Artie Harris

Seeking regional solutions for the future of our communities

Posted by & filed under Planning.

Over the past year, I had the honor of serving as the Chair of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC). Our impact on the bi-county region of Prince George’s County and Montgomery County is enormous and cannot be understated. I have the pleasure of serving alongside my counterpart Peter Shapiro, who is the Chair of the Prince George’s County Planning Board. Every new fiscal year, on July 1, we swap the position of Chair and Vice Chair of the Commission. I would like to take a moment to reflect on the great work that we have done together over my first term.

Housing

I know the importance of affordable housing. My parents were able to access government-subsidized … Continue reading

Environmental Resilience at Home: The Story of a Rain Garden

Posted by & filed under Design.

By Artie Harris, Chair, Montgomery County Planning Board

This is the story of my rain garden adventure in the front yard of my family’s Takoma Park home.

Every time there was a big rain, water rushed down our driveway into the street, joining with runoff from other houses in a fast-flowing gush along the curb. Since our house is on a hill, stormwater has never caused us any problems, but we knew our downstream neighbors suffered from flooded basements. We also knew the result of all this cumulative discharge was harmful to the beloved Chesapeake Bay.

Many Montgomery County homes have a similar problem, but in our case, it was especially obvious because we had a gravel driveway. … Continue reading

A Productive 2024 Legislative Session on Housing

Posted by & filed under Planning.

By Artie Harris, Montgomery County Planning Board Chair

Montgomery County has not been immune to the nation’s housing crisis. Addressing this multi-faceted issue requires interventions at every step — from project review through construction.

The Planning Board has sought to accelerate housing development through a variety of avenues. Among the thousands of bills introduced this legislative session, four bills stand out to us that will help us address the housing crisis.

Accelerating early project stages

Accelerating the development review process is one way to help get new residences built in the county.

Two bills, both sponsored by Delegate Lesley Lopez, HB 0989 Montgomery County Subdivision Plats – Conditions and HB 1003 Montgomery County Clerk of the circuit Court – … Continue reading