FY 25 Harford County Government Proposed Operating Budget

COUNTY BUDGET POLICIES AND PROCESS

concept was introduced in the 1977 Master Plan, defining a geographic area for planned development. This concept allowed the County to begin staging and directing more intense growth into a specific area, namely the corridors defined by I-95/US Route 40 and the MD Route 24 corridor north to Bel Air. 1988 - An alternative approach to a single Master Plan was introduced requiring the inclusion of elements which further advanced the purposes of the Master Plan. The following is a brief description of the elements introduced for the 1988 Master Plan. A “Land Use Element Plan” (viewed as the core of the Master Plan) will show proposals for public, private, residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural and recreational uses of land. This plan shows the most appropriate and desirable patterns for the general location, character, extent, and the manner in which the community should use its public and private land at specified times as is reasonable. The “Transportation Plan” covers all types of highways or streets, airways, waterways and railways. The plan should again detail the most appropriate and desirable pattern for circulating persons and goods at specific times as far into the future as is reasonable. The “Water and Sewer Master Plan” sets the foundation for timing and planning of public water and sewer facilities in appropriately zoned areas. The “Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Program” is designed to manage land use within 1,000 feet of tidal waters and tidal wetlands. Its goal is to protect water quality and natural habitat, and to accommodate future growth based on environmentally sensitive areas. The “Rural Element Plan” addresses preservation of the County’s rural character and the promotion of agriculture as the primary economic enterprise in the rural areas. The “Land Preservation and Recreation Plan” addresses the County’s need for open space and recreational areas, and considers these areas as part of a larger system of preserved lands. It also explores the relationships between land used for recreation, in the broader context of preservation, and appropriate use of natural resources. Additional implementation tools were added, such as the “Adequate Public Facilities Program” (APF) to help manage growth more effectively in the Development Envelope. APF states that the existing public facilities for water, sewer, schools and roads must be adequate to support planned land development. 1992 - The State enacted the Maryland Economic Growth, Resource Protection and Planning Act that required that certain “visions” be incorporated into County and municipal master plans. These visions included development in concentrated suitable areas; protection of sensitive areas; protection of rural areas and resources; stewardship of the Chesapeake Bay; conservation of resources; economic growth; and addressing funding mechanisms. 1996 - The Master Plan and the Land Use Element Plan were combined to strengthen the core of the planning process. The Development Envelope concept was maintained, concluding that there was sufficient capacity within the Envelope to support projected growth for approximately 18 years. Development of the 1996 plan was largely based on a community planning process involving ten Community Planning Councils whose common issues - balanced with each community’s individuality - provided guidance for a Countywide vision on land use. Additional elements were added to the 1996 Master Plan, brief descriptions of these elements follow below.

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