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Council adopts Gateway master plan with housing goals, environmental caveats and development safeguards
Summary
After extended debate and dozens of amendments, the Howard County Council approved CB 66, a 30-year Gateway master plan that sets a 20% moderate-income housing target, adds compatibility and infrastructure language, and includes repeated references to existing brownfield/EPA restrictions.
The Howard County Council passed Council Bill 66, the Gateway master plan general-plan amendment, after lengthy debate and multiple amendments addressing housing, environmental constraints and infrastructure.
The plan: CB 66 is a 30-year vision for the area known as Gateway that the Department of Planning and Zoning (DPZ) developed with property owners and public input. It envisions mixed-use redevelopment, new employment and housing opportunities, and major transportation and infrastructure investments.
Why it mattered in this session: The Gateway plan generated the meeting's most sustained debate. Councilmembers and public speakers focused on three recurring issues: (1) how to protect public health and safety where federal EPA covenants and brownfield restrictions exist; (2) how to ensure affordable housing is delivered (the council adopted a 20% moderate-income target for new units); and (3) how to preserve opportunities for research-and-development and industrial employment…
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