Kristin OConnor
Chief, Community Planning
Sustainable Communities
The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) administers the Sustainable Communities Program. The Maryland Sustainable Communities Program is a place-based designation offering a comprehensive package of resources that support holistic strategies for community development, revitalization and sustainability. Howard County has worked with Maryland DHCD to designate certain areas of the county as Sustainable Communities including Ellicott City, North Laurel-Savage, and Long Reach Village.
Obtaining the sustainable community designation, which lasts five years, opens eligibility for state programs and resources, such as Neighborhood BusinessWorks, Community Legacy and the Strategic Demolition Fund. The designation also enhances competitiveness for state programs such as Maryland Bikeways.
Application Documents
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Howard County’s first Sustainable Community designation was granted in Ellicott City. In collaboration with a community workgroup, an Application/Action Plan was submitted and then approved by DHCD in 2012. The designation is renewed every five years – first in 2017 with the 2017 Renewal Application/Action Plan and in 2022 with the 2022 Renewal Application/Action Plan. The 2022 Sustainable Community Renewal/Action Plan incorporated the Ellicott City Watershed Master Plan (ECMP) goals and policies to ensure continuity with the community’s priorities over the next five years. Only policies which have a short to mid implementing timeframe were included into the Action Plan section. Some ECMP policies have been revised to reflect current implementation conditions and realities.
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Howard County, in partnership with a workgroup, prepared a Sustainable Community Action Plan for the North Laurel-Savage area. The application was approved, and the area was designated a Sustainable Community in 2013. A Renewal Sustainable Community Action Plan for North Laurel-Savage area was submitted in 2019, and another renewal was submitted in 2024.
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Howard County submitted a successful Application/Action Plan for Long Reach in 2016. In 2022, the County submitted a successful Long Reach Sustainable Community Application/Action Plan in coordination with a workgroup that included representatives from County agencies, Howard County Economic Development Authority, Howard County Housing Commission, Columbia Association, Columbia Art Center, Long Reach Village Board members, and area business owners.
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In the coming months, the Department of Planning and Zoning will be preparing an application seeking designation for Elkridge. Stay tuned to this webpage for updates.
Benefits and Resources
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To support revitalization of Sustainable Communities, state agencies have created a revitalization toolbox that documents available benefits and resources.
For some of Maryland DHCD's programs - such as Community Legacy, Neighborhood BusinessWorks, and Strategic Demolition Fund - Sustainable Community designation is a requirement.
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The list below provides examples of the types of projects that have been funded (at least in part) by state programs of benefit to Sustainable Communities. Howard County and its partners received a few of these grants prior to Sustainable Community designation, when these areas were designated as Community Legacy Areas (a designation type that Maryland DHCD no longer administers, now that the Sustainable Community designation is available).
| Project | Sustainable Community | Funding Program | Award Year | Award Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Court Avenue/Court Place Placemaking – Create public green space adjacent to the future Center for the Arts, Culture and History | Ellicott City | Strategic Demolition Fund | 2026 | $600,000 |
| Historic Ellicott City Jail – Transform the vacant 19th century jail into a vibrant, publicly accessible community anchor | Ellicott City | Strategic Demolition Fund | 2026 | $500,000 |
| Lower Main Street Adaptive Reuse Project – Renovate and activate 8081 and 8085 Main Street | Ellicott City | Community Legacy | 2026 | $200,000 |
| Upgrade & Uplift Small Business Modernization Grant – for interior, mechanical, ADA, energy, tech, safety, and compliance upgrades | North Laurel-Savage | Community Legacy | 2026 | $50,000 |
| Old Ellicott City Historic Courthouse Outdoor Improvements and Courtroom 1 Renovations - Adaptive reuse of the historic Howard County Courthouse in Ellicott City, MD, as a Center for Arts, Culture and History | Ellicott City | Community Legacy | 2025 | $400,000 |
| Strategic Demolition for an Affordable Homeownership Initiative in North Laurel - Redevelopment of the Hurst/Beechcrest properties on US Rt. 1 in North Laurel for affordable homeownership | North Laurel-Savage | Strategic Demolition Fund | 2025 | $150,000 |
| North Laurel/Savage Facade Improvement Program – Encourage revitalization within the North Laurel/Savage region of the Route 1 Corridor and historic Savage through matching grants commercial properties renovate their building facades. | North Laurel-Savage | Maryland Facade Improvement Program (MFIP) | 2024 | $75,000 |
| Old Ellicott City Facade Improvement Program – Funding for exterior capital improvements to businesses in Old Ellicott City. | Ellicott City | Maryland Facade Improvement Program (MFIP) | 2024 | $100,000 |
