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Baltimore County

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Legislative and Regulatory Issues Impacting Baltimore County

BALTIMORE COUNTY MASTER PLAN

4/29 Baltimore County Executive Forum - Register Now!

The Baltimore County Executive Forum in partnership with the Greater Baltimore Board of Realtors is 5 days away! This forum will provide our members the opportunity to hear directly from the candidates and gain insight into their priorities as the election approaches. The event will take place Wednesday April 29th from 6-8pm at the Kraushaar Auditorium at Goucher College and is FREE for all MBIA members. Click here to RSVP. If you would like to submit a question for the candidates, please email Alex (aandelsman@marylandbuilders.org). A huge thank you to our sponsors: Kimley-Horn, Southern Land Company, Morris & Ritchie Associates, and Gaylord Brooks. This event would not have been possible without you. April 24th, 2026

Baltimore County Council Passes Bill to Adjust Development Impact Fees 

Last week, the Baltimore County Council passed Bill 20-26, which updates how development impact fees are calculated for new residential construction. The bill establishes a standardized rate of $6 per square foot based on “occupiable space,” while also providing a clearer definition of what counts as livable, enclosed, year-round usable space. At the same time, the bill excludes non-occupiable areas such as garages, porches, and detached accessory structures from the calculation. The bill also places a cap of $30,000 on total impact fees per home, offering cost certainty for larger projects, and creates an exemption for certain single-family homes built on individual lots established prior to July 1, 2020. In addition, it requires Baltimore County to conduct a comprehensive study of its development impact fee and excise tax system, with recommendations due by the end of 2026. April 17th, 2026


Baltimore County Bill to Circumvent Development Process Fails

On Monday November 3rd, The Baltimore County Council voted on a bill to prevent restaurants from staying open between 11:00pm and 5:00am if they are located within 250 feet of a residential building. The intention of the bill was to stop the construction of a Denny's restaurant, a project that already secured the proper permits needed and went through the formal development process. MBIA testified against the bill prior to the public hearing on October 28th. The bill would have opened the door for future projects, commercial or residential, to be stalled or canceled based on political or community pressures instead of the established zoning standards set during the Comprehensive Zoning Map Process (CZMP). The bill failed on a 3-4 vote along party lines. November 4th, 2025

MBIA Submits Written Comments Opposing the Farmland Preservation Act
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Baltimore County Council Bill 19-25 County Charter – Baltimore County Farmland Preservation Act, was introduced on March 3rd and sponsored by Councilmembers Marks, Kach, Ertel, Patoka and Crandell. This bill requires that any changes to URDL (Urban-Rural Demarcation Line) boundaries must be recommended by the planning board and approved with a majority plus one vote from the County Council, as well as the vote of the Councilperson of that district. With Maryland facing a housing shortage and Baltimore County losing population, we submitted written comments in opposition to Bill 19-25. We argued that making URDL changes more difficult and further limiting development will only make the population decline worse and make housing even less affordable in Baltimore County. A successful growing county needs new housing development options to expand the tax base and keep local businesses operating. The Farmland Preservation Act passed the County Council and will now appear on the ballot in the 2026 elections. April 1st, 2025
CONTACT US
Maryland Building Industry Association
11825 West Market Place | Fulton, MD 20759
301-776-MBIA | aandelsman@marylandbuilders.org