Maryland Solidifies its Commitment to Protect the Environment and Promote Sustainable Growth as "Smart, Green and Growing" Legislation is Signed Into Law
Date: May 20, 2009
On May 7, 2009, Governor Martin O'Malley signed into law House Bill 294/Senate Bill 273 known as the "Smart, Green and Growing" legislation which will take effect October 1, 2009. The Act accomplishes the following:
- Increasing to 12 the existing eight visions now more than 15 years old for the State's Economic Growth, Resource Protection and Planning Policy. The new 12 visions are in keeping with modern trends, including identifying goals of quality of life through creation of sustainable communities, designing communities near
available planned transit options, and encouraging participation by all citizens in achieving the community's goals; - Requiring the filing of reports by both local jurisdictions and the Department of Planning of efforts made in
implementing the "Smart, Green and Growing" planning visions. Specifically, local jurisdictions must file a report with the Department of Planning on or before July 1st every two years beginning July 1, 2010 of the existence of restrictions or moratoriums imposed on development as a result of ordinances adopted by the local jurisdictions as part of their implementation of "Smart, Green and Growing" planning. The Department of Planning must report on or before January 1st every two years beginning January 1, 2011 on the statewide impacts of the ordinances identifying areas and facilities that fail to meet the standards; and - Granting local jurisdictions the right to establish programs for the transfer of development rights to purchase land for public facilities as part of the local jurisdiction's implementation of the "Smart, Green and Growing" planning visions.