O’Malley pitches bill to address growth problems

Legislation promotes Metro--oriented development

But neither move does anything to resolve conflicts within local planning offices or failure by developers to devise plans that meet the concerns of the public or their representatives.

Removing roadblocks

The Maryland legislation, already passed by the House, is intended to put investment in transit communities on equal footing with other transportation priorities and remove legal roadblocks to using state resources and land for such communities. The measure includes no funding and the legislature’s Department of Legislative Services said it generally codifies current practice.

But O’Malley took the opportunity during a speech in Greenbelt to advocate development in areas that largely have been bypassed, even as much of Montgomery County and a few areas in the Baltimore region have benefited from a surge in growth around Metro and other transit sites. He noted that there is development on only one of 15 Metro station properties in Prince George’s County, even though a total of 2,531 acres surrounding the remaining stations sits undeveloped.

Following in the rhetorical footsteps of former governors Parris Glendening and Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., O’Malley said smart-growth policies that encourage transit-oriented development should determine where future building will occur.

‘‘We know the challenges our state faces in regards to sustainability, with our population expected to grow by 1.1 million and 725,000 jobs expected in the next 20 years,” he said. ‘‘With thousands of acres of undeveloped and underdeveloped land within a half-mile of Maryland’s 112 transit stations, theoretically a network of transit communities could absorb all 1.1 million new residents. It gives you an idea of the existing potential for smart growth.”

But the administration bill would not help cutting through red tape under county or municipal rules. It stresses that ‘‘nothing in the bill is to be construed to limit the authority of local governments to govern land use or grant the State or a department of the State with additional authority to supersede local land use and planning authority.”

Local development rules and inadequate outreach by developers, more than anything else, have been blamed for stalling or killing several ambitious development plans.

Recent examples include the West Hyattsville Commons project, which has been delayed for more than a year by concerns raised by the Prince George’s County Council about lack of pedestrian access and inadequate use of the 44-acre site for ‘‘high-quality” transit-oriented development. After negotiating with county planners, developers presented a new plan for a mixed-use complex with more than 200,00 square feet of office space and 1,400 residential units that has the approval recommendation of county planners. The new proposal includes an expansion of retail space, more densely planned housing and direct pedestrian access to the Metro station.