STAR Project

Project Sponsor

The Appalachian Regional Commission

Project Partners

• University of Maryland Extension
• The Greater Cumberland Committee
   

Project Overview

Working with local governments, civic organizations, and local residents in each Western Maryland county, the project team will identify the particular needs and opportunities for sustainable economic development in Western Maryland and ensure that those needs are incorporated in PlanMaryland, the state development plan. The work will include analysis of existing social, economic, and environmental conditions including housing, transportation, and critical infrastructure. It will also include the exploration of alternative future scenarios that involve different assumptions about energy prices, investments in transportation and public investments, and land use policies.

Contacts: Gerrit Knaap, Jason Sartori

Inventory of Existing Economic Development Plans 

	"An Inventory of Existing Economic Development Priorities in Western Maryland"   Download: PDF (377 KB)

The NCSG's initial task on the STAR project is to inventory the Western Maryland region's existing economic development plans.  An inventory of the goals identified in the region’s existing plans provides a window to the unique issues facing Western Maryland, and the economic goals and aspirations of its citizens.  The report, titled “An Inventory of Existing Economic Development Priorities in Western Maryland” will serve as a reference guide through the remainder of the project.

To draft the inventory, the NCSG reviewed publicly available documents created by the jurisdictions of Western Maryland between 1999 and the present. These included the economic and comprehensive plans of the region’s three counties (Garrett, Allegany and Washington), its largest municipalities, and several regional coalitions and partnerships. In addition, the NCSG contacted the region’s economic development directors, planning directors and Chambers of Commerce to ensure that all key plans were obtained for review. The documents included in the inventory are listed below:

• Report of the Western Maryland Economic Development Task Force  
• Allegany County Comprehensive Plan Update 2002 (link) 
• Comprehensive Plan for Washington County
• City of Cumberland’s 2004 Comprehensive Plan (link) 
• Deep Creek Lake Watershed Economic Growth and Planning Analysis Study (link)
• Report of the Western Maryland Economic Development Commission (link) 
• Sustainable Economic Development Strategic Plan - City of Cumberland, MD (link) 
• 2008 Garrett County Comprehensive Plan (link) 
• 2008 Comprehensive Plan - City of Hagerstown (link)
• Tri-County Council for Western Maryland, Inc. “Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy” (link)
• Eggs & Issues: Economic Development in Washington County (link) 
• 2011 Garrett County Economic Development Strategic Plan (link)
• Garrett County Brief Economic Facts (link)
• 2011 Strategic Priorities and Action Plans - Hagerstown-Washington County Economic Development Commission (link) 
• Strategic Community Impact Plan: 2012-2016 Washington County (link)
   

Assessments of Social, Economic and Environmental Trends

The NCSG's second task is to assess the social, economic and environmental trends in Western Maryland.  The assessment process will produce five 7-10 page briefs. The briefs will be posted here as they are completed, and will address the following:

• Population. This brief will examine the demographic characteristics at present and over time. The brief will focus specifically on labor force characteristics such as labor force participation rates, education and skill levels, and employment accessibility. The analysis will benefit from the recent release of the 2010 Census data.
• Economics. This brief will examine the structure of the Western Maryland economy and changes in structure over time. The brief will also include an analysis of economic clusters in Western Maryland and an examination of the impediments to the growth of those clusters. Finally, the brief will present forecasts of alternative economic trends under low and high energy cost scenarios.
• Infrastructure. This brief will examine the capacity and utilization of infrastructure in Western Maryland including transportation, water and wastewater, broadband, and education infrastructure.
• Land and Natural Resources. This brief will examine current conditions and trends in the use of land and natural resources in Western Maryland. The brief will include information from county comprehensive lands, AgPrint, GreenPrint, and land cover data from the USGS. The brief will also include an examination of residential and commercial development capacity inside and outside Priority Funding Areas.
• Economic Development Tools and Policies. This brief will examine existing economic development tools, policies, and organizations. This will include local, state, and federal policies and tools, but the primary focus will be on state tools and policies. The primary objective of this brief is to identify the mechanism through which state programs and policies will be most influenced by PlanMaryland.
   

Local Workshops

With assistance from its STAR partners in Western Maryland (University of Maryland Extension and The Greater Cumberland Committee), the NCSG team will conduct workshops with residents in Garrett, Washington, and Allegany counties.  At these workshops the NCSG team will present draft versions of the plan inventory and policy briefs and seek from local residents information on their beliefs, perceptions, and aspirations. These workshops, which will be held in Spring 2012, will be used to identify local economic development goals and objectives.

A Primer for Economic Development Planning in Western Maryland

At the conclusion of the STAR project, the NCSG will prepare and submit to the Maryland Department of Planning, the Sustainable Growth Commission, and the Smart Growth Subcabinet a report titled “A Primer for Economic Development in Western Maryland.” Based on the policy briefs described above and the priorities identified through the workshops, this report will provide important information about existing conditions, trends, and aspirations in Western Maryland that must be considered in preparing a state economic development plan for the region.