September 2023

Dear Community Member,

It is with great pleasure that I address you as the new Director of Howard County’s Department of Planning & Zoning. DPZ is an award-winning planning department so when the opportunity to join this team became available, I jumped at the chance and haven’t looked back.

Even though I am new to the County, I have been part of the greater community for more than 25 years—as a matter of fact, my first job out of college was located on Broken Land Parkway. My career path then led me to state planning as a GIS analyst and conservation planner, followed by consulting work with local, state, and federal government agencies on planning and land conservation efforts. Most recently I served as planning director in a neighboring jurisdiction. I am excited to bring this breadth of knowledge and experience to Howard County.

As I assume my new role, I am grateful to be working with an outstanding team of professional planners, engineers, agricultural advocates, and mapping analysts, to name a few. Over the past three years, this department, following extensive community input, developed a draft of the County’s next General Plan, HoCo By Design. This Plan picks up where the last General Plan, Plan Howard 2030, left off, leading the County into the next decade and beyond. It addresses some of the most pressing issues in our county, region, state, and nation.

Howard County, like the country, is facing exorbitant housing prices, exacerbated by a critical housing shortage, especially for our young professionals and service workers. We are facing the challenges of climate change and are addressing these issues by moving sustainable and equitable priorities to the forefront, while continuing to enhance economic development opportunities and identifying areas for redevelopment to meet the needs of a growing community. I hope you will take this final opportunity to share your voice on the Plan at the County Council’s public hearing on September 20. More information about the hearing can be found here.

I want to take this opportunity to thank the County Executive, Council, DPZ staff, and others for their warm welcome to the County. I also look forward to meeting more of you in the community and working with you as we adopt and begin to implement HoCo By Design together. 

“Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.” This quote from author Alan Lakein reminds us that the future is now and the issues and challenges we face cannot be kicked any further down road. We must act today. 

I am excited to take this journey with you all.

DPZ Upgrades Its ProjectDox System, With Final Changes Coming This October

Over the last year, DPZ has been undertaking an extensive upgrade of its ProjectDox system, a tool used for paperless plan submission, review, approval, and tracking. The first phase of this upgrade transitioned ProjectDox to a cloud-based server and upgraded the software and user interface, greatly increasing the accessibility and efficiency of the system.

The final phase of this upgrade will be taking place on October 2, 2023. This will add an electronic signature review to all of DPZ's development and subdivision plan reviews, make the review of alternative compliance submissions more efficient, and transition the redlines review process from a physical process using paper submissions to a digital process within ProjectDox. 

Though changes to the current user experience will be minimal, this final upgrade will have a few noticeable changes:

• All drawings submitted to ProjectDox for review will have to be submitted in PDF format. Drawings in other formats, such as DWG, will not be accepted by the system.

• Applicant responses to reviewer change marks and comments will be performed within a dedicated review form, while applicant change marks and comments outside of the review response form will be disabled. To resubmit plans, users will be required to respond to agency staff change marks and top priority comments in the review form.

• All applications, apart from zoning petitions, will be accessed and submitted from within ProjectDox, not via DPZ’s web page. In-person paper applications will no longer be accepted for alternative compliance and redlines, through required plans prints can be submitted via the appropriate drop box in the George Howard Building in Ellicott City.

For more information about this upgrade and to stay informed as more resources become available, visit DPZ’s ProjectDox page.

DPZ Launches Route 1 Tax Credit Program for Fiscal Year '24

DPZ is now accepting applications for this year's round of the Route 1 Tax Credit Program! Commercial and industrial property owners along the Route 1 Corridor can apply to receive a tax credit of up to $100,000 per site for renovation projects that improve the appearance of their properties. 

During the last fiscal year, DPZ allocated the maximum allowance of $250,000 to several Route 1 properties, including Fleetpro, Galaxy Electronics, Napa Auto Parts, Amani Investments Group, and the Holiday Inn in Columbia-Jessup. To date, the program has supported 21 renovation projects along Route 1.

