Smart growth bill capitalizes on Maryland transit

The Maryland General Assembly may soon make a really smart move toward achieving really smart growth: It could adopt proposed land-use legislation enabling "State Rail Station Overlay Districts."

House Bill 948 would empower local jurisdictions and the state to plan for and permit increased density and more diverse uses within designated areas around rail stations throughout Maryland.

If enacted, the Maryland Department of Planning, in consultation with the Department of Transportation, would collaborate with counties and municipalities to delineate rail-station overlay districts and to make new master plans, design guidelines and development regulations for them. The new plans and regulations would supersede existing zoning, replacing out-of-date concepts and regulations that obstruct desirable, sustainable development.

The SRSOD bill's most basic goal is to foster vibrant, pedestrian-oriented, energy-efficient communities centered on transit. Overlay district development, at appropriately higher densities with mixed uses, would be located within reasonable walking distance of Maryland's rail stations. Of course, what constitutes reasonable walking distance will depend on the agreeability of the walk.

Another laudable goal articulated in the bill is to improve public services and the aesthetic quality of the public realm - streetscapes, open space, civic amenities, architecture - within overlay districts. The bill sets forth urban design aspirations and outlines strategies for financing them. It envisions establishment of dedicated county or municipal amenity funds with revenues derived from state and local allocation of density rights; from taxing private transfers of density rights, and from special SRSOD taxing districts and bonds that would be paid off by new sales tax revenue.

A jurisdiction's amenity fund could pay for improving storm water management infrastructure, street landscaping and lighting, underground utilities, parks, plazas and playgrounds. Funds also could be used for preserving unique structures or protecting valuable natural features.

The SRSOD bill wisely recognizes that each rail station site is unique and that a statewide "one size fits all" planning approach would not work. Sites vary in historic and cultural character, surrounding physical and demographic conditions, vehicle access, topography, climate and economic potential, so planning and regulatory flexibility is essential. The legislation contains no prescriptive standards or quantitative criteria, only the requirement that jurisdictions establish them for each designated SRSOD site.

The legislation anticipates that jurisdictions will implement an efficient design review and development entitlement process. Qualified planning officials and design professionals would evaluate the functional, technical and, equally important, aesthetic quality of proposed projects.

Rational analysis and informed value judgments about urban design, architecture and engineering would guide development - instead of conventional zoning regulations that typically are mute about aesthetics. In fact, a rigorous- but fair and expeditious - review and permitting process motivates project sponsors and architects to strive harder to achieve design excellence.

It seems fitting - and long overdue - for Maryland to enact this smart-growth legislation. After all, the term "smart growth" was first coined in Maryland. Neither a fad nor a political ideology, smart growth is simply shorthand for prudent, sustainable land use and transportation planning guided by principles that planners today universally embrace:

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FindLaw's New General Manager Michael Mathias to Focus on Growth

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FindLaw's New General Manager Michael Mathias to Focus on Growth March 21, 2013 9:01 AM

When it comes to running companies, Michael Mathias knows that growth and customer service are key. And he's bringing that knowledge and experience to FindLaw.

Mathias signed on as FindLaw's new General Manager in November. He's a welcome addition to our management team as FindLaw continues to grow -- both as a resource for consumers looking for legal help, and as a provider of business development solutions for small law firms.

"FindLaw has an important role in the legal industry," Mathias said. "Small law firms need our leading marketing services to grow their businesses and connect them with consumers in search of legal resources. I am excited to be a part of this team and aim to build on the history of FindLaw's success."

By joining FindLaw, Mathias brings 25 years of experience in leading initiatives around corporate strategy, database marketing, and customer relationship management.

For example, in a previous role as general manager for Acxiom, a marketing technology company, he managed nearly $400 million in growth for its financial services markets. He also helped Merkle Inc., a customer-relationship marketing agency grow its business from $10 million to more than $250 million in the span of a decade.

Mathias' skills, industry experience, and leadership capabilities will help drive future growth for FindLaw, which remains the No. 1 consumer legal website, said Karl Florida, director of the Small Law Firm & Consumer segment for Thomson Reuters.

"He has an established history of leading complex organizations and developing company cultures that attract and retain the best talent," Florida said. "Both skill sets position him to help FindLaw provide excellent service and exceptional value to our customers with our innovative marketing solutions."

Before joining the FindLaw family, Mathias served as chief commercial officer for a private equity-backed marketing agency called Qdmh. Mathias earned his bachelor's degree in English from Occidental College and his MBA from the Carey Business School at Johns Hopkins University.

FindLaw welcomes its new GM and looks forward to the years ahead!

-- Michelle Croteau, Director, Marketing Communications
with Andrew Chow, FindLaw Audience Team

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Categories: The FindLaw Team Tags: customer relations, FindLaw, marketing, Michael Mathias, Thomson Reuters
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