Council Approves Subdivision Staging Policy

After months of study, we approved revisions to the County’s 2012-16 Subdivision Staging Policy (which was formerly called the Growth Policy). The policy sets rules regarding transportation and school adequacy for proposed new developments.

One of the changes addressed in the revisions is that the new test of area-wide transportation adequacy will measure transit and road adequacy separately. New projects in areas where transit or roads are inadequate may only move forward by paying a premium equal to 25 percent of the regular transportation impact tax for the project. The premium would increase to 50 percent if both the transit and road capacities for the area are inadequate.

The approved policy also revises the test of adequacy at intersections, so it will more accurately reflect the actual congestion experienced by commuters in the peak direction of travel, and it generally mirrors standards recommended by the National Academy of Sciences' Transportation Research Board.

Additionally, housing developments in 15 high school clusters will pay a premium. Projects in 15 areas will pay a premium for not meeting the transit adequacy test, and in Fairland/White Oak will pay a premium for not meeting the roadway adequacy test.