Special Projects are initiatives selected by the VPC board as key issues or concerns to be addressed. They may involve a special study, or they may involve coordinating support or opposition to a specific policy, development, zoning change, or special exception request. Each special project must have a board sponsor who accepts responsibility for coordination of the effort and fundraising.
Special Projects do not utilize general operating funds, rather, any funding required is raised from members and other residents with the most direct concerns. Funds are often needed for consultants, expert witnesses, and/or legal counsel. Expenditures range from $500 to over $100,000 depending on the scope and complexity of the project. In cases where a legal process is involved, special projects can take a year or more to resolve. While sometimes time-consuming and expensive, special projects often set helpful precedents and avoid setting harmful precedents. The VPC has had many successes that have helped maintain our influence and reinforced our presence as a knowledgeable and engaged force in the county.
Current Projects
Sagamore, 3366 Belmont Avenue
UPDATE A request has been made to grant a special exception on parts of two parcels of land at 3366 Belmont Avenue. [...]
Greenspring Manor
UPDATE Greenspring Manor is a 61-home development proposed for a 33-acre property on Joppa Road next to Greenspring Station. The Valleys Planning Council is [...]
Stemmer House
The Stemmer House (2627 Caves Road, Owings Mills, MD) was built c. 1761 and is one of Maryland’s outstanding Georgian houses. VPC is working with [...]
Past Projects
1696 Hillside Road Landscape Service Operation
UPDATE: The applicants withdrew their application for a special exception. BACKGROUND: The owners of 1696 Hillside Road applied for a special exception to allow a [...]
Tufton/Worthington/Greenspring Roundabout
$100,000 raised to Support the Tufton/Worthington/Greenspring Roundabout Valley residents had been concerned for years about the safety and traffic flow at [...]
Hunt Valley Baptist Church
UPDATE: Baltimore County agreed to pay $1.1 million to settle a religious discrimination lawsuit filed in federal court. A judge in Baltimore’s U.S. District Court [...]
BGE Regional Substation
VPC and Community Resolve Regional Substation Issue After over a year of meetings and negotiations regarding the site for a new regional substation for high-voltage [...]
Pleasant Grove Subdivision
The owner of the former Caples property on Pleasant Grove Road has a development plan for a major subdivision. The property contains several parcels and [...]
Rainbow Hall
In 2010, the VPC filed a petition requesting a special hearing to challenge the use of a property zoned RC2 for apartment rentals. The property, [...]