However, far too many community input meetings are not very informative and little issue resolution occurs.  The following suggestions will help you get the most out of the community input meeting process.

To Change the Project or Stop It?

Most projects can be modified to resolve specific impacts.  Stopping a project is far more difficult.  In fact, only one in a hundred projects is stopped.  However, those seeking changes which resolve impacts, yet allow the project to proceed, are successful about 25% of the time.  The likelihood of success can be tripled with the advice provided below and on the main CEDS Baltimore County webpage.

How do you know if you should seek conditions or stop the project? 

Well, if you cannot find conditions that fully resolve your concerns then the project may be so fatally flawed that it should be stopped.  For help in finding conditions or stopping a bad project contact CEDS at 410-654-3021 or Help@ceds.org.

You Don't Need A Lawyer

You definitely do not need a lawyer for the community input meeting.  What most citizens do need are folks with the technical expertise first to identify all potential impacts then determine if conditions are available to fully resolve each.  In most cases CEDS can provide this technical expertise free of charge.  To take advantage of this service contact us at 410-654-3021 or Help@ceds.org. 

Concept Plan

The focus of a community input meeting is the concept plan.  As the title implies, this plan presents the applicant's concept of the proposed development project.  A copy of the concept plan, along with County agency comments, is mailed to adjoining property owners and to local community associations in advance of the community input meeting. 

To obtain a copy of a concept plan visit the Department of Permits & Development Management, 111 W. Chesapeake Avenue, Room 123, in Towson.  But try calling 410-887-3321 first and ask if the plan can be e-mailed to you.

Review the Plan BEFORE the Meeting

Carefully review the concept plan prior to the community input meeting.  A checklist of items to look for can be viewed by clicking the following link: Project Evaluation Checklist.

A number of questions will likely occur to you while reviewing the plan.  Write each one down so you don't forget to ask the question at the community input meeting.

If you wish, CEDS can take a quick look at the plan for ways in which the project might affect your quality of life.  We can also suggest conditions to resolve each negative effect.  There will not be any charge for this initial review.  To schedule the review contact CEDS at 410-654-3021 or Help@ceds.org.

Ask County Experts To Attend

Baltimore County law (§32-4-217(c)) allows citizens to request that a representative of a County agency attend the community input meeting.  For example, if you have concerns about how the project may affect drainage onto your property you could request that a representative of the County's stormwater review section attend the community input meeting.  If you are uncertain which agency handles a particular concern then please contact CEDS at 410-654-3021 or Help@ceds.org. 

Keep in mind that you must make this request 10 days prior to the community input meeting.  You must also identify the concern along with any conditions you feel would resolve the concern.  As an alternative consider meeting with the County expert before the community input meeting.  In several important respects, this is preferable to asking the expert to attend the community input meeting.

At The Community Input Meeting

County staff will begin the community input meeting by explaining the development review process.  Next, the applicant will present the project.  The remainder of the community input meeting is your opportunity to ask questions and begin exploring ways of resolving your concerns.  The County staff present at the community input meeting will take minutes which serve as a formal record of what was said.

Following is some advice from long-time Perry Hall Improvement Association member and zoning chair Debra Beaty:

• Arrive early at the CIM so you can view plans close-up and introduce yourself to the other attendees. You might learn that other residents share your concerns.

• Be aware that all property owners are legally entitled to their development under its existing zoning and that opposition should be based on facts or evidence.

• Handing the county official your statement or photos at the CIM can help them understand your point.

• Gather phone numbers before leaving the CIM so that you can later contact the developer, their attorney, the county official, or other community residents.

Be certain to ask which County official is responsible for reviewing the project for each of your concerns or proposed conditions.  Get the name and number for each official.  Advice in following up with this official is offered below under Working With County Staff.

Conditions

One of the principal purposes of a community input meeting is to provide you with an opportunity to propose conditions that would resolve your concerns.  For example, you might propose additional plantings or other screenings to obscure an objectionable part of a project to protect the view from your home.

The conditions must fall within the County's authority and be "reasonable."  Be certain to propose the conditions at the community input meeting and ask that they be included in the minutes.

If you are uncertain which conditions would resolve each of your concerns then please contact CEDS at 410-654-3021 or Help@ceds.org.  We'll be delighted to offer our thoughts free of charge. 

Your Right To A Second Meeting

Baltimore County law (§32-4-217(e)) allows the Department of Permits & Development Management to hold a second community input meeting if you have a concern which is not resolved at the first meeting.  Similarly a second community input meeting could be held if you did not have a chance you ask all of your questions or make all of the comments you wished, provided both fall within the County's authority.

To request a second community input meeting send a letter to:

After The Community Input Meeting

You should contact the County representative who led the CIM about two weeks following the meeting.  Ask for an opportunity to review the minutes to make certain all of your concerns and proposed conditions are accurately described.  If you find errors then send a letter to the County representative noting the missing comments or conditions.  Ask that your letter be forwarded to the appropriate reviewer and added to the project file.

The applicant has up to a year to turn the concept plan into a development plan.  Baltimore County law (§32-4-217(e)(3)) requires that the appropriate agency address each comment or condition raised at the community input meeting.  The logical place to address both would be in the comments each agency submits at the Development Plan Conference (DPC). 

It has been our experience that agency comments rarely address community input meeting comments and conditions.  Therefore we urge you to contact the appropriate agency official prior to the DPC and ask how they plan to address your comments and proposed conditions.  The next section offers advice on making this contact.

Working With County Staff

The County employees who review development projects are frequently essential to resolving citizen concerns.  These staff have the technical expertise to identify solutions and the ability to recommend that a solution become a condition of project approval. 

Earlier it was suggested that you get the name and number of each County official responsible for reviewing project plans for your concerns and proposed conditions.  Shorty after the community input meeting you should:

• Meet with each official to discuss the concerns within their purview;

• Ask if they agree the concern is valid and, if so, whether they feel your proposed condition is the best solution.

• If they agree then ask that they recommend your solution as a condition of approving the plan. 

• If they disagree but seem to lack a good reason then contact CEDS at 410-654-3021 or Help@ceds.org for a second opinion and advice on alternatives. 

A common mistake citizens make is to urge staff to recommend project denial rather then conditions.  Since most projects comply with applicable County law and policy staff lack the authority to recommend denial.  However, if a project is fatally flawed then by all means you should urge staff to call for denial.  For assistance in determining when a condition or denial is warranted contact CEDS at 410-654-3021 or Help@ceds.org. 

Development Plan Hearing

The Development Plan Conference (DPC) takes place about seven months following the community input meeting, but can occur in as little as one month.  The development plan hearing (aka Hearing Officers hearing) will be held about a month after the DPC. 

It is at this hearing where the fate of the project is decided.  The hearing will begin with representatives of each agency stating their position on the development plan.  You have a right to question each agency representative on the consideration they gave to the comments you made at the community input meeting and any conditions you proposed.  Of course you also have the right to ask the Hearing Officer to impose the condition as part of the development plan order.

Stay Informed

Community input meetings, concept plan conferences, development plan conferences, and hearing officer hearings are posted on the following County website: Development Hearings & Meetings.

The easiest way to find hearings-meetings for projects in your area is to click the appropriate County Council district along the left-hand side of the website.

For further advice on resolving your concerns through the development review process visit  the main CEDS Baltimore County webpage.