FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Colette Gelwicks
cgelwicks@howardcountymd.gov
(410) 313-2001
Councilmembers Mercer Rigby, Walsh, and Jung File
Legislation that Strengthens Scenic Road Regulations
Ellicott City, MD (February 25, 2019)
– Howard County Councilmembers Christiana Mercer Rigby, Liz Walsh, and Deb Jung will introduce legislation next week which would amend the County’s current Scenic Road Ordinance to require alternative vehicular ingress and egress options for future development of communities that are located on scenic roads. In addition, any larger developments of 100 or more units that plan an ingress or egress on or within one mile of a scenic road will require approval from the Department of Planning and Zoning and from the Planning Board after a public meeting is held.
“I am happy to join Councilmembers Liz Walsh and Deb Jung in introducing this legislation,” said Mercer Rigby. “This bill will ensure that Howard County is protecting and preserving our scenic roads to the greatest extent possible.”
The Scenic Roads Ordinance was enacted in 1994 to protect the character of certain roads or road segments in the County which have outstanding scenic or historic value and pass through areas of the County where forest, agricultural, or historic features are predominant. CB11-2019 continues to build on these provisions, extending a 100-foot buffer of existing forest or wooded area between new developments and the scenic road. Additionally, this legislation will require that any new development that falls next to a scenic road must provide vehicular ingress and egress at a non-scenic road to the greatest extent practicable.
“Similar to best practices utilized in other counties, extending the forest buffer will protect our remaining scenic roads, support our natural environment, and add value to incoming residents,” said Mercer Rigby.
“I am excited to join Council Chair Mercer Rigby and Councilmember Jung in seeking to better protect our County’s scenic roads,” said Walsh. “There are more than a dozen scenic roads in District 1 alone. The enhanced forest buffers proposed in this bill would increase the distance between new developments and scenic roads, which is incredibly important to all of us.”
“This legislation will help keep the ‘scenic’ in scenic roads,” said Councilmember Jung. “I’m proud to be a sponsor and commend the Council Chair for her efforts to introduce it.”
The proposed legislation was pre-filed on February 21, 2019 and will be introduced at the Council’s legislative session on Monday, March 4, 2019. Testimony will be accepted at the legislative public hearing on Monday, March 18, 2019. To sign up to testify, visit
https://apps.howardcountymd.gov/otestimony/
. If you would like to submit your testimony electronically, email
councilmail@howardcountymd.gov
.
To view a map of the County’s scenic roads,
click here
.
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