Planning a pathway in Carroll County from 1961 into the future

Planning a pathway in Carroll County from 1961 into the future
June 14, 2006 by Kevin Dayhoff (639 words)

As the work continues on an update of the Carroll County Comprehensive Plan - Pathways to Carroll’s Future Landscape, it is a good time to reflect on some of the history of master planning in Carroll County and some of the past community leaders who worked hard to provide us with the firm foundation we have today, which allows us to confidently plan our future.

The methodology of developing our “Pathways” plan and the emphasis on community involvement and consensus building are once again highlighting Carroll County in a groundbreaking and leadership position throughout the state.

Then again, when it comes to master planning, leadership is something that comes quite naturally to our county. We have a history of excellence.

In November 1961, the Carroll County Planning and Zoning Commission issued the first Carroll County Master Plan, entitled “Agriculture.” The report was developed under the visionary leadership of George A. Grier, the planning director for Carroll County at the time.

Community leaders serving on the 1961 Planning Commission were Chairman E. Miller Richardson, Russell Royer, Walter Harner, and Clarence Shaw. The Agricultural Advisors were Chairman John Bixler, Frank Bushey, Jonathan Dorsey, George Tracy, and Lloyd Wilhide.

The 1961 Carroll County Master Plan was the inspiration of Mr. Grier who began his tenure with county government in 1959. He was the county's first planning director. He later served as the county administrator. Mr. Grier retired in 1983 after almost 25 years of public service.

Before Mr. Grier, a Harford County native, came to Carroll County, he was working as the Harford County planning director. However, he is another of the many examples of leadership attracted to Carroll County as a result of McDaniel College.

Carroll County was not new to Mr. Grier when accepted the commissioners’ offer of employment. He had attended, then – Western Maryland College, for three years, before he served our country in World War II.

The 1961 plan was only 54 pages, but it was an innovative approach to planning in the state in the early 1960s and many folks credit our “Master Plan” approach as the model for the Maryland Planning Act of 1992.

Once again, yesteryear’s trauma is today’s routine. .The concept of doing a master plan for the county was extraordinarily controversial in 1961. Now, state law mandates that local governments develop and update a master plan every six years.

When it comes to planning, to give folks, who have moved to Carroll County in recent years, some perspective when they complain to my generation about congestion and a loss of quality of life in Carroll County - - when folks from my generation joke that when we grew up in Carroll County, there were more cows than people, we aren’t kidding.

In November 1961, there were 48,274 head of cattle, plus 19,193 milk cows, 21,222 hogs, 333,546 chickens, 1,762 sheep and 1,045 horses. The population of the county in 1961 was 52,785.

In 1961, Carroll County was ranked number one or two in the state for land in farms; total number of cattle, hogs, and chickens; production of wheat, barley, hay, and sweet corn; and total number of tractors, grain combines and corn pickers. 77.5 percent of Carroll County was farmland.

Page 42 of the 1961 report contains a series of recommendations that are amazingly just as relevant today. In a future column we will review those recommendations and compare them to the current goals of the Pathways’ plan.

Meanwhile, we no longer have more cows that people in Carroll County. The need for careful land use planning is more important than ever.

Growth and development are some of the most difficult and challenging issues of our time. If you care about our county’s future, make time to visit the “Pathways” website at www.carrollpathways.org. Please get involved and be part of the solution.

20060614 SDOSM WE Planning a pathway in CC from 1961 p1.doc

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA.
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