The Maryland Department of Planning (Planning) would like to extend its sincerest thanks to the many participants, presenters, brownfields site tour leaders, and advisory committee members who made our first foray into the brownfields conference arena a terrific success!

The virtual conference, entitled Toward Beneficial Reuse, which spanned two days in November, also offered opportunities for in-person site tours at locations around the state and networking opportunities. Recordings of the sessions can be found here:

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The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) would like to thank all our 40 partners, including the agencies, organizations, as well as Maryland residents that participated and helped to make the Walktober 2021 campaign a huge success!

This year’s campaign was bigger and better than last year’s, with more events, more partners, and over 13 dedicated Walktober websites from partners and outside organizations. We are also pleased that Governor Hogan once again signaled his support for this initiative by issuing an official proclamation to officially recognize the month of October 2021 as “Walktober” in Maryland.

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Here at the Maryland Department of Planning, Priority Funding Areas, or PFAs, are part of our daily routine. PFAs were enacted by Maryland in 1997 and are defined as existing communities and places designated by local governments indicating where they want state investment to support future growth. We understand that many jurisdictions and property owners have questions about PFAs because we receive them all the time. Questions like “How is a PFA designated?”; “What state funding programs are subject to the PFA law?”; and “What is a PFA exception and how do I request one?”. Planning staff are always available to answer your PFA questions, but the department also recently developed a list of PFA FAQs for those interested in learning more on their own.

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Founded in 1767, Middletown lies about 60 miles west of Baltimore, eight miles west of the City of Frederick, and 20 miles southeast of Hagerstown, in Frederick County, Maryland. The town sits along the original National Road, the first federally funded road, created by an act of Congress in 1806.

One if its greatest claims to fame is that during the Civil War, Middletown was a route for both armies to the historic battles waged at Antietam (20 miles to the west on the border of West Virginia) and South Mountain (25 miles north on the Pennsylvania border). Following the famously gruesome battles, Middletown’s churches and homes tended to the wounded, among them Col. Rutherford B. Hayes, future reconstructionist and 19th President of the United States.

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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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Patricia (Pat) Ann Goucher worked at the Maryland Department of Planning (Planning) for more than thirty years. She began her career at Planning as a staff planner and worked in a variety of positions to rise through the ranks to management level. 

In the early-2000s, Pat was promoted to Director of Local Planning Assistance and oversaw the unit, providing technical support to Maryland's 23 counties and 157 municipalities. With her support and guidance, many local jurisdictions benefited from Planning’s assistance. Pat was instrumental in the siting and relocation of the new Bennett Middle School in Wicomico County and helped local governments such as Hebron, Snow Hill, Trappe, and Vienna navigate the planning process for large, unprecedented annexations of multi-use developments. 

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The extended planning community of the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan region and the nation experienced a great loss with the passing of landscape architect and planner Cy (Cyril) B. Paumier, Jr. earlier this year.   

According to his obituary, Paumier was “influential in the formulation of urban design plans for city center projects [that] spanned over 50 cities in the United States and the United Kingdom.” His professional career of more than four decades was remarkable and, perhaps most notably, he served as Chief Land Planner for the famous developer, James Rouse of the Rouse Company, from 1969-1972 where he oversaw “land planning, site planning and landscape design for the new city of Columbia, Maryland.”

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The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) Commuter Choice Maryland is launching a program aimed at helping Maryland commuters save time and money, while also earning cash rewards when they take transit, rideshare, or use other alternatives to single-occupancy vehicles in their rush hour commute. 

Through incenTrip, a trip planning and logging app available for iOS and Android devices, Marylanders can earn points toward cash rewards and help reduce traffic congestion and emissions by increasing their use of public transportation, carpooling, vanpooling, walking, and biking, or using alternative work schedules whenever convenient. 

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At its 38^th Annual Conference, hosted October 25 – 27, the Maryland Planning Commissioners Association (MPCA) was honored to recognize the impact of the following citizen planners. Please join the MPCA in celebrating engaged citizens and board members that contribute so much to Maryland’s communities.

The MPCA recognized:

Jules Dunham-Howie: Director, Upton Westside Community Development Corporation

Cynthia Gross: President, C.A.R.E. Community Association

John C. Schmidt: Chairman, Caroline County Planning Commission

The North Beach Stormwater and Flood Mitigation Advisory Committee

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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.

2022 Maryland Economic Development Association (MEDA) Winter Conference
January 13, 2022
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Autonorama: The Illusory Promise of High-Tech Driving 

December 9, 2021, 1:00 - 2:30 PM

AICP CM Approved 
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Planning Commissioner Training Course
Thursday, December 9, 5:30 - 9:30 PM, Salisbury, MD
For More Information

Chesapeake and Coastal Service Grants Gateway
Maryland Department of Natural Resources - Deadline: December 15
For More Information