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.