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Council pauses vote on exempting nonpublic schools from site development review after public hearing
Summary
After a contested public hearing and mixed testimony, the Anne Arundel County Council voted 7‑0 to hold Bill 54‑25 — which would exempt state‑approved nonpublic schools from Article 17 site development review — until its July 7 meeting and introduced a non‑emergency alternative requiring a community meeting.
The Anne Arundel County Council on June 16 held debate and a public hearing on Bill 54‑25, an emergency ordinance that would exempt state‑approved nonpublic (private) schools from the county’s Article 17 site development review process. After public comment and a split among administration staff and community groups, the council voted 7‑0 to hold the bill until July 7 and reopened the agenda to introduce Bill 64‑25, a non‑emergency alternative that would exempt nonpublic schools while adding a community meeting requirement.
Why it matters: The proposal would align private schools’ planning process with that already in place for county public schools and charter schools, removing Article 17 review that includes site development plan review. Supporters said the change would speed projects and reduce construction‑related disruption to students; opponents and administration staff warned that Article 17 review provides key traffic, parking and site circulation protections for communities.
Supporters included…
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