September 2025 Newsletter

Greetings!

The Gateway Master Plan, CB66-2025,

is now under consideration by the County Council! This long-awaited plan serves as the guiding document for redevelopment of Gateway - one of the largest areas for growth in Howard County over the next 30 years. The Gateway area is comprised of 1,100 acres and home to industrial, retail, and office space. The overall goal of the Gateway Master Plan is to shift the current use to a Regional Activity Center and a hub for employment, entertainment, innovation, and housing in Howard County.

The Gateway Master Plan builds upon eight planning principles to steer redevelopment over the next 30 years and beyond:

1.Innovation and Growth

Build upon and strengthen existing assets in academic/industry fields, entrepreneurship supports, applied research, experiential learning, co-working spaces, training, etc. to drive economic development.
Craft an environment that welcomes everyone in the Baltimore-Washington region and beyond to live, work, and learn.

2.Mix the Uses

Transform Gateway into a mixed-use, urban environment with nine subareas, each with unique recommendations and strategies for land use mixes and zoning changes.

3.A Unique Sense of Place

Integrate an open space network with distinctive spaces, like a Woonerf (a living street where pedestrians, bikes, and slow-moving cars can coexist), pathways, and more to create shared spaces for the community.
Utilize the ground-floor of existing and new buildings to promote social and cultural interactions.

4.A Place for People

Encourage diverse housing types, along with both rental and homeownership opportunities, for a mix of incomes and ages.
Write zoning regulations that include affordable and multigenerational requirements.

5.Walkable Environment

Break down the current super block design of Gateway into smaller, walkable blocks to foster an environment where people can safely walk to multiple destinations.

6.Sustainability and Resiliency

Promote the use of renewable energy, reducing carbon emissions, and integrating nature-based solutions.

7.Transportation and Mobility

Provide multi-modal connectivity through Complete Streets.
Evaluate the use of micro-transit, e-scooters, and e-bikes as redevelopment progresses.

8.Flexibility Over Time

Allow for flexibility to market demand.

The Gateway Master Plan is innovative and an exciting step forward for Howard County! The polices and recommendations build upon our General Plan, HoCo by Design.

The Council is discussing the plan in detail on Monday, September 29th at 9:30 AM during the Council's Legislative Work Session. This meeting will be available to watch on the Council's website. The legislation, CB66-2025, is up for a vote at the Council's October Legislative Session on Monday, October 6th at 7:00 PM.

As we review the plan, please share your support and feedback by emailing the County Council at councilmail@howardcountymd.gov.

More information about the Gateway Master Plan including the timeline, background, committee and consultants, engagement summary, and more can be found on the Department of Planning and Zoning's website.

As always, please don't hesitate to contact my office if you are experiencing any issues in your community or would just like to get in touch. We are here to help with your concerns and listen to your feedback.

Wishing you a safe and happy September!

Yours in service,

Christiana Rigby (she/her)

Councilwoman, District 3

September 19, 2025

September Legislation

On September 2nd, the County Council convened for our September Legislative Session. Several new pieces of legislation were introduced, including the following:

CR167-2025: A resolution approving the terms and conditions of a Payment in Lieu of Taxes Agreement by and among Howard County and CIR Vineyard 2 LLC, CIR Vineyard 3 LLC, CIR Vineyard 4 LLC, CIR Vineyard 5 LLC (collectively the “Facility Owner”), and John Lee Carroll Jr. and Genevive Anne Carroll (the “Landowner”) for the construction and operation of a solar array located on property located at 3855 Manor Lane, Ellicott City, Howard County, Maryland. Introduced by the Chairperson at the request of the County Executive.

CR169-2025: A resolution authorizing the County Executive to grant an easement containing approximately 3,600 square feet to Baltimore Gas and Electric Company so that BGE may extend electric service to new EV charging facilities at the Elkridge Library; waiving the advertising and bidding requirements of Section 4.201 of the Howard County Code; and providing that the County Executive is not bound to grant the easement if he finds that the County may have a use for the property. Introduced by the Chairperson at the request of the County Executive.

CB57-2025: An act repealing and re-enacting Subtitle 2 “Rules of Procedure of the Board of Appeals” of Title 2 “Administrative Procedure” of the Howard County Code to revise the Rules of Procedure of the Board of Appeals; and generally relating to the Rules of Procedure. Introduced by David Yungmann at the request of the Board of Appeals.

