- County Executive Steuart Pittman issued the following statement regarding the County Council’s passage of the General Development Plan, Plan 2040:
“Over the past two years, Anne Arundel County residents came together to create a community-driven vision for the future of our county. Tonight, we took a big step toward making that shared vision a reality.
Residents wanted a plan that protects our natural resources. Residents wanted a plan that improves our infrastructure. Residents wanted a plan that preserves and enhances existing and established neighborhoods.
We know what residents wanted because throughout this process, our team actively sought to engage, listen, and learn. Before introducing the bill to the Council, we worked directly with residents through a series of stakeholder engagement opportunities:
- Citizen Advisory Committee (2019-2020) - 23 members attended 28 meetings over two years to provide information and comment.
- Smart Growth Workshop (2019) - 180 participants attended.
- Community Visioning Sessions (2019) - 500 participants across 17 sessions in 2019.
- Online Open House (2020) - 1,500 people submitted comments, and more than 4,000 people visited the site
- Public Comment on Preliminary Draft (2020) - 470 individuals or groups submitted comments
- Public Testimony to Planning Advisory Board (2021) - 239 individuals or groups submitted written testimony, and 30 people provided oral testimony
This unprecedented level of community involvement in long-term planning represents how development should work - a transparent, accountable, resident-driven approach that identifies goals, policies, and strategies, and then establishes timelines and metrics to measure performance. Plan 2040 establishes nine-community-led regional plans that must take place before any comprehensive rezoning is allowed, putting power in the hands of the people.
I want to thank the County Council for their work in reviewing and approving this legislation, and I look forward to continuing to engage our residents and communities as we move to the work of implementing Plan 2040 in the coming months.”
