State officials are coming to Carroll County on Tuesday to hear what residents and local leaders need to help them plan for the future of community life across Maryland — and right in their own back yard.

The Maryland Department of Planning will host a PlanMaryland open house and forum, Tuesday, March 9, 6 to 9 p.m., at the Carroll Community College Scott Center auditorium, 1601 Washington Road, Westminster.

The state is seeking to hear from residents about what matters to them in terms of planning issues, said Rich Josephson, director of planning services for MDP.

“What we want to find out is what are people concerned about, what are their issues and what they think is the most important thing they want the state to address,” he said.

PlanMaryland aims to streamline local, state and regional plans to take advantage of federal funding, according to MDP’s Web site.

Officials hope to hear about transportation, land-use, infrastructure, recreation, schools and other planning issues.

One thing that weighs on the mind of Ellen Dix, president of the Freedom Area Citizens’ Council in Eldersburg, is improving Route 32 and other state roads.

“It’s hard to attract business when you can’t get there,” she said. “I think what they did at the Warfield Complex (off Route 32) is wonderful, but if people are coming from Howard County or down from Hampstead or Westminster, getting there is a problem.”

From 6 to 7 p.m., to help answer questions on projects and other issues, the state will have representatives from several departments, including the departments of Environment, Health and Mental Hygiene, Natural Resources, Transportation, on hand.

Also at the meeting will be representatives Carroll County Government, the City of Westminster, the Chesapeake
Bay Foundation and 1,000 Friends of Maryland, Josephson said.

That time is to talk about immediate and long-term issues, he said.

Then from 7 to 9 p.m., people will break up into small groups of about eight to 10 people, sit around a table and talk about issues. They’ll also be polled on demographic information, he said. That time is more suited for the long-range planning, he said.

Looking toward the long-term, and planning for things 40 to 50 years away, is important now to determine what choices the state needs to make, Josephson said.

“(Planning) is not so much a matter of the immediate constraints on finances, but it’s a matter of priorities and choices,” he said. “Do we want to spend our money on reviving cities and towns and preserving farms, or spend money on extending roads in subdivisions and rural land?”

Dix commended the state for coming to communities, but said they need to talk to people on a smaller, more local level.

That’s not a problem, Josephson said.

The department is scheduled with community groups and organizations, and there’s plenty of time in the process to get involved.

“If they invited us, we’ll be glad to attend,” he said.

Requests for meetings should be e-mailed to rjosephson@mdp.state.md.us.

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