Smart growth coalition pushes legislation

Taking steps to curb harmful development

Maryland is facing unprecedented population growth, resulting in more pressure to develop valuable natural areas. Maryland’s rural areas are rapidly turning into sprawling subdivisions.

To avoid urban sprawl and poorly planned infrastructure, Environment Maryland has teamed up with 1000 Friends of Maryland, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Maryland League of Conservation Voters, Partners for Open Space, and the Sierra Club to fight for smart growth. The coalition has been meeting with key decision makers and is backing legislation to promote smart growth.

An intelligent plan

Smart growth encourages future development around transit stations and in heavily-populated areas, rather than rural and natural areas. This eases traffic congestion and gives residents alternatives to driving, as well as protecting our land from rampant development.

Environment Maryland has long been a proponent of smart growth. With our coalition partners, we are recommending that the General Assembly pass policies that:

• Make growth plans consistent, equitable and performance-based;
• Better prioritize funds for transportation and other infrastructure so that taxpayer dollars go to renovate existing communities rather than subsidizing sprawl development; and
• Promote private investment in smart growth by rewarding growth in suitable areas with tax incentives and fast-track permitting.

The state spends an enormous amount of money on roads, schools, sewers and other infrastructure. Too often, that funding is spent inefficiently and without accountability. As budgets are tightened due to the current economic downturn, we need a clear set of rules prioritizing where public money will be spent.

“People are sick of seeing beautiful open spaces paved over and turned into cookie-cutter housing developments and strip malls,” said Mike Sherling, our policy associate. “We need to make sure taxpayer dollars are used productively to facilitate the kind of growth we all want to see.”

Maryland’s open spaces are disappearing due to rampant development.