Plan To Rezone Homes Near U.S. 40 Denounced

Howard County's planners are trying to guide growth in a 7-mile stretch of the U.S. 40 corridor over the next two decades with a recipe of proposed zoning changes from residential to retail and office uses. "The public's will has come face to face with the government's will, and the outcome could have broad implications for a broad swath of Howard County (Maryland), where aging neighborhoods are competing against the desire for commercial expansion. The tensions are neither new nor unique to Howard County, but they have taken on heightened importance because county planning officials have embraced the idea of converting some residential property along U.S. 40 into office or light commercial uses."