Council Member Deb Jung Sponsors Legislation to Support Thriving Employment Centers & Healthy Communities
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT: China Williams, Chief of Staff, Council Member Deb Jung
ccwilliams@howardcountymd.gov
410-313-2001
Council Member Deb Jung Sponsors Legislation to Support Thriving Employment Centers & Healthy Communities
Ellicott City, MD (January 29, 2025) – Council Member Deb Jung pre-filed a bill (CB11-2025) to amend the Howard County’s Zoning Regulations so that employment centers located in certain zoning districts can conduct important research and development activities as a matter of right. The bill also protects the health of neighboring communities from certain types of research activities that emit toxic air pollutants.
CB11 is a Zoning Regulation Amendment (ZRA) that was initiated in October 2024 by the petitioner, Anwer Hasan. This ZRA (ZRA211) sought to create an 1800-foot setback in the zoning district of the Planned Employment Center (PEC) for activities requiring a Maryland Department of Environment (MDE) air permit. In November 2024, the Planning Board voted unanimously to favorably recommend with amendments ZRA211. The Planning Board asked the County Council “to analyze the sufficiency of the proposed text amendment and to have discussions with MDE to determine the best approach for actionable legislation.”
In coordination with the petitioner, CB11 fulfills the recommendation by the Planning Board to make the proposed changes legally sufficient. CB11 reinstates the ability to conduct research and development activities in the PEC zoning district. This use was removed in 2013 during comprehensive rezoning, leaving major County employers operating under nonconforming uses. Per the County Zoning Regulations, entities that have nonconforming uses must undergo additional requirements to expand or extend their activities beyond their grandfathered allowances. With the successful passage of CB11, major employers in the PEC districts can conduct and expand operations without applying to the County for permission.
In addition to assigning allowed uses in assigned zoning districts, the County’s Zoning Regulations also consider compatibility of different zoning districts that are located within proximity of each other. Throughout the County, PEC zoning districts are adjacent to residential neighborhoods that should not experience adverse health and safety impacts from commercial or research operations. A variety of commercial and research activities create toxic air emissions that are regulated by MDE air permits. Paint booths, generators, boilers, incinerators, and other activities that create volatile organic compounds are required to apply for an air permit and to maintain toxic emissions below Federally mandated thresholds. However, MDE does not regulate the proximity of residences to emissions-creating activities. Such compatibility issues require local zoning to balance employment activities and residents’ health and safety.
CB11 excludes testing of plastic feedstock requiring an MDE air permit from research and development activities. Such research is more appropriate in industrial zones where solid waste processing is allowed. The proximity of PEC zoning districts to residential areas and the current setback requirement of 200 feet from the property line do not provide enough of a safety buffer to allow plastic incineration to occur without serious health risks.
CB11 will be introduced on February 3; the public hearing will occur on February 18; and the Council will vote on March 3rd. To read CB11, visit the County Council’s Legislation webpage available here. To provide testimony in favor of CB11, visit the County Council’s Testify webpage available here.
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