[HISTORY: Adopted by the Harford County Council
by Bill No. 77-27.[1] Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Building construction — See Ch. 82.
Streets, sidewalks and public works — See Ch. 225.
Zoning — See Ch. 267.
Zoning applications, rules of procedure — See Ch. A274.
[1]
Editor's Note: This legislation was included
as Ch. 25, Art. I, of the 1978 Code.
[Amended by Bill No. 77-95]
A.
2016 Master Plan, Harford NEXT.[1] The 2016 Master Plan, HarfordNEXT, as adopted by County
Council Bill 16-016, is hereby declared to be the Official County
Master Plan. The 2016 Land Use Element Plan, the 2016 Transportation
Plan, The 2016 Natural Resources Element Plan, and the 2016 Historic
Preservation Element Plan are hereby incorporated into the 2016 Master
Plan, HarfordNEXT and are hereby declared to be part of the Official
Harford County Master Plan.
[Amended by Bill Nos. 85-28; 88-24; 88-30; 88-65; 89-73;
90-39; 91-46; 92-95; 93-80; 94-5; 94-78; 94-87; 95-56; 95-76; 96-28;
96-41; 97-7; 98-2; 98-20; 98-39; 99-50; 99-63; 00-6; 00-8; 00-55;
01-29; 01-36; 02-57; 03-13; 04-23; 05-44; 08-34; 09-02; 09-24; 09-46;
10-19; 12-01; 13-13; 13-15; 16-016]
(1)
Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Program. The Chesapeake
Bay Critical Area Program, which includes Zoning Code regulations,
all maps and the Harford County Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Program
Manual and Appendices, is incorporated herein by reference as part
of this chapter as though it were fully stated herein, and the Chesapeake
Bay Critical Area Program is hereby declared to be part of tocignore="false"the
official Harford County Master Plan.
[Amended by Bill No. 22-012]
(2)
1992 Rural Plan. The Rural Plan, dated December 8,
1992, along with all appendixes, is incorporated herein by reference
as part of this chapter as though fully stated herein, and the "1992
Rural Plan" is hereby declared to be part of the Official Harford
County Master Plan.
(3)
2022 Land Preservation, Parks, and Recreation Plan.
The 2022 Land Preservation, Parks, and Recreation Plan, along with
all appendices, is incorporated herein by reference as part of this
chapter as though fully stated herein, and the 2022 Land Preservation,
Parks, and Recreation Plan is hereby declared to be part of the official
Harford County Master Plan.
[Amended by Bill Nos. 13-15; 18-039; 23-019]
(4)
January 2000 Edgewood Community Plan. The attached
Edgewood Community Plan, dated January, 2000, along with all appendices,
is incorporated herein by reference as part of this chapter as though
it were fully stated herein, and the January 2000 Edgewood Community
Plan is hereby declared to be part of the Official Harford County
Master Plan.
(5)
March 2003 Joppa/Joppatowne Community Plan. The attached
Joppa/Joppatowne Community Plan, dated March 2003, along with all
appendices, is incorporated herein by reference as part of this chapter
as though it were fully stated herein, and the March 2003 Joppa/Joppatowne
Community Plan is hereby declared to be part of the Official Harford
County Master Plan.
(6)
Priority Preservation Area Plan. The Priority Preservation
Area Plan, dated May 2016, is incorporated herein by reference as
part of this chapter as though fully stated herein, and the Priority
Preservation Area Plan is hereby declared to be part of the Official
Harford County Master Plan.
(7)
2013 Harford County Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan. The 2013
Harford County Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan is incorporated
herein by reference as part of this chapter as though fully stated
herein, and the 2013 Harford County Bicycle and Pedestrian Master
Plan is hereby declared to be part of the official Harford County
Master Plan.
(8)
2016 Harford County Water Resources Element Plan. The 2016 Harford
County Water Resources Element Plan is incorporated herein by reference
as part of this chapter as though fully stated herein, and the 2016
Harford County Water Resources Element Plan is hereby declared to
be part of the Official Harford County Master Plan.
[1]
Editor's Note: A copy of the Master Plan is
available from the County Department of Planning and Zoning.
B.
Legal status.
(1)
The Master Plan shall serve as a guide to public and
private actions and decisions to ensure the development of public
and private property in appropriate relationships. The plan is a basic
scheme generally outlining the planning and zoning objectives in the
county and is not considered a final document but one that is continually
subject to modification in light of the actual land use and development
in accordance with the implementing documents. However, areas that
may have an existing use contrary to the designations shown in the
plan are recognized in the formulation of the plan as having that
existing use, and it is the affirmative direction of the plan that
the designated land uses shown in the plan are those that the county
has affirmatively adopted as the appropriate uses to which that land
is to be put in the future. Lands surrounding existing uses that are
different from those that are shown in the plan are to be used in
the manner shown in the plan and not as an extension of existing uses.
(2)
Upon the adoption of the plan by the County Council,
no street, square, park or other public way, ground or open space
or public building or structure or public utility, whether publicly
or privately owned, shall be constructed or authorized in the county
until the location, character and extent of such development shall
have been submitted to and approved by the county as consistent with
the plan.
(3)
The word "shall," when directed toward the county,
is to be interpreted to mean that the county is to endeavor to proceed
in a specific direction or act in a particular way or proceed in a
particular direction as appropriate but shall not be interpreted to
mean that it is mandatory for the county to act at a certain time
or do a particular thing within a given period of time.
