The Comprehensive Plan Process

Citizen participation is a vital component of the local planning process. As the planning process gets underway, the public will be encouraged to get involved by attending public hearings, listening sessions, submitting comments, and more. 

A comprehensive plan is a document, officially adopted by the local government body, that spells out the manner in which a municipality, county, or area must develop. 

Maryland’s municipalities and counties primarily use three authorities to control land use within their boundaries. These are the authorities to (1) adopt a comprehensive or master plan, (2) to enact a zoning ordinance, and (3) to implement subdivision regulations.

Learn more of the legal basis for planning here.

The Land Use Article states that once the planning commission is legislatively created, the planning commission has the function and duty to prepare a comprehensive plan for its jurisdiction, and to present this plan to the local legislative or governing body for its consideration and adoption. The comprehensive plan must serve as a guide to public and private actions and decisions to ensure the development of public and private property in appropriate relationships.

With power comes responsibility, and Land Use Article outlines a number of requirements governing content and procedures that each planning commission must fulfill in the crafting of the jurisdiction’s comprehensive plan.  

Content Requirements Land Use Article establishes a framework for the content of the plan by requiring that it address certain components of the jurisdiction’s vision: 

1. Goals and Objectives
2. Land Use
3. Housing
4. Transportation
5. Community Facilities
6. Mineral Resources
7. Development Regulations
8. Areas of Critical State Concern
9. Sensitive Areas
10. Fisheries
11. Implementation
12. Development Capacity Analysis
13. Municipal Growth Element
14. Water Resources Element

For further discussion of the components of the plan, visit here. 

There are certain procedural requirements that must be followed under Land Use Article:

1. Maryland law requires that local jurisdictions forward copies of the comprehensive plan (or amendments to the plan) to relevant state agencies and adjoining local jurisdictions for their review at least 60 days prior to the planning commission public hearing (§3.07.c). 
2. The planning commission holds at least one public hearing.
3. The planning commission recommends adoption of the plan to the local legislative body.
4. The local legislative body can hold its own public hearing and deliberate on the plan at its regularly scheduled meeting or following the hearing.
5. The local legislative body may adopt, modify, remand, or disapprove the draft that the planning commission sends to them. The legislative body does not need to send it back to the planning commission if it decides to amend it, but if it does send it back, the planning commission needs to work on it and hold another public hearing. However, Planning only reviews the original planning commission version sent to the department as part of the 60-day review process. Planning does not review a later amended version, either by the planning commission or legislative body. 
6. After a local jurisdiction has adopted a plan or plan element, please inform the Regional Planner assigned to the jurisdiction and submit a digital version of the final, adopted plan via email. 

For more details, visit here. 

The plan should be updated every ten years according to Maryland legislation.

Learn more about the ten-year cycle in Maryland here.