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Council extends grandfathering window and adds concept-plan protection to transportation APF bill
Summary
Amendment 1 to Bill 81-25 added concept-plan applications to grandfathering and extended the grandfathering window to March 1, 2026. The amendment passed 4–3 after administration assurances it would cover an active redevelopment negotiation (7409 project); the bill as amended will return Nov. 17 for further consideration.
The Anne Arundel County Council on Nov. 3 adopted amendment 1 to Bill 81-25, which transitions the county’s traffic Adequate Public Facilities (APF) test to a transportation APF that includes multimodal measures. The amendment adds concept-plan applications to the list of grandfathered applications and extends the grandfathering provision to March 1, 2026.
Administration representatives said the change was intended to preserve negotiated expectations for projects active in the pipeline, including a redevelopment transaction at 7409. Chance Lee, representing the administration on the record, told the council that the administration expects concept plans for the redevelopment to be in hand by March 2026 and that the amendment protects those negotiations.
Council debate reiterated that while most members support the policy goals behind the transportation APF, grandfathering is a frequently negotiated detail that balances project pipeline fairness against rapid policy adoption. Council member Volke questioned why any project would be grandfathered if the new APF is an improvement; proponents replied that limited grandfathering is standard practice to preserve negotiated expectations already in process.
The roll call on amendment 1 recorded Ayes: Smith, Pickard, Radbien and Hummer; Noes: Volke, Fiedler and Ledbetter. Amendment 1 passed 4–3. The bill as amended will be scheduled for a public hearing on Nov. 17, 2025.
