Region Planning

Region Plans offer community members an opportunity to develop a shared vision for "Region Plans offer community members an opportunity to develop a shared vision for their future. With the adoption of Plan2040, the County’s most current General Development Plan, the County Council has directed the Office of Planning and Zoning to work with communities to prepare plans for each of the County's nine Regions. Click here for a map of the nine Regions.

The Region Plans will include an evaluation of community assets and needs, a shared vision for the next 20 years, and specific recommendations about land use, zoning, environmental protection, transportation improvements, public facilities, and community design. The Region Plans will build on the work of the previous Small Area Plans as well as Plan2040.

Preparation of the Region Plans will need to be staggered over time in recognition of limited resources to facilitate community engagement, conduct research and analyses, and write the Region Plans. It is expected that each Region Plan will take 18 to 24 months to complete. The County Council determined the order of the Region Plans based on a number of factors including amount of development and change in the Regions and geographic distribution.

All Regions are currently underway. You can read more about the ongoing work by visiting the Hub sites, linked here. Click here for the anticipated schedule for the second and third rounds of Region Plans. Please note that the targeted start dates are for pre-planning. The pre-planning phase includes the Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC) application window, application screening, SAC appointment, and SAC kick-off. This phase also includes background research. Pre-planning is included in the overall 18- to 24-month estimate for the Region Plan timeline.

September 11, 2024 - October 2024: Planning Advisory Board (PAB) briefing and public hearing on PAB drafts of Region Plans and Zoning Map

The Office of Planning and Zoning presented the Planning Advisory Board (PAB) with the latest drafts of the Region Plans and Comprehensive Zoning Map changes in late September and early October. There were opportunities for public comment at and following the meetings. See meeting materials on the PAB Meeting Documents site and your Region's Hub site for more details.

Important dates: 

• September 18, 2024 - PAB opens written testimony for all Regions 
• September 25, 2024 - Region 9 public hearing 
• October 2, 2024 - Region 1 public hearing 
• October 9, 2024 - Region 3 public hearing 
• October 9, 2024 - PAB closes public record for Region 9 
• October 16, 2024 - PAB closes public record for Region 1 
• October 23, 2024 - PAB closes public record for Region 3

June 20, 2024: Public Forum on Comprehensive Zoning 

Office of Planning and Zoning staff hosted a virtual forum that covered the region planning process, comprehensive zoning, and how to use the zoning viewer tool. Click here to watch the recording and here to view the presentation.

June 18, 2024 - July 15, 2024: Public Review of Preliminary Draft Zoning Map  

Following review by the Stakeholder Advisory Committees, Anne Arundel County invited the public to comment on Preliminary Draft Zoning Maps for Regions 1, 3, and 9. Comments were accepted on the viewing tool. Visit your Region's Hub site for more details.

June 20 - July 9, 2024: Zoning Drop-In Sessions

Community members connected with staff to learn more and discuss draft updates to the zoning map in Regions 1, 3, and 9. Some of the sessions included Councilmember attendance.

April 15 - May 15, 2024: Transportation and Healthy Communities Questionnaires

Questionnaires for Regions 1, 3, and 9 were live in April and May. Thank you for your input! A summary of results will be available on Hub sites soon.

April 2 - April 11, 2024: Drop-In Sessions

Staff hosted Drop-In Sessions for Regions 1, 3, and 9 to hear your thoughts on how to improve transportation networks and promote healthy communities.

January 23 - March 5, 2024: Housing and Economic Development Questionnaires

 
Questionnaires for Regions 1, 3, and 9 went live in January and February. 
 
Thank you for your input! Summaries are now available on Hub sites.

January 23 - February 6, 2024: Drop-In Sessions

Staff hosted Drop-In Sessions for Regions 1, 3, and 9 to connect on economic development, revitalization, and housing in these communities.

October 3, 2023 - December 15, 2023: Comprehensive Zoning Change Applications Accepted

November 28, 2023 - January 2, 2024: Draft Environmental Strategies Questionnaire

The first of a series of questionnaires to get community input on the draft strategies that will be included in the Region Plans, this questionnaire addressed environmental issues. Later in the planning process, you can review strategies related to economic development, housing, transportation, and land use; these topics are all interrelated, but we address them one at a time to help focus discussions.

Community member feedback on this questionnaire will help refine strategies for the Region Plans. A summary of responses will be posted to each Region's Hub site.

November 28 - December 6: Drop-In Sessions

Staff hosted Drop-In Sessions for Regions 1, 3, and 9 to talk about the natural environment and recommendations for region planning.

