Howard County Planning Board Meeting – March 5, 2026

The Howard County Planning Board convened on March 5, 2026, at 12:15 PM in the Banneker Room of the George Howard Building, with both in-person and virtual participation. The board unanimously approved the agenda and the recording of the February 19, 2026 meeting as minutes, heard an executive secretary update on upcoming ZRA 224 (cottage clusters), and then considered three major agenda items: a site development plan for the Faulkner Ridge Early Learning Center, ZRA 221 (adaptive reuse of existing hotel/motel sites on Route 1), and ZRA 222 (optional design projects in the Route 1 corridor). Each item included staff and petitioner presentations, public testimony, board discussion, and a vote.

Consent Calendar

• Agenda Approval: Unanimously approved.
• Minutes Approval: The recording of the February 19, 2026 WebEx meeting was adopted as the board’s approved minutes.
• Executive Secretary Update: Noted that ZRA 224 (cottage clusters for age-restricted adult housing) will be heard on April 9, 2026, and that a deadline for zoning regulation amendments begins June 23, 2026.

Public Comments & Testimony

Faulkner Ridge Early Learning Center (SCP 26-003):

• Danielle Peterson (Tolling Clock Way) expressed concerns about the bike path being rerouted onto Tolling Clock Way, which is already a narrow street with parking, and about loss of open space.
• Paula Rivers (Tolling Clock Way) urged placement of a sign directing school traffic away from Tolling Clock Way and opposed the bike path extension onto her street.
• Leila Kenny (Tolling Clock Way, Faulkner Ridge community board) supported the plan, noting the current blighted condition of the school and that the design addresses safety concerns; she appreciated that buses will not use Tolling Clock Way.
• Zach Burnett (Faulkner Ridge Circle) supported the plan but requested trash cans along the walking path, native plants for landscaping and bioretention areas, and attention to stormwater runoff and drainage.
• Debbie Capacity (Faulkner Station community board) supported the plan, noting community involvement in earlier design meetings (buses were rerouted away from Tolling Clock Way) and asking for trash cans and consideration of drainage impacts from the existing ditch.
• Laura Wisley (Elkridge, nurse educator) praised the design but urged a dedicated loading/unloading zone that encourages proper car seat use, with driver-side curbside drop-off to reduce safety risks.

ZRA 221 and ZRA 222:

• Laura Wisley (Elk Ridge Community Alliance) expressed general support for both ZRAs but voiced trepidation, citing past experiences where redevelopment did not meet community needs. She urged that the planning board ensure meaningful community input and that redevelopment be comprehensive, not just piecemeal.

Discussion Items

1. Faulkner Ridge Early Learning Center (SCP 26-003)

• Proposal: The Board of Education seeks site plan approval for a one-story, 6,146 sq ft building addition, three soft-surface play areas (totaling 4,900 + 4,900 + 2,004 sq ft), a 1,063 sq ft mechanical addition, a 328 sq ft vestibule, a grass outdoor learning area, parking lot expansion, carpool and bus drive aisles, and an 8‑ft wide asphalt bike path on a 9‑acre parcel (Lot 92, Faulkner Ridge) at 10598 Marble Fawn Lane. The building will be re-clad with energy‑efficient materials and colorful wayfinding panels. The early learning center will house 13 classrooms (260 pre‑K students) plus a Head Start wing (3 classrooms, 60 students). Parking will provide 80 spaces. The site is exempt from forest conservation. Landscaping includes 16 shade trees, 20 evergreens, and 10 landscape trees, all native species.
• Board Discussion: Questions focused on traffic circulation, wayfinding, trash cans, native plants, and stormwater management. The board proposed a motion to approve with a suggestion for additional wayfinding signage and street markings at the entrance to differentiate parent drop-off from Tolling Clock Way.
• Motion: Unanimously approved with the suggestion for wayfinding improvements.

2. ZRA 221 – Adaptive Reuse and Redevelopment of Existing Hotel/Motel Sites in the Route 1 Corridor

• Proposal: Adds a new subsection (128.0P) to allow eligible hotel/motel properties (lawfully established before Dec. 1, 2025, with frontage on Route 1) to redevelop by right with multifamily dwellings, multiplex housing, or mixed‑use buildings, plus all commercial/industrial/retail uses permitted in the CAC district. At least 15% of dwellings must be moderate‑income housing units. The site must be brought into conformance with the Route 1 Manual and current site development requirements. Approximately 16 parcels (30 acres) are potentially impacted.
• Board Discussion: Members asked about compatibility with other corridor initiatives (e.g., development authority, parcel aggregation). Petitioner noted that the ZRA provides a streamlined tool for owners of obsolete motels to redevelop, consistent with adopted plans (HOCO by Design, Route 1 Corridor Plan). The board expressed no major concerns.
• Motion: Favorably recommended to the County Council.

3. ZRA 222 – Optional Design Projects in the Route 1 Corridor

• Proposal: Expands eligibility for the existing optional design project process (currently limited to the CR overlay) to all commercial properties with frontage on Route 1 that are less than 10 acres in size. The process allows flexible design and use standards, subject to planning board approval. Approximately 133 parcels (199 acres) could be affected. The 10‑acre cap protects larger employment hubs and industrial parcels.
• Board Discussion: Members queried the purpose of the optional design process, its rarity (only one known previous use), and how criteria (e.g., “enhance not overwhelm the surrounding community”) would be applied. Staff and petitioner clarified that the board retains full approval authority over each optional design project and that criteria are subjective but grounded in the Route 1 Manual and HOCO by Design. Concerns about unintended consequences for large parcels were addressed by the acreage cap. The board confirmed that industrial/commercial definition is intentionally broad (“non‑residential”).
• Motion: Favorably recommended to the County Council.

Key Outcomes

• Faulkner Ridge Early Learning Center: Approved (motion and second, unanimous) with a suggestion to add wayfinding signage and street markings at the entrance to differentiate parent drop-off from Tolling Clock Way.
• ZRA 221: Favorably recommended to the County Council (motion and second, unanimous).
• ZRA 222: Favorably recommended to the County Council (motion and second, unanimous).
• Next Meeting: March 19, 2026, in the Severn and Gray Room (not Banneker).