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Mr. Gontrum has over 35 years of experience representing industrial, commercial and residential developers, businesses, institutions and individuals on a wide variety of land use, zoning and development issues. His practice concentrates on Baltimore County land use and development with particular attention to issues arising in eastern Baltimore County and waterfront development.
Baltimore County’s quadrennial comprehensive zoning map process (CZMP) begins this September 1 and like the last few zoning cycles the process will take a year to complete.
Recent decisions from trial and appellate courts have marked a major point in the evolution of importance of comprehensive plans to zoning decisions. Although there has always been a close relationship between comprehensive plans and development regulations, the relationship between comprehensive plans and land use or zoning regulations has been less close. That may be changing and could have major implications for local zoning decisions including comprehensive re-zonings.
Years ago a Baltimore County employee told me that no matter how onerous I thought the development regulations might be, if I waited a while they would get worse.
That cautionary statement is applicable to today’s marketplace. The State of Maryland has become very involved in local land use decisions, and the Maryland Department of the Environment, along with numerous non-profit environmental groups, has become very aggressive in planning for and regulating both current pollution levels and future pollution levels.
The implementation of the Sustainable Growth and Agricultural Preservation Act enacted in the 2012 session of the General Assembly has begun. While the Act received a lot of publicity for restrictions on private septic systems in rural areas, it does much more with respect to planning for future growth. Local jurisdictions are beginning a mapping process, which will become part of their master plans, to identify areas for future public sewer systems and future septic systems.
Last month, the Baltimore County Council adopted a new Master Plan to guide the growth and development of the county and the provision of county services for the next decade. State law (Article 66B of the Annotated Code of Maryland) requires local jurisdictions to review, and if necessary, amend or revise master plans and describes twelve "visions" which local jurisdictions are required to implement through the adopted master plan.
Secretary Hall, what is "Plan Maryland," and why now after all these decades of authority to create a state Master Plan, is the State preparing a plan to address the development and growth of the State?
59 lawyers from Whiteford, Taylor & Preston have been selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2018 (copyright 2017 by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken S.C.). The lawyers selected are based in the firm’s Maryland, Washington and Virginia offices. Client comments are posted on the U.S. News & Best Lawyers web site, at bestlawfirms.com.
In addition, two lawyers were selected as “Lawyer of the Year” for their particular areas of practice.
Whiteford, Taylor & Preston is pleased to announce that Chambers and Partners has once again ranked the firm highly in its 2017 list of leading firms and business lawyers. This year’s recognition includes a record 29 attorneys in 4 states, the District of Columbia and Afghanistan.
Fifty-nine lawyers from Whiteford, Taylor & Preston have been selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2017 (copyright 2016 by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken S.C.). The lawyers selected are based in the firm’s Maryland, Washington and Virginia offices.
In addition, eight lawyers were selected as “Lawyers of the Year” for their particular areas of practice.
Whiteford, Taylor & Preston is pleased to announce that, in addition to ranking the firm highly in its 2016 list of Maryland’s leading firms and business lawyers, Chambers and Partners have added new Whiteford lawyers in Maryland and Delaware.
The practice group rankings are based on the high rankings of 21 individual lawyers.
Fifty-nine lawyers from Whiteford, Taylor & Preston have been selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2016 (copyright 2015 by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken S.C.). The lawyers selected are based in the firm’s Maryland, Washington and Virginia offices.
Whiteford, Taylor & Preston is pleased to note that John Gontrum was named the 2014 "Consultant of the Year" by the Land Development Council of the MBIA, one of eight Excellence in Community Development Awards. The awards recognize projects and development professionals who "provide superior and creative development projects that are sensitive to the community and make appropriate use of the existing natural elements."
Sixty-three lawyers from Whiteford, Taylor & Preston have been selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2015 (copyright 2014 by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken S.C.). The lawyers selected are based in the firm’s Maryland, Washington and Virginia offices.