To qualify for the program, a property must have frontage onto Route 1, be adjacent to a property with Route 1 frontage, or be within the perimeter of Map 20.129D (Elkridge). It must also be under 15 acres, have up-to-date property tax payments, and have no existing code violations. Commercial and industrial property owners interested in renovating the appearance of their property are encouraged to visit the Route 1 Tax Credit Program web page to learn more about the program and how to apply.  

DPZ Seeks Community Input for North Laurel/Savage Sustainable Renewal Designation

Over the past 10 years, DPZ has worked to secure sustainable community designations for specific areas in Howard County that can benefit from revitalization and sustainability efforts. The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) administers the Sustainable Communities Program, a place-based revitalization initiative that offers a comprehensive package of resources that support holistic strategies for community development, revitalization, and sustainability. Howard County has three Sustainable Communities, including Ellicott City, North Laurel-Savage, and Long Reach Village—whose boundaries you can see here.

To maintain their designation and remain eligible for State resources associated with the Sustainable Communities Program, all jurisdictions must submit a renewal application to DHCD every five years. Now, DPZ is launching a community engagement effort to inform the second renewal application for the North Laurel-Savage Sustainable Community designation. Since its original designation in 2014, the area has received over $1.5 million dollars in State funding to support projects such as paving upgrades to the Patuxent Branch Trail, trail design and signage from Savage Park to North Laurel Community Center and City of Laurel, the installation of bike racks, building renovations to Carroll Baldwin Hall, and park improvements to Baldwin Commons.

As DPZ approaches the renewal application deadline in early 2024, it is organizing a workgroup of representatives from civic organizations and institutions, the business community, residential associations, and Howard County government to help update an “Action Plan” of revitalization strategies focused on economic development, environment, transportation, housing, quality of life, and local planning in the area. Looking out five years, the Action Plan can help attract State resources for both county government and nonprofit community development organizations, and it can be used to guide county investments and programs. 

If you are a resident, business owner, or stakeholder in the North Laurel-Savage sustainable community boundary, please provide input for the application by taking this brief survey that will help us identify needs, priorities, and actionable projects over the next five years. For more information, contact Victoria Olivier at volivier@howardcountymd.gov.

DPZ Opens Applications for Howard County Historic Cemetery Grant Program

DPZ is excited to announce that the Howard County Historic Cemetery Grant program is now accepting applications!

For its 4th year, DPZ's Cemetery Preservation Advisory Board (CPAB) is partnering with the Howard County Genealogical Society to sponsor a grant program for projects that support the repair, protection, landscaping, or educational signage of the County’s cemeteries.

Howard County's Historic Cemetery Inventory contains over 200 historic cemeteries and burial grounds, many of which date to the 18^th and 19^th centuries. These cemeteries range from small family plots to larger, formal cemeteries that are owned and managed by a church, nonprofit, or independent owners. Many of these smaller and privately owned cemeteries could use financial support in their maintenance and upkeep.

The Historic Cemetery Grant offers a total of $5,000 in funds to be distributed for cemetery projects that pertain to a public education, restoration, or clean-up effort of one of the County's inventoried historic cemeteries. The deadline to apply is November 14 at 5:00 pm. For more information or to apply, click here. 

DPZ Publishes New Web Pages Highlighting Resources for Residents and Professionals

DPZ recently published two new web pages to help users navigate its website and easily access department resources.

The Resident Resources page helps Howard County residents and property owners find information about their zoning district, their property, and development projects in their area, as well as the answers to their most frequently asked questions about land development and zoning. The Professional Resources page presents information about plans, regulations, redlines, and more for engineers, lawyers, and other professionals with questions about the planning and zoning process.

To access the Resident Resources page, click here. To access the Professional Resources page, click here.

DPZ Welcomes Two New Planners

This spring, DPZ welcomed two new planners to the department: Margaret Stella Melikian and Jason Lenker.

Margaret is a planner at the department's Resource Conservation Division. Her work supports historic preservation, including historic cemeteries and other historic resources in the County.

