Council adopts amendments to redevelopment incentive bill, schedules final hearing for April 7

The Anne Arundel County Council on March 17 adopted multiple amendments to Bill 2-25, a measure aimed at simplifying and incentivizing redevelopment of existing commercial sites, and set the ordinance for further consideration on April 7, 2025.

The bill’s supporters said the legislation creates a streamlined, countywide path for commercial-to-commercial redevelopment and for some limited residential conversions in targeted corridors. “This just expands the bill as far as incentivizing redevelopment,” Ethan Hunt, an administration representative, told the council as staff explained the amendments and how they align with previous redevelopment efforts.

Why it matters: The ordinance is intended to encourage investment in underused parcels and reduce pressure on greenfield sites. Council members pressed on safeguards — including limits on where multifamily conversion is allowed, required developer responses to community feedback and an annual reporting requirement — to make sure the incentives actually produce redevelopment.

Council action and amendments: The council adopted five numbered amendments to Bill 2-25 during the session. Most were adopted unanimously; one was adopted over a 4–3 split.

- Amendment 13: Modified the bill’s applicability to the Glen Burnie sustainable community overlay area. Vote: 7–0 to adopt. - Amendment 14: Aligned the definition of “substantial improvement” with Article 16 so the county maintains consistent definitions across code sections. Vote: 7–0 to adopt. - Amendment 15: Required redevelopment applicants to “respond to” (not merely “acknowledge”) community meeting comments when resubmitting plans. Vote: 7–0 to adopt. - Amendment 16: Broadened eligibility so commercial-to-commercial conversions countywide may use the expanded redevelopment review process while reserving broader multifamily allowances for specified corridors. Vote: 4–3 to adopt. - Amendment 17 (technical): Added legislative intent language for the bill’s reporting requirement. Vote: 7–0 to adopt.

Supporters and process: Councilmember Allison Pickard said the amendments — including an annual reporting mechanism — will let the council measure whether the incentives are attracting investment: “We may be back here in 18 months … saying … if these aren’t the right ingredients,” Pickard said, urging colleagues to adopt the reforms and monitor results.

Several council members and administration staff framed the changes as a compromise reached after multiple work sessions. “OPZ [Office of Planning and Zoning] staff … supported this amendment from day one,” Hunt said referring to the county planning staff’s role in shaping the changes.

Community concerns: Residents from Severna Park and nearby neighborhoods testified at the public hearing, asking that the bill not be applied to healthy, walkable local commercial centers. Ed Morris, president of the Old Severna Park Improvement Association, said the community’s retail districts are “vibrant” and warned that enabling high-density residential conversion could reduce walkability and add traffic. Maureen Carr York, president of the Greater Severna Park Council, told the council she supports redevelopment incentives in other parts of the district — “the Veterans Highway end of our district is where … we do not oppose the application of this bill there” — but asked that core pedestrian-friendly commercial centers be protected.

Next steps and scope: Councilmembers adopted the amendments and directed that Bill 2-25 as amended be heard again on April 7, 2025, to allow final review and a vote on the ordinance itself. The adopted language expands the expedited review process countywide for commercial-to-commercial redevelopments but keeps the larger multifamily zoning allowances limited to the policy areas the council previously identified.

Council direction: The session included repeated references to monitoring outcomes. Pickard said the annual reporting will let the council determine whether the package of incentives is effective or needs further changes. Administration staff said they did not oppose the amendments and that planning staff would track the bill’s effects.

Ending: With amendments adopted but the ordinance still not finalized, the council left the central policy question open to a final vote April 7. If approved then, the bill would roll out a countywide incentive structure intended to make it easier for property owners to redevelop underused commercial parcels while preserving specific multifamily limits for targeted corridors.