Metro
Two transportation bill (CB 79 and CB 80) that were going on a fast track before the County Council Committee on Planning, Zoning and Economic Development (PZED) today, have been postponed.
Both bills would reduce some of the review requirements for developments located within 1/2 mile from a Metro station – including the proposed developments at the Greenbelt Metro Station.
Council Bill 79: CB 79 exempts development projects within a half mile of Metro, MARC or Purple Line stations from conceptual & detailed site plan approval.
Council Bill 80: CB 80 gives an automatic finding of transportation adequacy for developments within one-half mile radius of Metro, MARC or Purple line stations.
In a letter, County Council member, Mel Franklin, one of the bill’s sponsors, wrote:
The ILUC legislation was removed from today’s Council agenda because of the need to fully review new drafts of the legislation and related public comments that were distributed to PZED Committee Members only in the past few days. While I appreciate the interest in moving this legislation quickly, I strongly believe that the inherent complexities of zoning and subdivision legislation, particular legislation as sweeping as the ILUC legislation, must be fully understood and vetted by Council Members and staff prior to being voted on in committee. The legal questions alone require a substantial amount of review and consideration. It is far more important to get this legislation right the first time rather than to get it done quickly in error.