Smart growth must become smarter if Maryland hopes to control sprawl and the devastating impacts it has on communities, the environment, and quality of life, according to a report by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and 1000 Friends of Maryland. The report, released at a national smart growth conference in Baltimore, noted that most county governments are not directing growth into smart growth areas, that state agencies have not developed adequate procedures and guidelines for implementation, and that the public has been shut out of the decision making process.

In 1997, efforts to manage growth and curtail sprawl in Maryland reached a significant milestone when Governor Glendening introduced and signed into law Smart Growth legislation. Smart growth makes a priority of protecting and restoring existing communities and of promoting compact new growth by targeting state funds to smart growth areas.

"If we hope to contain sprawl, we must improve smart growth now," said Theresa Pierno, Executive Director of CBF’s Maryland Office. "Maryland can continue as an example for the rest of the nation by translating smart growth policy into growth that’s smart."

"Counties and state agencies must increase their efforts to achieve smart growth," said Dru Schmidt-Perkins, Executive Director of 1000 Friends of Maryland. "We simply must grow smarter if Maryland is to thrive economically, socially, and environmentally."

The CBF/1000 Friends report, Making Smart Growth Smarter, offers a host of recommendations for improving the effectiveness of smart growth in Maryland.

• Counties must direct growth into smart growth areas and ensure local regulations produce development patterns that use land wisely. In some counties, such as Charles and St. Mary’s, a large amount of growth will take place outside of smart growth areas under current county plans.

• The Department of Transportation needs to invest more funds in transit, pedestrian, and bicycle projects that provide citizens with more choices that are most consistent with smart growth’s emphasis on investing in existing communities and promoting efficient growth patterns. Presently, highway projects account for 61 percent of the state’s transportation construction funding, transit 38 percent, and all other projects just 1 percent. Smart growth cannot succeed without smart transportation.

• State agencies must adopt guidelines and procedures for putting smart growth into practice, as well as involving the public in decisions about funding and exempting projects from smart growth requirements. To date no agency has completed such guidelines and procedures.

• The governor should ensure that state agencies complete smart growth guidelines, procedures and reorder transportation funding priorities in a timely manner. The governor should increase funding and staffing of state smart growth programs and expand the reach of smart growth by introducing new initiatives. These could include initiatives from ongoing efforts that examine the impact of septic regulations on growth, and plans to remove barriers to redevelopment through new model development standards. On a new level the governor could consider creating regional smart growth policies to address sprawl.