CB59-2025: An act amending the Howard County Code to remove the cap on the duration of the property tax credit for seniors and retired military personnel; and generally relating to the property tax credit for seniors and military personnel. Introduced by Councilmember Deb Jung.

CB60-2025: An act amending the Property Tax Credit for Seniors in order to amend certain eligibility requirements; amending the Property Tax Credit for Seniors and Retired Military in order to increase the duration of the tax credit to 10 years; and generally relating to the property tax credit for seniors and military personnel. Introduced by the Chairperson at the request of the County Executive.

CB66-2025: An act amending HoCo By Design, the general plan for Howard County, to include the Gateway Master Plan and recognizing that the Plan is a comprehensive, long-range redevelopment vision for the future of Gateway, an area comprising approximately 1,100 acres of commercial and industrial properties; and generally relating to planning, zoning and land use in Howard County. Introduced by the Chairperson at the request of the County Executive.

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Community News, Events, and Updates

Native Plant Palooza

Native Plant Palooza is back on Sunday, September 21st from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM at Robinson Nature Center!

Stop by to browse a large variety of shrubs, wildflowers, ground covers, trees and edible native plants.

Native plants are more tolerant to local climate, pest species, and soil nutrients, and require less water, fertilizer, and pesticides to flourish, while providing food and habitat for our local butterflies, insects, and birds.

Visit the event website to learn more about Native Plant Palooza, participating vendors, and parking information!

Car Free Day

Monday, September 22nd is Car Free Day!

In recognition and celebration of this event, Howard County's Office of Transportation is encouraging residents to choose greener methods of travel and find other ways to get around other than driving alone by car. Greener methods of travel include biking, walking, and public transit, as well as carpooling, vanpooling, and teleworking. To celebrate, Regional Transportation Agency of Central Maryland (RTA) service will be free!

By choosing to use more sustainable ways to get around, residents can reduce their carbon footprint and help reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions and traffic congestion. The more people who travel using bicycles, buses, trains, carpools and vanpools, the fewer pollutants we are releasing into the atmosphere.

If you plan on participating in Car Free Day, please let Office of Transportation know how you plan to “Skip a Trip” by completing this quick online survey.

State of the County

Join County Executive Ball on Tuesday, September 30th at 6:00 PM at the Horowitz Center at Howard Community College for his 2025 State of the County.

Share the issues that are most important and what you would like to hear at the State of the County by emailing sotc@howardcountymd.gov.

If you would like to attend the State of the County, reserve your free ticket on the Eventbrite website.

Hispanic Heritage Festival

Howard County's La Alianza Latina Commission, County Executive Calvin Ball, the Office of Human Rights & Equity, Merriweather Arts and Culture, and Howard Hughes, are hosting the 2025 Hispanic Heritage Festival on Saturday, October 4th from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM at Color Burst Park!

Participants can celebrate the rich culture and traditions of the Hispanic community with music, live entertainment, performances, delicious food, artisans, food vendors, exhibitors, books and an art display.

For any questions about this event, please email alianzalatina@howardcountymd.gov.

Reserve your free ticket on Eventbrite!

Savage 7K and 1-Mile Historic Walk

Built of stone from the Little Patuxent River, Carroll Baldwin Hall has been serving as Savage, Maryland’s community center for over a century. Preserving the Hall takes lots of support from the community. Help preserve the Hall by participating in the Savage 7K and 1-Mile Historic Walk on Sunday, October 26th at 8:00 AM. Funds raised from each year’s event help restore and maintain this historic gem.

Registration is limited to 200, so sign up early!

Interested in sponsoring or donating? Have any questions? Please email savage7@carrollbaldwinhall.org.

Know Your Rights Training

Luminus Network, Inc. and I are proud to present "Know Your Rights," a workshop designed to inform and empower immigrants in our community, on Tuesday, October 7th from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Savage Branch Library. This session will provide essential information on how to exercise your Constitutional rights, available immigration relief options, and the Constitutional rights of all individuals, regardless of immigration status. Also available is constituent service assistance for participants.

