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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 Jonathan Kagan, chair of the Severn School board, who said private schools “need the ability to efficiently move through the development planning process to reduce the impact on disruption to students and their families,” and argued the site development process can take years and impose costs that private nonprofits may not be able to absorb.
Opponents included representatives of the GANN (Greater Annapolis?) group and county staff. Kate Fox, chair of the GANN legislative committee, said the organization could not support a blanket exemption and urged either a project‑specific approach or a sunset provision. Ethan Hunt, speaking for the administration, said staff had concerns because the exemption would eliminate county traffic and transportation reviews for private schools. Hunt said those reviews are important because "private schools . . . do actually generate more traffic than equivalently sized public schools" since public school students often use buses or walk.
Council members pressed staff on details. Councilman Volke asked whether only state‑approved schools would be eligible; sponsor Councilwoman Fiedler confirmed the bill would apply only to nonpublic schools approved by the Maryland State Department of Education. Volke and others asked whether traffic reviews for public and charter schools arise from statute or informal practice; staff said in some cases the Board of Education requests and obtains traffic reviews under state law for BOE projects, but they needed to confirm requirements for private schools and noted differences in reviews between school types.
Several council members expressed concern about removing community notice and involvement. Fiedler said she would introduce follow‑up legislation to preserve a community‑meeting requirement even if Article 17 exemptions proceed; she also moved to hold the emergency bill until July 7 so staff and council members could resolve outstanding questions. The motion to hold passed unanimously.
Public testimony at the hearing included both institutional support and community caution. Jonathan Kagan, chair of Severn School’s board, described the school’s need for timely approvals; Kate Fox of GANN and others urged a narrower or modified approach. A member identified as “Mister Haecker” and others spoke in favor of parity with public and charter schools.
Formal action: The council voted 7‑0 to hold Bill 54‑25 until July 7. The council also reopened the agenda and read in Bill 64‑25, an ordinance concerning community meetings and nonpublic schools, to pursue a parallel non‑emergency route.
Next steps: Council members asked administration staff (OPZ and Department of Public Works) to confirm which traffic, parking and procedural reviews are required by state law for public and charter schools and what would be lost or preserved by a categorical Article 17 exemption for private schools. Sponsor Councilwoman Fiedler said she would introduce a follow‑up non‑emergency bill that would exempt nonpublic schools but retain a community meeting requirement.
