In the January edition of Planning Practice Monthly, we introduced the Maryland Housing Needs Assessment & 10-Year Strategic Plan (Needs Assessment) and how it can be of value to Maryland jurisdictions in developing the required Housing Elements in their comprehensive plans. In February we summarized Section 2 of the report dealing with proposed statewide priorities.

This month, we are summarizing Section 3. State of housing in Maryland and in April Section 4. Needs by region & core actions to address them. In May, we’ll review Section 5. Maryland Housing Toolbox.

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Municipal and county planners understand Maryland code requirements prior to and during an annexation. Their submissions to the Maryland Department of Planning (Planning) make this clear. Local Government Article sections §4-401 through §4-416 outline procedures for annexation initiation, public notice and hearings, resolutions, and annexation plans.

The Local Government Article also describes areas that are eligible for annexation, which are those that are contiguous and adjoining to the municipality, won’t create an enclave or exclave, and are not within the boundaries of another municipality.

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The U. S. Census Bureau recently launched the 2020 Count Question Resolution (CQR) Operation. The CQR provides an opportunity for tribal, state, and local governmental units to request that the Census Bureau review their boundaries and/or housing unit counts to identify any potential errors that may have occurred while processing their 2020 Census counts.

If the Census Bureau were to maintain inaccurate information about a county or municipality, federal funding and other programmatic services may be adversely impacted, so it is vital that jurisdictions take this opportunity to ensure all counts are accurate.  

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Despite the extraordinary circumstances of the global coronavirus pandemic, Maryland’s Connected and Automated Vehicle (CAV) Working Group led and collaborated on numerous CAV-related research, education, and planning efforts in 2021. The team produced a variety of content ranging from a myth-busting social media campaign to a webinar series with partners across the state, including the Maryland Department of Planning (Planning), the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT), and the Maryland Highway Safety Office.

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Urban flooding is a growing issue in Maryland.  The increasing number of extreme rainfall events that produce intense precipitation will continue to lead to more urban flooding events unless steps are taken to mitigate their impacts. 

The Maryland General Assembly recognized the need to address urban flooding with the passing of Senate Bill 227 (2021 session). The Bill tasks the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) with developing plans to evaluate current flooding risks and update regulations to improve urban stormwater flood management. In 2021, MDE released a report titled “Advancing Stormwater Resiliency in Maryland” (A-StoRM) that provides a roadmap towards modernizing stormwater management in Maryland. 

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In February, Governor Larry Hogan proclaimed 2022 "the Year of Harriet Tubman," in celebration of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Harriet Tubman and the 5th anniversary of the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park and Visitor Center.

“Harriet Tubman dedicated her life in selfless service to others and the cause of freedom,” said Governor Hogan. “This year, as we celebrate her 200th birthday, we hope that even more Marylanders and visitors from across the country will take time to learn about the most famous conductor of the Underground Railroad and her years-long struggle to lead countless slaves to their freedom.”

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The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has announced the development of a new mobile app, iShellfish, to provide interactive maps for commercial watermen and other users to locate areas they need to find or avoid while on Maryland’s waterways.

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The Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Aviation Administration (MDOT MAA) is seeking input from state and local government officials on the use of small, unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS), commonly referred to as drones, across the state.

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Governor Larry Hogan announced in February that $50 million in grant funds will be made available to boost economic development activity, stimulate private sector investment, and grow jobs in the state’s rural regions. Five rural regional councils, representing the Upper, Mid and Lower Eastern Shore, Southern Maryland, and Western Maryland, will submit proposals to the Maryland Department of Commerce outlining how they plan to use up to $10 million available through the Rural Maryland Economic Development Fund.

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Travis Beal joined the Maryland Department of Planning (Planning) full time as a Lead Planner in December 2021. In this role, he primarily works on data preparation and analysis for internal use as well as data requests for local and partner state agencies utilizing data from various sources including the 2020 U.S. Census, Bureau of Labor Statistics, among others which are available on the Planning’s State Data Center website.

Prior to onboarding full time, Travis served as an intern at Planning for nearly three years while completing his bachelor’s degree at Towson University in environmental science with a concentration in geospatial analysis, and minors in both Geography and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Before college, he completed the CISCO Networking Academy course, where he learned to install and maintain networks ranging from residential to enterprise environments.

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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 MEDA Annual Conference: The Future of Physical and Social Infrastructure for Economic Impact

Hyatt Regency, Cambridge, MD
April 24-26
For More Information

2022 Mountain State Land Use Academy

Pipestem, WV

May 17-18
For More Information

How Rising Housing Prices Impact State Economies
Tuesday, April 12 @ 2 p.m. 
For More Information

Chesapeake Bay Webinar Series: How to Leverage Conservation, Open Space and Parks Funding to Maximize Multiple Benefits

Thursday, April 21 @ 12 pm
AICP CM Approved
For More Information