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Somerset attorney outlines three Maryland housing bills, flags stormwater and local-authority concerns
Summary
The town attorney briefed the council on three state housing proposals — the Starter and Silver Homes Act (SB36/HB239), the Maryland Transit and Housing Opportunity Act and the Housing Certainty Act of 2026 — and warned the town to watch for impacts on setbacks, lot coverage, stormwater capacity and local design controls.
The town attorney presented a summary of three housing proposals moving through the Maryland General Assembly and told the Somerset Town Council that at least one — the Starter and Silver Homes Act — would change local land-use rules for single-family zones.
The attorney said the Starter and Silver Homes Act (published as Senate Bill 36 and House Bill 239) would allow townhouses as of right wherever single-family homes are allowed, lower minimum lot sizes to 5,000 square feet, prohibit local lot-coverage maximums, and reduce…
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