in February 2019, adds a housing element requirement for all comprehensive plans written after June 1, 2020. You may already be familiar with other required comprehensive plan elements, such as those for land use, transportation, and water resources.

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On October 8th Victoria Olivier, Planning’s Central Maryland Regional Planner, presented at the APA Maryland Conference “Fulfill the Vision: Overcoming Barriers to Infill and Adaptive Reuse.”  This was a sneak peek at a more comprehensive training that will be developed and rolled out in 2020 to support Reinvest Maryland 2.0, we'd love you to be a part of this effort.

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At the Planning Director’s Roundtable on September 20, Eddie Lukemire of MDOT spoke about his department’s Renewable Energy Master Contract. This tool simplifies and streamlines the contractual process by using a master Request for Proposals (RFP), with currently certified six solar energy contractors. Subsequent MDOT task orders are issued to the contractors based on geography or transit mode.

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Planning’s Director of Planning Coordination, Chuck Boyd, shared with the planning directors the valuable results of a transportation technical assistance survey using MetroQuest’s engaging survey software.

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In the May edition of Planning Practice Wednesday, we introduced readers to the Department of Commerce’s new Regional Resources Workgroup. Since that time, the Commerce Subcabinet established five regional teams (Eastern Shore, Baltimore Area, Western Maryland, Southern Maryland, DC Metro Area) composed of state staff from agencies including the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), Maryland Higher Education Council (MHEC), Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the Department of Labor, and others.

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Welcome to the 36th annual conference, hosted by the Maryland Planning Commissioners Association (MPCA). I am delighted to be holding this year’s conference in the City of Aberdeen in Harford County. It’s a joy to be working with the local hosts of the city and surrounding county to put together two full days of informative and insightful sessions. This year’s theme, Meeting the Trends, Embracing the Future, is in response to feedback we received during last year’s outreach and where we envision the work of planning commissioners will be heading throughout the state of Maryland.

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David Marin joined the Maryland Department of Planning as a GIS Planner in June, 2019. Since starting, his primary responsibility has been assisting Planning’s Property Mapping Unit in keeping tax map products for Maryland’s twenty-three counties and Baltimore City up to date.

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2019 Joint ITS Maryland Annual Meeting & BRTB Regional Traffic Signal Forum
Linthicum Heights, MD
October 16
For More Information

Maryland Planning Commissioners Association 36th Annual Conference
Aberdeen, MD
November 6-7
For More Information

How to Make Commuter Benefits Easy for Your Business Webinar
Wednesday, October 16 @ 11 a.m.
For More Information

Update the Zoning Code to Fill the 'Missing Middle' of Housing
Tuesday, October 29 @ 9 a.m.
AICP CM Approved
For More Information

Input Sought for Second Year of State Lakes Fund
Ridgely, Frederick, McHenry, La Plata, MD
Wednesday, October 9, 2 to 6 p.m.
For More Information

Public Comment Period Open for Revised Chesapeake Lands Hunting Lease Plan Open for Comment
Thursday, October 17
For More Information

Applications Open for 2020 Keep Maryland Beautiful Grants
MD Environmental Trust & MD Department of Natural Resources
Deadline: November 14
For More Information

Chesapeake Bay Trust - Prince George’s County
Chesapeake Bay Trust (CBT)
Deadline: December 5
For More Information