Politics

Frederick County is working to develop zoning requirements for cannabis dispensaries and facilities that grow or process the plant, which was legalized for adult recreational use in Maryland earlier this year. State law authorizes county and municipal governments to “establish reasonable zoning requirements for cannabis businesses” that are not overly burdensome to cannabis licensees.

The county’s Department of Housing and Community Affairs (DHCA) has provided funding for the construction of an apartment building along the Purple Line Corridor in Silver Spring. Park Montgomery West, an affordable rental apartment building at 8856 Piney Branch Rd., will help preserve and meet the growing demand for affordable, transit-oriented housing, county officials announced.

The departure of the chair of one standing committee is causing a cascade of changes within the leadership of the Maryland Senate chamber. The shuffling announced to senators on Tuesday follows last week’s news that Senate Finance Chair Melony Griffith (D-Prince George’s) is vacating her seat to move to the private sector. Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore) said in a letter to the Senate that he sought “input from many” before announcing the changes that will take effect Nov. 1.

A Maryland state lawmaker who backs laws intended to shield children from coercive questioning by police and prosecutors while in custody thinks there’s no reason to make adjustments. Some prosecutors cite the Child Interrogation Protection Act as a reason for an uptick in crime. The law requires police and prosecutors to contact a parent or guardian of a child in custody, and to instruct that the child can have a lawyer if they choose.

Moth-eaten blankets? Broken old television? Sludgy nail polish? Baltimore County wants it all. Grappling with diminishing capacity at its last remaining landfill, Baltimore County is playing catch-up with the rest of the state by adding textiles — such as clothes, shoes, purses and backpacks, towels, curtains and sheets — to the list of things residents can drop off at the county’s three recycling facilities.

There is a 24-story office building in Harbor East where tenants pay top dollar for panoramic views of the Baltimore harbor. Seven years ago, the tower was valued at $300 million, but thanks to a deal between the developer and the city, the building has a city property tax bill equivalent to a Home Depot in East Baltimore’s Bayview. The 2009 deal was framed as a necessary incentive to build the former Legg Mason tower at 100 International Drive, but it also meant the city waived tens of millions of dollars in tax revenue.

Rockville’s mayoral and City Council candidates shared their positions on lowering the voting age to 16, allowing non-citizens to vote in city elections, establishing term limits and voting districts at a forum last week. The four referendum advisory questions on the ballot this year were brought up during Thursday’s event hosted by Rockville-based nonprofits Community Reach and Rainbow Place Shelter.