This event will offer universal translation through Instant Language Assistant (ILA). Attendees can access real-time text and audible translations in over 200 languages via their personal smartphone and headset/earbuds.

This workshop is not an official Howard County Library event.

Know Your Rights

All immigrants, documented or not, have constitutional protections. Knowing these rights are a crucial tool for self-protection, dignity, and equality.

Learn more by visiting the Luminus website.

Christiana's Climate Corner

Welcome to Christiana's Climate Corner, where I will be sharing updates on environmental and sustainability efforts in Howard County, including information on legislation, events, and opportunities for you to support sustainability efforts in our community!

HoCo Climate Forward Update

The 2025 Annual Report Update to HoCo Climate Forward is here! Since the passage of the Climate Action and Resiliency Plan in 2023, Howard County has worked with local and regional partners, and community members, to advance goal set forth by the Plan.

Read below for my personal highlights from the update. To read the update in full, visit the Howard County Office of Community Sustainability Website.

Energy

Howard County has added 11MW of residential and 5MW of commercial solar in Fiscal Year 2025. The recent passage of updated building codes now requires new commercial and residential buildings to be solar ready, electric vehicle ready, and electric HVAC ready.

Transportation

The Regional Transit Agency (RTA) provided 1 million trips this year, achieving a major climate goal five years early. The Office of Transportation (OOT) launched HoCo RapidRide this year, offering low-cost pick-up and drop-off for all, and free rides for Seniors, HCPSS students, and people with mobility devices or disabilities. This service has completed more than 3,000 rides since its March 2025 launch, and its accessibility enables more people to reduce their vehicle miles traveled.

Nature Based Climate Solutions

Savage Park is the first in Maryland to achieve electric landscaping certification. This park will now eliminate 570 pounds of carcinogenic emissions and 1,125 pounds of CO2e, prevent potential fuel spills, and save $471 per year. Howard County Bee City has helped grow pollinator habitats, with over 144 acres registered through July 2025, up from 130 in 2024.

Waste

Currently, 58,000 households now have access to the Green Bin Program for composting.

Infrastructure and Heat Resiliency

The County is working to reduce urban heat islands by planting trees in densely populated areas with populations most vulnerable to heat impacts. Across the County, work is ongoing to use different building techniques such as reflective roofs, trees in parking lots, solar canopies, and shade structures over playgrounds, to reduce heat retention, keeping people cooler and safer in our buildings, roads, and parks.

Water

The County continues to make significant progress on projects within vulnerable watersheds. Our Community Stormwater Partnership grant program has helped fund over 30 water quality improvement programs in just three years. In 2024, OCS awarded $325,000 to 11 non-profits to improve our watersheds.

This year, we made significant progress towards our climate goals, and we still have much work to do. If you are interested in following, please visit the Howard County Climate Forward website.

Get Involved!

There are many opportunities to volunteer and serve in your community. Read below for upcoming and ongoing volunteer opportunities.

Carroll Baldwin Hall Work Nights

Carroll Baldwin Hall hosts monthly Volunteer Work Nights every third Thursday from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM. There are always tons of projects for volunteers with all skills and abilities to work on - cleaning, painting, and more. They also provide food and the opportunity to meet or catch up with your neighbors in Savage.

Howard County Boards and Commissions

Howard County has many volunteer Boards and Commissions that advise the County Executive or County Council! Members are tasked with providing policy, program, and implementation recommendations that push our government forward.

The County is seeking members to serve on numerous Boards and Commissions. If you are interested in learning more about these commissions and/or how to apply, visit the Boards and Commissions website.

Community Resources

If you need assistance, Howard County can help. Read below to learn more about programs offered by the County and State.

Navigating County, State, and Federal services is often complicated and my office is available to help connect you with the proper channels. If you have any questions about issues or concerns in your community, please reach out by emailing crigby@howardcountymd.gov.

District 3 Pre-Submission Meetings

A pre-submission community meeting is required prior to the initial submittal of plans for all new residential development, new non-residential development, and existing non-residential development with a proposed floor area expansion of more than 25%. The pre-submission community meeting is for the developer/petitioner to provide information to the community regarding the proposed initial plan submittal and to allow community residents to ask questions and make comments before the initial plan submittal for the subject property.

There are two community pre-submission meeting scheduled in District 3.