Which Should Come First: Infrastructure Or Development?

The mayor of Annapolis, Maryland, wants to overrule a bill that delays all building until adequate infrastructure is in place. Lifting the ban, she says, would streamline planning in the city, but many worry that it would allow too much development.

1 minute read

March 22, 2007, 2:00 PM PDT

By Nate Berg


"Annapolis Mayor Ellen O. Moyer is seeking to lift the building delay enacted last fall by the city council and to put off a public facilities bill - moves she said would streamline the planning process but that opponents say will thwart efforts to control growth."

"The adequate public facilities ordinance (APFO) would require that adequate fire, police, water and road support be in place before major new developments could move forward. The current development delay halted new projects until the legislation is put in place."

"Moyer wants the facilities legislation to take a back seat to planning."

"'In terms of good planning, the APFO needs to be viewed in the context of comprehensive plan,' she said. 'Planning and growth should drive the APFO, not the other way around.'"

"'They want the comprehensive plan to drive the APFO, but I don't agree with that whatsoever,' said Alderman David Cordle. 'The APFO should set guidelines for future development. If we put the comprehensive plan first, it is going to drive how the APFO is written.'"

"Cordle said the city 'never met any development they didn't seem to like' and that public facilities legislation would help to manage growth. The mayor called the building delay - enacted in the fall - a 'knee-jerk reaction that had little to do with planning.'"

Sunday, March 18, 2007 in The Baltimore Sun

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight