PlanMaryland Progress Report

This progress report is the first since Governor O’Malley accepted PlanMaryland and signed Executive Order 01.01.2011.22 in December 2011 outlining the steps for the plan’s implementation. This report focuses on identifying Planning Areas and establishing Implementation Strategies. It also includes an “Action Program” in which state agencies that make up the Governor’s Smart Growth Subcabinet proposed changes to better achieve the objectives of the plan. Note: In order to view the tables properly in Adobe Acrobat, please set the Page Display on “Two page scrolling” and also on “Show cover page in two page view”.

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Planning Area Guidelines

Identification of Planning Areas is the critical first step to implementing PlanMaryland. Planning Areas are locations for coordinated planning, management and resource allocation. The purpose of these areas is to recognize where and how local and state government, as well as the private sector, will work together to achieve the goals and objectives of PlanMaryland and local comprehensive plans.

PlanMaryland establishes five Planning Area-Place categories that local governments may employ to meet these objectives. These are:

1. Targeted Growth and Revitalization Areas
2. Established Community Areas in Priority Funding Areas
3. Future Growth Areas
4. Large Lot Developed Areas, and
5. Rural Resource Areas

PlanMaryland also creates five Preservation/Conservation Planning Area categories that should be used to coordinate land and resource conservation efforts with the state. Local governments may choose to identify Planning Area-Places, as well as Preservation/Conservation Planning Areas for all, portions or none of the lands within the jurisdiction. The Preservation/Conservation Planning Areas are:

1. Priority Preservation Areas for Agriculture
2. Natural Resource Areas
3. Water Resource Areas
4. Historic and Cultural Resource Areas
5. Climate Change Impact Areas

The Planning Area Guidelines have been developed through a collaborative process working with local governments and State agencies. The Smart Growth Subcabinet accepted the Planning Area Guidelines on April 18, 2012 (see link below).

• Planning Area Guidelines (Accepted by Smart Growth Subcabinet on April 18, 2012)

Planning Area Application

The Planning Area application form and instructions for local governments to use in identifying Planning Areas is now available (see link below). After reviewing this application, local governments are encouraged to contact their MDP regional planner. They can provide assistance on the identification process.

• PlanMaryland Planning Area Application (Microsoft Word Document)

PlanMaryland Guidance Online Mapping Tool

The PlanMaryland Guidance Mapping Application has been developed by the Maryland Department of Planning to help local jurisdictions identify Planning Areas consistent with draft Planning Area Guidelines. The map also illustrates how Planning Areas will relate to existing geographic priorities (Areas Currently Targeted by Existing Programs discussed in the draft Guidelines).

• PlanMaryland Guidance Map

(The map application takes a few moments to fully load. If you receive a message asking if you want to ‘Stop running this script?’ click ‘No’ to allow the application to continue to open.)

> Launch the PlanMaryland Mapping Application <

 

ESRI® Map Document file (.MXD) for download - For use in ArcGIS® by geographic information system (GIS) users

• PlanMaryland Guidance Map MXD (compatable with ArcGIS 9.3 and higher)