The Howard County Council has rejected a bid to override County Executive Ken Ulman's veto of a new land preservation map, the Howard County Times reports.
Instead, despite a motion to override the veto made by member Greg Fox, the Council took no action. The Council can now continue to work with Ulman’s administration on a new map.
In December, the Council approved legislation to re-tool the county’s land preservation system, but less than two weeks later, Ulman vetoed the legislation, saying it did not do enough to preserve land, according to the Times.
To fulfill new state requirements, the county must designate land as one of four tiers, the Times reports. Tier I allows for the most development and Tier IV is zoned for agricultural preservation.
The Council’s map designates land in the western part of the county, which is currently “priority preservation,” as Tier IV, and land that already is developed residentially and its surrounding parcels as Tier III.
Ulman’s administration proposed a map that would make more land Tier IV and designate rural, residential properties as Tier III.
When he announced his veto of the county’s legislation, Ulman said he wanted to work with stakeholders, including farmers on “a better solution,” The Times reported.
In a letter to the Council Monday, Ulman said he was working toward a compromise and was "committed to developing a solution which helps us meet our shared goals."
Fox filed a bill Monday that was similar to the one the Council had approved.
