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Council advances redevelopment ordinance with annual reporting requirement, debate continues over targeted areas and affordable housing
Summary
Bill 2‑25, a redevelopment and redevelopment‑incentive ordinance, drew widespread public comment for and against amendments that exclude certain areas; council adopted a reporting amendment and scheduled final action for March 17.
The county’s reintroduced redevelopment ordinance, Bill 2‑25, received extensive public comment on March 3 as residents, housing advocates and business groups urged amendments or opposed exclusions that would limit where redevelopment incentives apply. The council adopted Amendment No. 12, which requires the Office of Planning and Zoning to issue an annual report on redevelopment activity, and scheduled the bill for continued consideration on March 17.
Linda Bonner, attainable housing chair for Anne Arundel Connecting Together, told the council her coalition — which she said represents nearly 24,000 people countywide — supports Bill 2‑25 only if the council removes amendments 4, 7 and 8 that exclude specified areas from redevelopment provisions. “The message received from those actions are clearly nimby and racist and they are also pushing the historic pattern of segregation housing policies,” Bonner said, urging the council to restore the broader reach of the ordinance.
The Anne Arundel County Association of Realtors’ Max Gross testified in favor of the bill’s redevelopment tools, arguing that mixed‑use and targeted redevelopment can reduce travel distances and support affordable housing options countywide. Growth Action Network Chair Matt Minahan said his organization had worked with staff, welcomed the restoration of community meetings during the drafting process and supported the ordinance but urged expansion of the bill’s coverage to more parts of the county.
Sponsor Pickard introduced Amendment No. 12 to require OPZ to prepare a yearly redevelopment report listing concept checklists, applications received and approvals — a transparency measure the administration said it welcomed. The council approved that amendment 7–0. Bill 2‑25 as amended will return for further consideration on March 17.
Why it matters: Bill 2‑25 is intended to simplify and incentivize redevelopment on certain sites across the county. Public testimony revealed strong disagreement over where incentives should apply and whether exclusions disproportionately prevent affordable housing in parts of the county. The reporting requirement adopted by the council is intended to give the legislature an annual inventory of redevelopment activity and approvals.
What’s next: The council voted to continue consideration of Bill 2‑25 to the March 17 meeting, giving the Office of Planning and Zoning and council members time to refine map and policy language and respond to public input.
