In This Issue
Meet the Staff
Local Spotlight
From our Partner Agencies
In Case you Missed It!
MPCA Corner
Conferences, Webinars, Training, and Funding
Meet the Staff
Rebecca L. Flora, AICP, Secretary of Planning
The Maryland Department of Planning (Planning) is proud to introduce its newly confirmed Secretary, Rebecca L. Flora, AICP. Secretary Flora introduced herself to Planning staff at a department-wide meeting on January 25, spent a half-day at MHT to meet and learn from their staff, and ran in a 5K at JPPM in mid-February.
"I am excited to bring my professional experience to the talented Planning team so we can work together to accomplish the goals and initiatives of the Moore/Miller administration. Governor Moore has built an executive staff that is dynamic, diverse, highly qualified, and is representative of the entire state of Maryland," said Secretary Flora.
"It is truly an inspiring time to work with our Planning team to see how we can better integrate our services and initiatives with other state agencies. We do critical and complex work at Planning and I want to use all of our collective experience to collaborate with our customers, deliver our goals, and bring attention to the great work we produce every day."
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Local Spotlight
New Decade Means New Comprehensive Plans
Many jurisdictions coordinate new comprehensive plans with the arrival of the decennial census. Census data is the foundation for 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 for comprehensive plans from six to ten years. To learn more about the ten year cycle and when your jurisdiction’s review is due, please visit Planning’s Comprehensive Plan 10-Year Review Cycle webpage.
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From our Partner Agencies
Maryland State Highway Administration Announces New Parking Signage Standard for Publicly-Owned Charging Stations
As of January 2023, 64,000 electric vehicles (EVs) had been registered in the State of Maryland; including fully battery-operated electric vehicles and hybrid plug-in/gasoline-powered electric vehicles. As EV ownership has increased, so have publicly available charging stations.
However, there have been reports across the country, including Maryland, about EV drivers being denied access to charging stations because internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles have parked in charging spaces, or EVs have remained parked when no longer charging. To address this issue, in the 2022 legislative session the Maryland General Assembly passed SB 0146, aimed at reserving parking spaces for charging EVs. This legislation was codified as Maryland Code Sec 21-1003.2 and went into effect October 1, 2022.
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In Case you Missed It!
Maryland’s Transit Station Area Planning Tool Featured in the New York Times
The Transit Station Area Profile Tool (TSAPT), first detailed in our June and August 2019 editions, is an online mapping and dashboard tool designed by Planning staff to assist professionals, investors, and citizens when planning around transit stations. Such transportation “nodes” or “activity centers” are generally known as Transit Oriented Development (TODs).
In January, ESRI (a geographic information software company known for its ArcGIS products) wrote an article about the Maryland Department of Planning’s (Planning’s) TSAPT that was featured in the NY Times. At Planning, we are proud that our tool has gained national recognition and can benefit TOD planning and implementation.
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A New Plan in the New Year
The Maryland Historical Trust (MHT), a division of the Maryland Department of Planning (Planning), is currently embarking on a new statewide planning effort to help align Maryland’s efforts in historic preservation and cultural heritage toward shared goals.
The current plan, PreserveMaryland II, has served us well - even through a pandemic. As we begin to prepare for a new planning cycle, I wanted to reflect on some of the accomplishments under the current plan and invite your feedback as we begin to look at setting goals for the future.
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U.S. Green Building Council Announces 2022 Top 10 States for Green Building
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On January 17, 2020, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) released its annual ranking of U.S. states leading the way on green building, with Massachusetts topping the list. The USGBC ranking is based on LEED-certified gross square footage per capita over the past year. The LEED rating system is the world’s most widely used green building program and was created by USGBC as a leadership standard defining best practices for healthy, high-performing green buildings.
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MPCA Corner
MPCA Launches New Peer Leadership Network: Newer Commissioners/Board Members Invited to Learn from Experienced Leaders
The need for a peer/leader support network has been discussed within the Maryland Planning Commissioners Association (MPCA) for some time. There have been several approaches developed over the past couple of years – stalled, though never stymied by the pandemic – but the fundamental idea remains unchanged - to pair up incoming or only recently established planning commission and board members with seasoned members.
Being new to the world of citizen planning may feel overwhelming or even downright confusing to recently appointed commissioners, therefore, the MPCA developed the Peer Leadership Network. It seeks to temper the intimidation factor and reduce the discomfort of being the one to “ask the dumb question” in a room filled with more senior members.
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MPCA Hosts Southern Maryland Regional Workshop in La Plata
The Maryland Planning Commissioners Association (MPCA) initiated the regional workshop program in the spring of 2019 to supplement its annual conference and bring citizen and professional planners together to learn from each other and share the unique joys and challenges of planning in their region. Since that time, the MPCA has hosted regional workshops in Hagerstown, Annapolis, Salisbury, Denton, and most recently on January 31, 2023, in La Plata, Charles County.
The COVID-19 pandemic prevented the MPCA from hosting a few regional workshops, but even with that barrier, the organization hosted virtual workshops on housing and comprehensive planning in September 2020 and July 2021, respectively. You can review presentation and notes from previous workshops on the MPCA Website.
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Continuing Education & Training
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.
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Upcoming Conferences and Seminars
Planning related conferences in Maryland and nearby states.
Webinars
Listed webinars are typically free or low cost and cover a wide range of planning related issues. Many include CM credits.
Make an Impact with Preservation Next Toolkit
Thursday, March 9 @ 10 a.m.
For More Information
Build Capacity with HUD Section 4 Funding - Rural and Tribal Communities
Wednesday, March 29 @ 2 p.m.
For More Information
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Training Around the State
Workshops and classes offered by state agencies or our partners.
Housing Justice Working Group, Street Reporter Screening Wednesday, March 1, Virtual
For More Information
Wild and Scenic Film Festival
Thursday, March 16, Millersville MD or Virtual
For More Information
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Funding Opportunities
Federal, state and/or non-governmental funding.
Green Streets, Green Jobs, Green Towns (G3)
Chesapeake Bay Trust
Deadline: March 8
For More Information
The Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Cooperative Agreement Program
Environmental Protection Agency
Deadline: April 14
For More Information
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Planning Practice Wednesday is a service of the Maryland Department of Planning. The Maryland Department of Planning is providing links to training and educational content relevant to planning and growth as a service to its mailing list subscribers. The content and views expressed are not necessarily those of Planning or the State of Maryland.
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