County planning staff warns state bills could limit local siting authority, flags housing targets

Brenda Denny, Carroll County planning staff, gave the planning commission a rapid review of bills advancing in Annapolis and pointed to several that could change how the county plans and approves development.

Denny singled out a measure rebranding required comprehensive-plan sections (SB266), a governor‑backed 'Housing for Jobs' package (listed in staff materials as SB430 / HB503) that would set per‑county housing allocations and constrain local delays, and a set of energy bills that she said risk reducing local control over siting large renewable projects.

"This bill is essentially furthering the governor's housing initiatives that he started last year," Denny said, describing HB503/SB430 as a multi‑page measure that would require counties to plan for specific housing amounts and include provisions aimed at limiting arbitrary delays in approvals. She said the bill lacks clear metrics for how allocations will be calculated and how the targets would be distributed between counties and municipalities.

On energy policy, Denny highlighted three related bills. One (SB478 / HB739) would create a local‑approval step tied to the Public Service Commission for large generating facilities. Another (HB645) would require jurisdictions to adopt a comprehensive‑plan element for transmission‑line alignments — a requirement Denny called impractical because utilities will not share alignment data. She also described the "Renewable Energy Certainty Act" (Senate Bill 931 / House Bill 1036 in staff notes) as the major solar siting bill of the session; staff said it would establish statewide siting standards and preempt local siting ordinances.

"If this passes ... the county is going to have to — we're going to lose our authority," Denny said, adding that the Maryland Association of Counties has requested amendments to soften preemption.

Denny told commissioners the legislature's crossover deadline is March 17, meaning many committee outcomes will be known by the commission's next meeting. She offered to return with updates at the commission's March meeting.

Why it matters: the package would change what local planning documents must contain, could assign housing targets that affect local approvals, and — if statewide siting standards for large renewable projects are adopted as written — would reduce the degree to which Carroll County can set local rules for where and how such projects are sited.

Next steps: staff will monitor committee action ahead of crossover and brief the commission at the March meeting on any amendments or committee reports.