As a professional in the Maryland home building business, I urge members of the Maryland General Assembly to oppose Gov.Martin O'Malley's proposal to limit new residential subdivisions served by septic systems (SB 236/ HB 445 — The Governor's Sustainable Growth and Agricultural Preservation Act).
If approved, the bill would have negative effects on our industry and would kill jobs. It takes planning authority away from local governments by requiring counties to add "growth tiers" into their comprehensive plans by the end of this year or else many of their septic subdivisions will be denied.
Further, it provides inadequate grandfathering for projects in the pipeline, substantially restricts future growth, restricts subdivision of agricultural land, prohibits re-subdivision, adds Maryland Department of the Environment and Department of Planning oversight to the major subdivision approval process, and adds new submission requirements that add costs, time and uncertainty to the subdivision process.
I urge lawmakers to vote against this bill.
Joseph Smith, Owings Mills