Even as things were closed around the country and the state during the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot has been happening to promote the redevelopment of brownfields throughout Maryland, and the Maryland Department of Planning (Planning) is proud to play a leading role. To support brownfield redevelopment, Planning has conducted workshops, developed two new webpages – Solar Facility Siting Guidance and Brownfields Redevelopment Assistance Program – and is hard at work organizing and participating in two upcoming conferences.

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Will some coastal towns be underwater in 2050? What can be done to rescue roads, towns, and homes from coastal and river flooding?

The Maryland Department of Transportation State highway Administration (MDOT SHA) has a powerful application to help public planners and private citizens. The MDOT SHA Climate Change Vulnerability Viewer (CCVV) is a user-friendly tool to explore areas and assets vulnerable to the risk of sea-level rise, roadway inundation, and nuisance flooding. The sophisticated web app layers climate and asset management data geospatially to show how extreme weather associated with climate change may change the Maryland coastline.

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As part of our ongoing commitment to the principles of smart growth, which encourage redevelopment on brownfields, the Maryland Department of Planning (Planning) is excited to present the inaugural Maryland Statewide Brownfield Conference!  The conference will provide a forum for local governments, consultants, attorneys, developers, and non-governmental organizations to learn and share information about brownfields and to promote increased awareness about the processes and technologies that move brownfields toward beneficial reuse in Maryland’s communities.  

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This August, the Western Maryland Resource Conservation and Development Council will be releasing its Maryland Forestry Economic Adjustment Strategy (EAS).  Founded in 1993, the Council’s mission is to build and sustain resource conservation programs which raise the quality of social, economic, and environmental development in the western region the state, including Garrett, Allegany, Washington, Frederick, and Carroll counties.

The EAS is a plan that will serve as a roadmap for recovery for Maryland’s forest products industry. Currently, a summary of the EAS is available for distribution and comment.

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The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced the Grants Gateway application is open for local governments and organizations for FY23, which begins July 1, 2022. The Gateway provides a streamlined, single point of entry to several state and federal programs to restore the Chesapeake Bay and help coastal communities. This year, Maryland helped coordinate more than $35 million in state and federal support for hundreds of projects and initiatives that are protecting and enhancing the Chesapeake Bay watershed. 

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With fewer vehicles on our roadways due to COVID-19, you would expect fewer crashes. Unfortunately, that is not what we are seeing on Maryland’s roadways. In fact, MDOT SHA saw a significant increase in overturned trucks and crashes along a portion of the I-495 Capital Beltway in Montgomery County. Where there are typically one or two overturned trucks per year, by the beginning of last December there were already a dozen.

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As part of the Maryland Renewable Energy Compatible Siting Project, described in the February 18, 2021 Planning Practice Monthly, the Maryland Department of Commerce has distributed a survey to guage  support for initiatives, policies, and processes that could facilitate the compatible siting of renewable energy facilities with Maryland’s military installations. The department is seeking responses to the brief survey by August 20.

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Last year marked Maryland’s first ever WALKTOBER, a full month in which the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT), the Maryland Department of Planning (Planning), and other partnering agencies promoted and hosted walking events and webinars – aptly named ‘Walkinars’ – spotlighting issues of pedestrian safety, health, and bi-pedal and multi-modal commuting options throughout the state.

The month-long celebration of Maryland’s official state exercise was so successful that organizers have been hard at work lining up another terrific, event-filled month for WALKTOBER 2021 (website coming soon!). This year’s Walkinars, produced by Planning, will be held each Thursday throughout the month. They are organized around four main subject areas: What’s Happening; Pedestrian Health; Planning and Enforcement; and Maryland Community Walk Initiatives.

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Many jurisdictions coordinate the development of new comprehensive plans with the arrival of decennial census data. Census data is a foundation of comprehensive planning, providing a snapshot of Maryland communities, outlining growth trends, and distinguishing key demographic indicators. 

In 2013, House Bill 409 increased the review period of a local jurisdiction’s comprehensive plan cycle to 10 years, instead of six years. To learn more about the 10-year cycle and when your jurisdiction’s review is due, please visit the Maryland Department of Planning’s (Planning) Comprehensive Plan 10-Year Review Cycle webpage.

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Do you know a citizen planner or entire planning board (planning commission, board of zoning appeals, historic district commission) that deserves recognition for their work in 2020 or 2021? Maryland’s citizen planners volunteer endless hours to their communities.

Unfortunately, this civic dedication often goes overlooked. The Maryland Planning Commissioners Association is recognizing the great work of our citizen planners at its upcoming annual conference in Solomons, Calvert County on October 27. Efforts deserving praise include, but are not limited to:

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In each newsletter, we highlight the most relevant and timely upcoming events. Our website does include many additional events, so please visit it regularly for updates. Listings are searchable by subject.

Maryland Association of Counties Summer Conference
Ocean City Convention Center
August 18-21
For More Information

7th Annual UMD Environmental Justice and Health Disparities Symposium
August 19-21
For More Information

Investing in American Transit
Tuesday, August 21 @ 2 p.m.
For More Information

Urban Conservation & Urban Agriculture
Wednesday, September 15 @ 12 p.m.
For More Information

Building Upon Large-Scale Brownfield Investments to Rejuvenate a Community
Wednesday, August 18 @ 2:00 p.m
For More Information

Maryland Forest Products Survey
For More Information

Agriculture Innovation Center Grant Program
US Dept of Agriculture - Deadline: September 27
For More Information

Chesapeake and Coastal Service Grants Gateway
MD Dept. of Natural Resources - Deadline: December 15
For More Information