| Commercial Kitchen – Funds for architectural, engineering design, and predevelopment of the new Howard County Shared Commercial Kitchen. The project will fill a vacancy and support the Roving Radish Marketplace and help to remove barriers faced by entrepreneurs of all races seeking to enter the food industry. | Ellicott City | Strategic Demolition Fund | 2023 | $125,000 |
| Old Ellicott City Jail House – Pre‐development activities for the reuse and redevelopment of the Old Ellicott City Jail to ensure the preservation of the historic structure while simultaneously enhancing the aesthetics. | Ellicott City | Strategic Demolition Fund | 2022 | $250,000 |
| Old Ellicott City Building Improvement Program – Improve building façades, interior areas, design planning, and support building fit‐out in historic Old Ellicott City in support of new and current businesses. | Ellicott City | Community Legacy | 2022 | $50,000 |
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Ellicott City Safe and Sound: Lower Main Street Buildings – Support architectural engineering, demolition, stabilization and other predevelopment. Demolition to include about four buildings and stabilization of about six buildings impacted by flash flooding and the downtown stream channel. |
Ellicott City | Strategic Demolition Fund | 2021 | $5,000,000 |
| Ellicott City Safe and Sound: Flood Mitigation – Stabilization, site development, façade improvements and clean-up of buildings/areas on and surrounding Main Street in Historic Ellicott to support revitalization efforts. | Ellicott City | Community Legacy | 2020 | $485,000 |
| North Laurel Connections – Construction of a 5.6-mile bicycle and pedestrian route between Savage and Laurel | North Laurel-Savage | Kim Lamphier Bikeways Network Program | 2020 | $500,000 |
| Ellicott City Safe and Sound: Flood Mitigation – Infrastructure projects to mitigate the impact of flooding in the Tiber-Hudson watershed. | Ellicott City | Strategic Demolition Fund | 2019 | $215,000 |
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US 1 Safety Evaluation – identify short-term actions to improve safety for pedestrians walking and bicycling along US 1. |
North Laurel-Savage |
BMC’s Unified Planning Work Program |
2018 |
$85,000 |
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North Laurel Connections – design of trail and on road facilities and signage from Savage Park, North Laurel Community Center and the City of Laurel |
North Laurel-Savage |
Maryland Bikeways |
2014 |
$40,000 |
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Ellicott City Façade Improvement Program – matching grants to give financial incentive to main street building owners for façade restoration. |
Ellicott City |
Community Legacy |
2017 |
$100,000 |
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Ellicott City Flood Relief Program – being used for the reconstruction of St. Luke’s wall. |
Ellicott City |
Strategic Demolition Fund |
2017 |
$500,000 |
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Baldwin Commons and Carroll Baldwin Hall – building renovation and enhancement of park. |
North Laurel-Savage |
Community Legacy |
2010 2017 |
$90,000 $70,000 |
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Patuxent Branch Trail Paving – to upgrade the surface of the currently unpaved portion of the Patuxent Branch Trail, to bring it up to the same quality as the rest of the trail. |
North Laurel-Savage |
Transportation Alternatives Program |
2016 |
$1,092,000 |
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Howard County Bike Rack – install bike racks throughout Howard County to enhance bicycle access and support the County’s sustainability and public health and wellness goals ($800 has been used within the North Laurel-Savage Sustainable Community). |
North Laurel-Savage |
Maryland Bikeways |
2016 |
$64,000 |
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Loan Financing – acquisition of furnishings, fixtures and leasehold improvements to create a media production office for Hi Pro Production & Media LLC |
Ellicott City |
Neighborhood BusinessWorks |
2016 |
$25,000 |
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Ellicott City Façade Improvement Program – matching grants to give financial incentive to historic district owners for façade restoration |
Ellicott City |
Community Legacy |
2015 |
$50,000 |
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Ellicott City Streetscape Project – improvements along Ellicott City’s historic main street (i.e. trash cans, recycling bins, planters, etc.) |
Ellicott City |
Community Legacy |
2014 |
$100,000 |
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Ellicott City Façade Improvement Program – matching grants to give financial incentive to main street building owners for façade restoration |
Ellicott City |
Community Legacy |
2013 |
$50,000 |
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Corridor Community Service Center – acquisition of permanent office space for the multiservice center in the Patuxent Square mixed-use development in North Laurel |
North Laurel-Savage |
Community Legacy |
2010 |
$80,000 |
Who May Apply?
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- Community Legacy
- Strategic Demolition Fund
- Sidewalk Retrofit
- Kim Lamphier Bikeways Network Program
- Community Safety and Enhancement
- Nonprofit Assistance Fund (Operating Assistance Grant)
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- Neighborhood BusinessWorks
- Low Income Housing Tax Credit
- Nonprofit Assistance Fund (Operating Assistance Grant)