Press Room

Ordinance to Limit Growth in Annapolis Receives Criticism
Some Say It Doesn't Go Far Enough, Particularly in Terms of Relieving Traffic

By Raymond McCaffrey
Washington Post Staff Writer

Critics of a recently enacted ordinance to limit growth in Annapolis say the measure isn't tough enough, and they'll be working to strengthen its potential impact, particularly on traffic.

The Annapolis City Council voted last week to limit growth to areas that have adequate public infrastructure and services. At the same time, the council lifted a moratorium on development that it had imposed last year until the "adequate public facilities" ordinance could be adopted.


Under the new ordinance, development would be tied to the adequacy of police, fire, rescue and emergency medical services. It requires that developers, when necessary, add or upgrade public infrastructure, including water and sewer, storm water, recreational and maintenance facilities. Police and fire chiefs and other heads of city departments would review development plans and try to determine the effect they would have on city services.

Alderman Samuel Shropshire (D-Ward 7), who voted against the ordinance, said this week that council members need to strengthen the legislation "to make sure it has teeth in it." Traffic, he said, is the "number one concern."

"It's also the most difficult to address," said Shropshire, who was joined by Alderman Julie M. Stankivic (U-Ward 6), in opposing the measure. Other council members, however, opposed any delay on the ordinance, saying adopting it and then working to improve it was a better course.

"I think we need to get it in the code," Alderman Ross H. Arnett III (D-Ward 8) said.

In some jurisdictions, building has stopped when schools become overcrowded. But Annapolis schools are operated by Anne Arundel County, and the City Council lacks the ability to incorporate into the ordinance an element dealing with the effect of growth on schools. The city has no power, for instance, to relieve crowding in schools by shifting students through redistricting.

Alderman David H. Cordle (R-Ward 5) said that tying the adequate facilities ordinance to roads not controlled by the city could force Annapolis to rely on another jurisdiction's traffic standards regarding "capacity and what level of failure would be allowed at a particular intersection.

"I want to maintain control of what we do in the city limits," Cordle said.