After graduating from the University of Virginia with a Master’s in architectural history, Margaret worked as an intern with the City of Charlottesville and as a mason with AmeriCorps/National Parks Service at their Historic Preservation Training Center in Frederick. She joins DPZ after five years with two architecture non-profits in Baltimore, AIA Baltimore and the Baltimore Architecture Foundation. Margaret is excited to work at DPZ and apply her passion for the built environment in Howard County.

Jason is a planner at the department's Division of Land Development. In this role, he reviews subdivision and development plans against the regulations to help shape physical development that supports the County’s growth and is sensitive to the County's natural and environmental resources.

Jason graduated from Shippensburg University last December with a Bachelor's in sustainability and a concentration in environmental conservation. Throughout his experience at school, he developed an interest in promoting environmentally and socially conscious development within his local community. Jason looks forward to bringing his sustainability-focused mindset to his new role at DPZ.

Historic Cemeteries Brochure

DPZ's Resource Conservation Division recently published an updated version of its historic cemeteries brochure, which includes information about the Howard County Cemetery Preservation Board, opportunities and incentives for cemetery restoration in the County, and best practices for cemetery maintenance. To view the brochure, click here.

Share Your Voice in the HoCo By Design General Plan Process!

Share your voice about HoCo By Design at the next County Council public hearing! The hearing takes place on Wednesday, September 20 at 7:00 pm. At this hearing, you will have the opportunity to testify on the General Plan.

To register to testify, click here. For more information about the Council's HoCo By Design work sessions and public hearings, click here.

For an overview of the Plan and its most central policies, click here.

Q&A with James Wilkerson

Planning Supervisor at DPZ's Research Division

Describe your work at the department's Research Division.

My primary responsibilities are managing the department’s land use database, conducting geospatial analysis, and developing cartographic products such as web mapping applications and traditional paper maps. I also manage the County’s plan submission and review software, Project Dox.

What is the land use database?

The land use database is a geospatial database that inventories every parcel in the County and contains extensive details regarding each parcel’s development activities and growth and potential. It documents every individual property in the County, how it’s used, if and how it’s been developed, and whether it has the capacity for further development or is eligible for conservation programs.

What’s the benefit of the database?

The database allows us to predict, as best as possible, where future growth will take place and how much. That, in turn, helps ensure that we make the best decisions for residents and property owners in the County. We can also monitor how much development is currently active.

For example, the land use database informs the public school system so they can plan for future student enrollments. The database also helps with infrastructure planning both in the County and within the region. We provide forecasts and estimates of growth to the Baltimore Metropolitan Council, the regional transportation planning organization, to help them plan infrastructure for the greater Baltimore area.

What is your educational background?

I have Bachelor's of Science in geography, with a dual concentration in GIS and land use planning, and a Master's of Science in GIS management—both from Salisbury University.

What is GIS?

The acronym stands for Geographic Information Systems. It’s a means for identifying, understanding, and viewing locational data. In a nutshell, with GIS, you know what is where.

In your day-to-day life, you might use a GPS, which is a GIS system. At the County, GIS allows us to anticipate growth within the school districts and plan for infrastructure by anticipating where new roads and water and sewer systems will be needed. If you wanted to know which areas are most vulnerable to natural hazards, that’s also GIS.

How long have you been at DPZ?

I’ll be here six years this November.

Fun facts about yourself?

I enjoy reading sci-fi and fantasy literature, playing video games, listening to music, and hiking. At the department I’m known for my love of animals—cats in particular—and the fact that I’m vegan. I also have a tattoo of Winnie the Pooh.

Why did you decide to become a planner?

Growing up, I was extremely upset and disillusioned by the conditions of my hometown, Salisbury, Maryland. There was a sense of sadness at witnessing the replacement of farms and forests with subdivisions, strip malls, and car dealerships, and the abandonment of our historic downtown. I decided to become a planner because I thought I could make a difference by being involved in the decision-making process to safeguard against sprawl development.

The kind of work I do informs review of legislation that relates to development, land use, and zoning changes. As stewards of the public good, there’s an onus on us to ensure that our citizenry are provided with the best use of their dollars and the best outcomes for the public. Accurate and precise data helps to ensure decisions are made with best information available.

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