The Baltimore County Planning Board on Oct. 16 voted to set a public hearing on Small Area Plan 11 for Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, at 5 p.m., after a presentation by District 6 community planner Megan Oliver.

Oliver told the board the small area plans “are meant to take the recommendations from Master Plan 2030 and translate them to the local level, through the lens of a local context.” She described a yearlong process of mapping, data collection and public outreach focused on the Middle River area and surrounding communities, and said the draft report packages background research, public-participation summaries, recommendations and an implementation chapter that links actions to likely lead agencies and funding sources.

The plan, which Master Plan 2030 identified as Area 11, divides the area into five subareas and organizes recommendations around connectivity, environment and open space, community and economy. Oliver said consultant firms were used to help create a template for subsequent area plans and to provide technical review, including transportation and environmental expertise. She noted some communities were underrepresented in early outreach and that staff adjusted outreach to target Rossville in later phases.

Board members asked questions about the role of the consultant team and how area boundaries were drawn. Oliver replied the consultant team helped establish a template for future small-area plans and provided case studies and technical input; she said boundaries were drafted during the Master Plan 2030 process with attention to existing data boundaries and locally recognized community boundaries.

After questions from board members, Chair Scott Halopka called for a motion. A motion to set the public hearing for Nov. 6 at 5 p.m. was made and seconded; the board voted in favor and the motion carried. Oliver said staff intends to return Nov. 20 for a planning board vote and then to forward a recommendation to the County Council to amend Master Plan 2030.

Implementation details in the draft emphasize assigning lead and supporting agencies for each action item, identifying possible timeframes, and—where available—linking actions to funding sources. Oliver said the plan includes a comprehensive appendix with maps and raw public-input materials.

The board’s Nov. 6 public hearing will be the next formal opportunity for public comment; the planning board expects to act on the plan at a subsequent meeting and transmit its recommendation to County Council.