Concerned about high-density development in downtown Towson — especially within the so-called Towson Triangle — some residents are circulating a petition asking Baltimore County to limit the geographic area of a proposed special overlay zoning district for the commercial core to north of Towsontown Boulevard.
In August, County Councilman David Marks, who represents Towson, introduced legislation to create an overlay district specifically for downtown Towson as the county’s urban center, in keeping with the county’s Master Plan 2020, which calls for making the downtown a more walkable commercial center that encourages compatible mixed-use projects and promotes redevelopment opportunities.
According to Marks’ resolution, which has not yet been approved by the County Council, legislative efforts to achieve those goals have been enacted in “a piecemeal fashion” through numerous amendments to the county’s existing CT (Commercial, Town Center Core) district since 1993, necessitating the creation of an overlay district.
A report by the county Planning Department, which has endorsed a special district, states that the Towson Urban Center (or TUC) overlay district would be design-oriented and aimed at “refining the urban character of Towson,” with design guidelines for evaluating new development and redevelopment projects.
(Original article on Baltimore Sun website has been deleted): Petition seeks to leave Towson Triangle out of overlay district – Baltimore Sun
