Anne Arundel County Council Legislative Session - February 3, 2026

The Anne Arundel County Council convened on February 3, 2026 (continuing from late February 2nd) to conduct recognitions, hear public testimony, and consider multiple ordinances and resolutions. Key outcomes included the passage of a cottage home development bill (held for final vote), the defeat of a project labor agreements bill and a moratorium on density bonuses, and approval of zoning for indoor shooting ranges.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Kyle Nimhard opposed the Spencer Glenn proposal, arguing it exploits workforce housing provisions for profit and would leave workers stranded during snow events.
• Matt Minahan (Growth Action Network) called for independent citizen-led review of land use legislation and a charter amendment for public hearings.
• Kate Fox (Growth Action Network) raised concerns about transportation infrastructure deficits and density bonuses in areas designated for neighborhood preservation in Plan 2040.
• Joe Noble highlighted traffic safety issues on Route 2, criticized the Board of Appeals conduct in a Chick-fil-A hearing, and described cut-through traffic dangers in the Pines community.
• Justin Gallucci spoke about trash accumulation in parts of the county and later supported cottage homes with guardrails.
• Michael Brown urged review of snow removal Bill 76-25, citing enforcement gaps and homeowner protections.
• Paul Higgins criticized the county's snow removal response, urging improvement without excuses.
• Kurt Svensson provided historical context on impact fee underfunding and opposed the lack of full cost recovery; later testified on bills 226 and 526.
• Craig Myers opposed third-party license plate readers, advocating for county-owned systems.
• Max Gross (Anne Arundel County Association of Realtors) declared 2026 the year of housing policy, citing migration trends and affordability concerns.

Discussion Items

Special Recognitions

• The council recognized nine educators and staff for state and national awards, including principals, assistant principals, music teachers, a school counselor, a school psychologist, a lacrosse coach, and the purchasing office team.

Bills Postponed or Held

• Bill 98-25 (traffic zoning signs) held to February 17, 2026 (7-0).
• Bill 101-25 (landlord tenant eviction) held to February 17, 2026 (7-0).
• Bill 126 (Region 6 plan) and Bill 226 (Region 6 comprehensive zoning) held to February 17, 2026 (6-1 and 7-0).
• Bill 326 (Region 8 plan) and Bill 426 (Region 8 comprehensive zoning) held to February 17, 2026 (7-0 each).

Cottage Home Development (Bill 92-25)

• Public hearing: Justin Gallucci supported raising minimum site area and opposed expansion into commercial zones without stewardship standards. ACT (Tim Stern) and Anne Arundel Affordable Housing Coalition (Trudy McFall) voiced general support. Maureen Carr York expressed concern about parcel size fitting neighborhood character.
• Amendments adopted:
  • Amendment 5: Removes loft exclusion from floor area measurement (passed 6-1).
  • Amendment 6: Decreases minimum site area in R1/R2 to two acres (passed 6-1).
  • Amendment 7: Establishes income requirements and administration by ACDS (passed 7-0).
  • Amendment 8: Allows cottage homes as a special use in W1 zoning (passed 4-3).
  • Amendment 9: Sets density at 20 dwelling units per acre in C1/C2 districts (passed 6-1).
  • Amendment 10: Changes eligible household income limit from 80% to 100% AMI and authorizes price-setting (passed 4-3).
• Outcome: Bill as amended held to February 17, 2026.

Project Labor Agreements (Bill 100-25) – Defeated

• Public hearing: Opponents (Andrew Griffin, Mike Mason, Mike Sicata, Kevin O'Keefe, Jeff Ferguson) argued PLAs increase costs, reduce competition, and burden non-union workers. Supporters (Ray Baker, Concepción Morales, Frank Mahoney, Kevin Benitez, Tom Gifford) emphasized worker protections, local hiring, and quality assurance.
• Amendments:
  • Amendment 2 (Pickard): Framework with exemptions and delayed effective date – FAILED (3-4).
  • Amendment 3 (Rodbyan): Change “may” to “shall” for projects over $35 million – FAILED (2-5).
  • Subsequent amendments withdrawn.
• Final vote: Bill defeated (2-5).

Resolution 126 (Ad Hoc Committee on PLAs) – Failed

• Public hearing: Andrew Griffin and Mike Mason supported a study workgroup.
• Amendment 1 (Volkey): Adds requirement for cost-benefit analysis and recommendations – ADOPTED (7-0).
• Final vote: Resolution as amended FAILED (3-4).

Moratorium on MPDU Density Bonus (Bill 526) – Defeated

• Public hearing: Supporters (Scott McLeod, Tim Davies, Britt Griswold, Ralph Youngs, Kurt Svensson, Pat Lynch, Melissa Wilson, Sue Ricardi, et al.) cited traffic congestion, school capacity, environmental impacts, and emergency response. Opponents (Trudy McFall, Theresa Redd, Mike Pitchford, Carrie Alperovitz, Ariana Kidder, Will Johnson, Max Gross, Christina Crona, et al.) stressed the critical need for affordable housing and warned of setting a precedent for NIMBY carve-outs.
• Amendments:
  • Amendment 1 (Fiedler): Reduce moratorium radius to one mile, clarify intersections, require intersection grade C – FAILED (3-4).
  • Amendment 2 (Fiedler): Clarify application to density bonus – FAILED (3-4).
• Final vote: Bill defeated (3-4).

Indoor Shooting Ranges (Bill 626) – Passed

• Public hearing: No testimony.
• Final vote: Passed (6-1).

Key Outcomes

• Bill 626 (indoor rifle, pistol, skeet, and archery ranges) passed.
• Bill 92-25 (cottage home development) amended and held for final vote on February 17.
• Bills 98-25, 101-25, 126/226, 326/426 held to February 17.
• Bill 100-25 (project labor agreements) defeated.
• Resolution 126 (PLA study committee) defeated.
• Bill 526 (moratorium on MPDU density bonus) defeated.
• Next legislative session scheduled for February 10, 2026 (work session) and February 17, 2026 (legislative session beginning at 6 p.m.).