Pay to Play in Halethorpe? You decide.
I'm always asked how large development projects in Baltimore County can move forward with so few community benefits, poor transparency, and consistently lopsided outcomes. After more than 15 years of standing with communities and fighting pay-to-play politics, I can see the patterns clearly, but what is obvious to me is not always easy for the public to recognize.
We need development, but it must be fair, transparent, and equitable. Going forward, our newsletters will occasionally highlight examples showing how developer influence shapes land-use decisions and why we must resist electing council members funded by these special interests.
The redevelopment of the former Good Shepherd property in Halethorpe is one example. In 2019, the 72-acre site was sold to a developer to whom the county granted numerous variances, zoning changes, technical assistance in the form of supportive testimony while failing to secure basic community improvements like sidewalks to the nearby MARC station.
During this process, the developer donated $3,000 to the councilperson who advanced a zoning change that favored the donor, and $7,300 to County Executive Johnny Olszewski, who signed the changes into law. The developer’s land-use attorney has also been a longtime fundraiser for council members, raising money in ways that, to many, appear linked to future favors.
Despite promises of 213 for-sale homes, residents recently learned, without notification, that the development will instead be a $3,100/month market-rate rental community owned by a single corporate landlord without set-aside affordable units to help residents age in place or attract young people to start their careers—another lost opportunity. Residents are now left facing overcrowded schools, congested streets, and long-term infrastructure liabilities, including reduced flood resilience without a single meaningful benefit.
This is what pay-to-play politics looks like: the community bears the costs, affordability issues persist, while politically connected developers reap the rewards. We can and must demand better. I remain committed to exposing these patterns and working toward a land-use process that is equitable, transparent, accountable, and serves the public good.