In addition, four lawyers were selected as “Lawyers of the Year” in the Baltimore region for their particular areas of practice.
Sixty-one lawyers from Whiteford, Taylor & Preston have been selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2014 (copyright 2013 by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken S.C.). The lawyers selected are based in the firm’s Maryland, Washington and Virginia offices, including the firm's new Roanoke office.
In addition, nine lawyers were selected as “Lawyers of the Year” in their jurisdictions and areas of practice.
Whiteford, Taylor & Preston is pleased to announce that 64 of its attorneys are listed among the 2013 Super Lawyers and Rising Stars in three states.
The firm is particularly proud of the young lawyers who are recognized as “Rising Stars”; the four partners who are listed in the Top 100 in Maryland – Edward Buxbaum, Edwin Fee, William Ryan, and Dwight Stone; and the 16 who are named for the first time this year.
Sixty lawyers from Whiteford, Taylor & Preston have been selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2013 (copyright 2012 by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken S.C.).
This represents an increase of seven over last year. The lawyers selected are based in the firm’s Maryland, Washington and Virginia offices.
In addition, five lawyers were selected as “Lawyers of the Year” in their jurisdictions and areas of practice.
Six lawyers from Whiteford Taylor & Preston’s Baltimore, Towson and Columbia offices joined lawyers from the Legal Department of Constellation/Exelon and other law firms in the Wills for Heroes (WFH) pro bono clinic on August 1, 2012. The event was held at the Anne Arundel Fire Department Training Academy and served 35 clients without charge.
Fifty-two lawyers from Whiteford, Taylor & Preston have been selected by their peers for inclusion in Woodward/White’s The Best Lawyers in America® 2012. This is an increase of six over last year. In addition, Dana O. Lynch was named the “Baltimore Best Lawyers Technology Law Lawyer of the Year” for 2012.
Corporate International Magazine, a British publication targeted at the finance industry worldwide, has announced that Whiteford Taylor & Preston has been selected as the winner of the Corporate Intl Magazine 2010 Legal Awards as Real Estate Law Firm of the Year in Maryland.
The Magazine notes that the Awards recognize law firms that “have shown excellence not only in expertise but in service, and during a difficult global economic downturn.”
Whiteford, Taylor & Preston is pleased to announce that 47 of its attorneys are listed among the 2011 Maryland and Virginia Super Lawyers and Rising Stars.
Forty-six lawyers from Whiteford, Taylor & Preston have been selected by their peers for inclusion in Woodward/White's The Best Lawyers in America® 2011. This is an increase of nine over last year and includes 11 lawyers who were named for the first time.
Whiteford, Taylor & Preston is pleased to announce that 39 of its attorneys are listed among the 2010 Maryland Super Lawyers and Rising Stars. They join three attorneys previously named as Super Lawyers or Rising Stars in Virginia.
Thirty-seven lawyers from Whiteford, Taylor & Preston have been selected by their peers for inclusion in Woodward/White's The Best Lawyers in America® 2010. This is an increase of six over last year and includes ten lawyers who were named for the first time.
Whiteford, Taylor & Preston is pleased to announce that 39 of its attorneys are listed among the 2009 Maryland Super Lawyers.
Whiteford, Taylor & Preston LLP (WTP) is delighted to announce that 32 WTP attorneys have been selected among the 2008 Maryland Super Lawyers.
Join us for a half-day seminar on the ins and outs of the upcoming Comprehensive Zoning Map process, which begins in the summer of 2007. Presentations will be made by Baltimore County Councilman Kevin Kamenetz, Jeff Long, and Jeff Mayhew. WTP attorneys G. Scott Barhight and John Gontrum will also be speaking.
Whiteford, Taylor & Preston LLP (WTP) is delighted to announce that G. Scott Barhight was elected as Chair of the Franklin Square Hospital Foundation’s Board of Directors, and John Gontrum was voted Chair of the Board of Franklin Square Hospital.
