Report: 1000 Friends of MD Supportive of Quirk's Zoning Decisions
CATONSVILLE, MD (August 23, 2012)- A report issued by the leading smart growth advocacy organization 1000 Friends of Maryland identified ten comprehensive zoning (CZMP) issues, all raised by Councilman Tom Quirk, as “issues that safeguard environmental protections”. The report further identifies the ten issues as “advancing the core values of Baltimore County’s Master Plan 2020”.
“I am very pleased that 1000 Friends views my zoning issues so favorably,” said Quirk. “The group’s guiding principles are important to me as a citizen and a policy maker. I’m thrilled that they find my decisions compatible with their mission.”
In the report’s Executive Summary, 1000 Friends singles out transit oriented development (TOD) and the new Neighborhood Commons designation as positive advances in the field of urban redevelopment in Baltimore County. Councilman Quirk, with Councilman David Marks, were the lead sponsors of the bill that created the Neighborhood Commons designation to protect open space in urbanized areas of the County. Quirk and Marks also lead the charge for Baltimore County to review its TOD policies and report back to the Council about how those regulations can be updated and better utilized.
The full report from 1000 Friends of Maryland, entitled “Land Use Planning in Baltimore County: Reaching the Vision?” can be accessed via the 1000 Friends of Maryland website at www.FriendsofMD.org.
Paul Dongarra
2:17 pm on Friday, August 24, 2012
Quirk presents facts he wants us to here. It's true 1000 Friends of MD praised 10 zoning request the councilperson raised. According the District One's Planning Officer, Dennis Wertz, none of these parcels allegedly being safeguarded were ever in danger from any sort of development. What Quirk's done, suggested at the bequest of Mr. Wertz, was to clean up the zoning map to make it more uniform and continuous. Information is available at http://myneighborhood.baltimorecountymd.gov Click on CZMP & the blue I button and then zoom in to find the issue numbers. The 76.99 acres that Issues 1-031 and 1-033 through 1-037 will downzone are owned by the MD's Department of Natural Resources or Dept. of Forest & Parks. Issues 1-030 and 1-032 are listed with un-located owners and adjacent to State Property. The 26.54 acres in issues number 1-019 and 1-025 are owned mostly by Baltimore County. Two exceptions are portions owned by Hilltop Clusters LLC & Eugene Osborne. Mr. Osborne said his land's in a protection easement resulting from previous development. Hilltop Clusters parcel is likely the same. Like most politicians, Quirk is taking credit for the work of our hard working civil servants and then overstating his roll and it's importance. Just in case I have been unclear. None of these 10 zoning issues were ever in danger from development.
Mari
8:50 am on Wednesday, August 29, 2012
What a piece of drivel this is. It is usually is whenever someone toots their own horn in the third person.