Anne Arundel
Op Eds 2018 - 2020
Jim Lyons: Glebe Heights subdivision threatens important Anne Arundel greenway
By Jim Lyons December 28 2019
The Anne Arundel County Council, Executive Steuart Pittman, and all those who came together to help secure passage of the county’s new forest conservation bill certainly deserve thanks and congratulations.
But for forest conservation to succeed, there remains another important step in the process. The new forest conservation law encourages the protection of forests by setting tougher reforestation requirements for developers and others.
Jim Lyons: Anne Arundel Council must decide which side it's on in forest conservation debate
By Jim Lyons October 20, 2019
Monday evening, the County Council will vote on a forest conservation measure Council Bill 68-19 — that could have a significant, beneficial impact on the future of our county.
Conserving the county’s remaining forests would provide a range of benefits to county residents, businesses, and visitors– from filtering air and water pollutants to combating climate change, to maintaining a quality of life that makes our county such an attractive place to live, work, and play.
Ann M. Fligsten: Charter amendment a chance to strike a blow against overdevelopment
By Ann M. Fligsten March 30, 2018
Community meetings, County Council hearings, newspaper articles and opinion columns have been alive with citizen unrest over rampant overdevelopment in Anne Arundel County. School capacity, road congestion and vanishing green space dominate political positions and family dinner conversations. How did we get in such a mess and what should be done? Undoubtedly, there are many causes and many solutions.
Now, an opportunity to make a meaningful improvement is at hand. It must be seized!
Jim Lyons: For Anne Arundel's future, adequate isn't enough
By Jim Lyons January 14, 2018
At its meeting Tuesday, the County Council will once again consider a bill to address the problem of public school overcrowding from overdevelopment in parts of the county by amending the county Adequate Public Facilities requirements to deem schools “closed” when they are at 95 percent capacity.
The bill is simply intended to ensure that growth doesn’t exceed the capacity of our schools — and our teachers — to provide a quality education.