MBIA Reports 2015 End-of-Year Advocacy Accomplishments

MBIA's a dvocacy team is working on your behalf, both locally and regionally and is pleased to announce our achievements for the second half of 2015.

The State of Maryland

Sought and received clarification from the Maryland Department of Environment related to the 2017 grandfathering requirements for projects with Stormwater waivers

Testified before the Governor's Regulatory Reform Commission requesting consideration for changes to various environmental and building code regulations

Anne Arundel County

Successfully killed Councilman Grasso's bill which would have lowered capacity of an "open" school to 95 percent state rated capacity and effectively shut down 2/3 of the County to new development

Worked with the County Executive to pass a priority bill which allows a developer to defer an APF test for water and sewer until final plan or site development plan to help close the funding gap created by Anne Arundel County's up-front allocation reservation charges for water and sewer capacity

Passed legislation introduced by Councilman Jerry Walker allowing the Board of Education to certify that a school is "open" when capacity has been added through new construction or an addition even if a new school chart has not been passed by the County Council

Bill 78-15, regarding altering the time at which Capital Facility Connection, Deferral and Reservation charges become payable from 5 to 8 years, passed the County. This bill was the Chapter's top priority for much of 2015 and is a very important step towards keeping existing and pipeline projects moving as it significantly reduces carrying and financing costs

All forms required for the Inspections and Permits Department are now online in PDF writeable format as a result of work done between MBIA and I&P in their monthly public meetings

Baltimore City

The rights to operate small commercial enterprises within existing row home and detached communities were retained, the PUD process was not overly complicated and elongated, parking minimums were eliminated in many communities, rear yard reduction allowances were retained and density bonuses for dedication of open space were also retained

MBIA was included as a member of Baltimore City's inclusionary Housing Program task force and looks forward to working with Baltimore City to improve its inclusionary housing program

CHAP approved its new guidelines including new potential to use alternative materials on windows, siding, doors and roofs other than original wood materials

Hosted a PAC dinner in November which raised significant funds for the Baltimore City PAC which was attended by the Mayor, City Council President and several City Council members

Baltimore County

Collaborated with Neighborspace of Baltimore County to write new open space manual regulations to provide increased flexibility in how builders provide local open space to allow for increased connectivity without and between communities, decreased clearing of trees and grading and more spaces considered "open space" than in previous manuals

Worked on a simplified waiver fee schedule and gained a seat for a MBIA Baltimore County chapter representative on the advisory panel

Calvert County

Continuing to monitor the movement of the county's proposed Sign Ordinance and guideline amendments, with respect to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on a case involving a local jurisdiction's sign code (Reed vs Town of Gilbert, Arizona)

Continuing to work with the County Planning Staff on the update of the Prince Frederick Master Plan

Charles County

Lobbied the Charles County Board of County Commissioner to grant extensions on Development Rights Agreements

Continuing to work with the Board of County

Commissioners on additional amendments to the Comprehensive Plan

Continuing to work with Planning Growth and Management staff to improve the review process for Preliminary Plans and Subdivision Plats

Working with the Department of Planning and Growth Department at the periodic meetings of the round table and making revisions to the minor subdivision legislation and lot line issues

Howard County

Successfully worked with new DPZ Director, Val Lazdins to ensure a smooth transition that respects decisions made by the previous Planning Director

Put into place quarterly meetings with County Executive Kittleman to bring MBIA issues to the County Executive's attention and allow him to update the MBIA on progress of ongoing concerns

Four members of MBIA's Howard County Chapter have served on the County Executive's APFO task force, which is charged with comprehensively analyzing the existing APFO for deficiencies or areas to improve and making recommendations to the County Executive

Continued to work with Councilman Weinstein and the County Executive to ensure that pipestem lots are not eliminated

Killed legislation that would have created a moratorium on 2 family conversions of existing single family homes throughout the entire County

Montgomery County

Passed substantially lowered building and land development permit fees saving our buyers and tenants well over $4M annually

For many commercial and apartment builders, building permit fees dropped nearly 40 percent or more

Reduced substantially the approval time for site plans by adopting the requirement recently passed for preliminary plans to approve plans within 120 days; reducing approval times for a new application went from over 3 years to around 18 months

The Department of Permitting Services and the Department of Planning in collaboration with the Record Plat Subcommittee of the MBIA adopted a multi-page consolidated record plat, identified and eliminated duplicate reviews and added staff to bring the record plat approval process down from over 30 weeks to approximately 12 weeks, in line with our neighboring jurisdictions

Also, minimized notes required on the plans and eliminated some notes from the plats

With support and guidance from MBIA members, both the MNCPPC and DPS have adopted "eplans" and "epermits" for record plats, preliminary plan approval, site plan approval and building permits

DPS is finalizing their system for sediment control and SWM plan approvals

The Custom Builder Committee worked with DPS to improve the tree plan approval process for both right-of-way trees and for the tree canopy requirements eliminating delays and confusing about tree plan requirements

The Custom Builder Committee continues to meet with County officials to amend and modify the Canopy Tree Regulations to allow credit for on-site tree planting

Prince George's County

Successfully lobbied and won supporting votes from the Prince George's County Council, that would allow two-year validity period extensions for Preliminary Plans, DSP and SDP

Successfully lobbied against a bill that would establish a Moderately Priced Housing Program for the County

Successfully lobbied against a bill that would amend the Subdivision Regulations of Prince George's County to require the re-evaluation of a proposed development for adequacy of transportation public facilities

Testified against a locally proposed state bill that would reverse the Maryland Court of Appeal's decision on certain zoning matters by the district council in Prince George's County

Continues to work with the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission in their efforts to rewrite the county's zoning ordinance

St. Mary's County

Continues to monitor the Lexington Park Master Plan, Land Use and Growth Management

Continues to monitor the Joint Land Use Study to address compatibility planning around Naval Air Station Patuxent River

Teaming with the St. Mary's Economic Development Corporation and the Board of County Commissioners in support of the development of a third building at the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center

Upper Chesapeake

Harford County & Cecil County

Passed its 2015 top priority legislation which changes the date at which impact fees are payable from building permit to the first of 12 month after building permit or at U&O

Pursued discussions with the County Executive to increase options for off-site forest conservation and NRD areas

Wicomico County

Moratorium passed on impact fees until December 31. 2016

The Codes & Standards Committee

Meetings with the Maryland Secretary of the Department of Hou sing a nd Urban Development and the Maryland Building Officials Association resulted in agreement on a Definition of Equivalent Energy Efficiency that should provide flexibility and reduce the cost of building a more energy efficient home

Due to testimony in Montgomery County, the expected adoption of the 2012 International Green Construction Code should include a grandfathering period for projects in the pipeline

Recommended amendment to the 2015 residential code was adopted by Prince George's County

The Environmental Committee

Provided guidance to Maryland projects on the requirements of the Fish and Wildlife Service's threatened species designation for the Northern Long-Eared Bat

Worked with MSBA to re-establish the Maryland in-lieu fee compensatory mitigation program which has now been proposed by the U.S. Corps of Engineers

Facilitated guidance from MDE to local jurisdictions on Stormwater grandfathering

Continue to monitor with MSBA implementation of the Maryland Greenhouse Gas Plan through executive and agency activities that may affect the building industry

WSSC Liaison Committee