Anne Arundel County residents will have an additional opportunity to weigh in on proposed land zoning changes — a move made in response to community complaints.
The Planning Advisory Board will hold public hearings on any amendments to pending rezoning bills, a new step in the county's once-in-a-decade comprehensive rezoning process. County Executive John R. Leopold called for the change in a letter to the board's chair, after residents complained they hadn't had a chance to voice opposition to several amendments affecting their neighborhoods.
The council now holds a public hearing on rezoning bills, but amendments often are tacked on later.
"In spite of their good efforts to hear from the public, some of the adopted amendments caught some members of the public off guard, who felt the process was not proceeding in a transparent fashion," said Leopold, a Republican. "Whenever we hear these caution bells, I think it's important that we go the extra mile to ensure that public input is maximized."
He said the board had agreed to hold the hearings and added that he wanted to "ensure that growth occurs in the designated growth areas." Mary Alter, chair of the board, could not be reached for comment.
Last week, Leopold vetoed some amendments passed by the County Council to a bill rezoning the western part of the county, including the areas around Arundel Mills mall and Laurel, which is expecting an influx of residents because of the federal government's military base realignment.
Monday evening, the Council overrode two of the four amendments that he had veteod.
The change was made as the county is in the midst of its comprehensive rezoning process. The council has passed a rezoning bill for the western part of the county and is considering proposed changes in the Annapolis area and in mostly rural southern Anne Arundel.
Council Vice Chairman Derek Fink called the additional public input "a great idea."
"Anytime we can get more transparency on a public matter, it's great," said Fink, a Republican who represents Pasadena. "We want as much input as possible."
Councilman Jamie Benoit, a Democrat representing Laurel, said he had not yet seen Leopold's letter and could not comment.