October 14, 2023: Stakeholder Advisory Committee Kickoff

The first meeting of the Stakeholder Advisory Committees (SACs) for Regions 1, 3, and 9 occurred on Saturday, October 14, 2023. This meeting was in person for SAC members in Millersville at the Maxwell Frye Utility Operations Complex, with an option for the public to attend virtually. For details about this meeting or to view the SAC schedule, please see the Stay Involved section of your Region's Hub site.

October 10, 2023: Virtual Public Forum

The Office of Planning and Zoning hosted two virtual public forums on October 10, 2023, to explain how to complete the zoning change request application and answer questions. A recording of the session and a copy of the presentation are available on Region Hub sites in the Stay Involved section, under Past Activities.

September 13, 2023 - November 1, 2023: Vision Statement Questionnaire

June 21, 2023 - June 29, 2023: Open Houses

Staff hosted Open Houses in Region 1, 3, and 9 to spread the word about Stakeholder Advisory Committee applications and to learn more about challenges and opportunities in each of the three regions.

April 3, 2023 - June 30, 2023: Community Questionnaire and Feedback Map

As we begin the planning process for Regions 1, 3 and 9, we invite community members to fill out a brief questionnaire and use a map to identify the things they love about their community, what they’d like to see improved, and what ideas they have for the future. 

Region 1 - Communities of Linthicum Heights, Brooklyn Park, Curtis Bay, Ferndale, and parts of Hanover and Severn.

Region 3 - Communities of Glen Burnie, Severn and a portion of Millersville. 

Region 9 - Communities of North Beach, Tracy's Landing, Deale, Churchton, Shadyside, West River, Galesville, Mayo, Edgewater.

April 15, 2024: County Council introduction and review of Region 4 Plan and Zoning Map

The County Council introduced the final recommended Region 4 Plan and Comprehensive Zoning Map. To view the final recommended drafts of the Plans and Map, see the links below. To learn how you can provide testimony on this legislation or attend the meetings, visit the County Council website.

• Region 4

February 5, 2024: County Council introduction and review of Region 2 and Region 7 Plans and Zoning Maps

The County Council introduced the final recommended Region 2 and Region 7 Plans and Comprehensive Zoning Maps. To view the final recommended drafts of the Plans and Map, see the links below. To learn how you can provide testimony on this legislation or attend the meetings, visit the County Council website.

• Region 2
• Region 7

October 2023: Planning Advisory Board (PAB) briefing and public hearing on PAB drafts of Region Plans and Zoning Maps

• Region 2 - PAB briefing on October 18, 2023
• Region 4 - PAB briefing on October 24, 2023
• Region 7 - PAB Briefing on October 19, 2023

July 25, 2023 - August 28, 2023: Public Review of Preliminary Draft Plans and Zoning Map

The preliminary drafts of the Region 2, Region 4, and Region 7 plans were available for public review and comment from July 26, 2023 through August 28, 2023. During this review period, the public also had an opportunity to comment on the Preliminary Draft on the Zoning map. For the next steps, see the "Stay Involved" section of the respective hubsite or consider signing up for updates here.

May 1, 2023 - June 1, 2023: Draft Zoning Map Public Review and Zoning Change Application

The Draft Zoning Maps for Regions 2, 4, & 7 were available for public review from May 1 to June 1, 2023. During this time, property owners or their representatives could file a zoning change application. Staff hosted drop-in sessions throughout the region where they briefed community members on mapping changes and reviewed the initial draft zoning map.

April 27, 2023: Virtual Public Forum

The Office of Planning and Zoning hosted a virtual public forum on Thursday, April 27, 2023. There were two sessions, one at noon and one at 6:00 PM, to explain how to use the comprehensive zoning public review tool, review the online zoning change request application, and answer questions. To view the recording of the noon session, click here. To view the recording of the 6:00 PM session, click here.

March 1, 2023 - April 3, 2023: Draft Region Plan Strategy Questionnaire

The Office of Planning and Zoning launched online questionnaires to gather feedback from community members on Draft Region Plan Strategies developed by OPZ staff and reviewed by the SACs. Draft strategies are based on input received through public comments, County Department presentations, and SAC member’s personal experiences. 

The results for the questionnaires will be reviewed by OPZ and the SACs to make changes based on community feedback.

September 15 - November 1, 2022: Visioning questionnaire

The Office of Planning and Zoning collected information on the future of transportation and mobility, community design and identity, housing, local economic development, and community facilities in Regions 2, 4, and 7. Feedback on these key topics will help outline a Vision that will guide each Region Plan. The questions reflect public input received to date through outreach events, small group interviews, questionnaires, community feedback mapping, and Stakeholder Advisory Committee meetings. A summary of the results from the questionnaire can be found on the Hub sites.

