Councilman Tom Quirk announced Thursday afternoon that he has denied a request to change the zoning on a property in the Catonsville community of Paradise that would have paved the way for the construction of multi-unit houses on the site.
Quirk, who represents the 1st District, which includes Paradise, cited community concerns and the presence of other multi-unit residences in the area in his decision to deny the request to change the zoning at 11 South Belle Grove Road.
"I met with members of the community many times talking about this issue and I shared their concerns," Quirk said in a phone interview. "It's a beautiful property."
According to the Baltimore County website, Carl Kozoil, the owner of the property, requested that the zoning of the property be changed to allow 10.5 residences be constructed on each acre of the 2.98-acre property.
That would have been an increase of seven residences per acre based on the current zoning.
The move to keep the zoning the same will "maintain the character of the neighborhood," Quirk said.
Quirk's denial effectively eliminates the possibility of multi-unit residences being constructed on the property.
The Comprehensive Zoning Map Process (CZMP) occurs every four years and allows property owners, community associations and Baltimore County to request a change in zoning on a particular property.
In the 1st District, which includes Catonsville, Arbutus, Halethorpe and Lansdowne, there are 39 CZMP issues regarding more than 260 acres of land, according to the county's website.