April 20, 2022: Community Forum 

The Office of Planning and Zoning hosted a Community Forum addressing the Regions 2, 4, and 7 Plans on April 20, 2022. The purpose of the Forum was to: 1) Inform residents about Region Plans; 2) Listen to input from residents, and answer any questions regarding the Region Plans process and timeline; 3) Share and discuss ideas across the Regions; 4) Demonstrate the interactive Feedback Maps, and preview other community engagement opportunities. 

There were two options to attend the virtual meeting on April 20: an afternoon session beginning at noon, and an evening session beginning at 6:00 PM. The recordings of both sessions are linked below. 

• Click here to view the recording of the afternoon meeting on April 20 at noon. 
• Click here to view the recording of the evening meeting on April 20 at 6:00pm.

March 3, 2022 - June 9, 2022: Community Feedback Map questionnaire

The Office of Planning and Zoning launched an online interactive map which allowed users to spatially identify areas residents and visitors love, that need fixing, or could be an opportunity for a new amenity for the community. Results for the questionnaire can be found on the Hub sites.

January 2022: SAC meetings began

The SACs began to meet monthly starting in January 2022.

December 11, 2021 - March 11, 2022: Community Needs questionnaire

The questionnaire asked residents and visitors to the respective regions what they enjoy most and what they find challenging about living, working, and playing the region.

December 11, 2021: Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC) Kick-off

The Region Plan process for Regions 2, 4, and 7 kicked off on December 11, 2021. For a recording of the event, please click here. Please visit the Region Plan Community Hub websites for more information and updates.

* Note that some Region Plan teams may have had additional targeted outreach. To explore those opportunities, please visit the respective Hub sites

October 24, 2024

Zoning Virtual Forum Staff hosted zoning virtual forums to walk through the application process at noon and 7 pm.

Watch the replay!

October 1 - December 16, 2024: Apply for Zoning Changes

Property owners are eligible to apply for zoning changes until 11:59 pm on December 16, 2024. Applications can be submitted through the online tool by the property owner or their representative; you may not apply for a zoning change on property you do not own.

For more information on comprehensive zoning, see the Hub site for your respective Region and check out the comprehensive zoning website.

October 1 - November 1, 2024: Vision Statement Questionnaire

Help direct the vision for future planning in Regions 5, 6, and 8! Share your ratings on land use, recreation, housing, economic development, and more by November 1, 2024.

Click below for your Region’s Vision Statement Questionnaire. Expect to spend around 5-10 minutes to complete the questionnaire. Statements in this survey reflect feedback received during public input opportunities to date, including outreach events, community feedback mapping, and stakeholder interviews.

• Region 5 
• Region 6 
• Region 8

June 6, 2024: Virtual Forum

Office of Planning and Zoning staff introduced the Region Plan process, demonstrated how to use the Feedback Map, and answered questions in a virtual session. Watch the replay at your convenience.

June 1, 2024 - August 31, 2024: Feedback Map

Put your community on the map! Add #LoveIt, #FixIt, and #DreamIt points to identify your favorite places, where something needs to be fixed, and places where you have a dream for something new. You can also read, support, and comment on what others share. Find the Feedback Map on your Region's Hub site.

April 1, 2024 - May 31, 2024: Community Questionnaire

To begin the planning process for Regions 5, 6, and 8, community members filled out a brief questionnaire to share what they love about their community and what they want to see changed. A summary of responses will be posted to Hub sites soon. 

• Region 5 - Communities of Odenton, Piney Orchard, Gambrills, Woodwardville, Two Rivers, and Crofton 
• Region 6 - Communities of Crownsville and parts of Millersville 
• Region 8 - Communities of Davidsonville, Harwood, Owensville, Waysons Corner, Lothian, Friendship, Owings, and parts of Edgewater

The Region Plan Community Hubs for all nine Regions are now live! To see which Region you live, work, or play in, please see this web map.

The Hub sites provide project updates and a variety of opportunities for input into the planning process for each region. Visit your Region’s Community Planning Hub to learn more and get involved.

The Stakeholder Advisory Committees (SACs) will play a key role in developing the Region Plans, meeting regularly to collaborate on goals and strategies for the region, and making recommendations on proposed zoning changes during the comprehensive zoning process. The SACs are appointed by the County Executive and approved through a resolution by the County Council. County Code requires that each committee contain nine to 15 members who represent the diverse interests of each Region.

Stakeholder Advisory Committees for Regions 2, 4, and 7 are complete. Stakeholder Advisory Committees for Regions 1, 3, and 9 are appointed and in progress. Please see Resolutions 33-23, 34-23, and 35-23 for details. Applications for SACs in Regions 5, 6, and 8 were open May 1- June 30, 2024. Please sign up for emails to stay updated on the process at aacounty.org/opzsignup.

Learn more about SACs:

• Region Planning Areas  
• Committee Procedures
• Region Plan Handbook
• Stakeholder Advisory Committee Overview