She said those ideas will be passed along to the 25 senators who are members of the task force. Federal and state policies have encouraged sprawl over the last 50 years, and we really need to reverse them. The federal government can play a role by discouraging post offices and federal facilities from relocating far from town centers, Young said. He also suggested tax changes that would make it easier for people to buy homes in cities or towns and to keep farms without subdividing them, as well as regulatory changes relating to land use and consumer loans. But Young said he does not believe the public is generally opposed to smart growth.
People are against density, and they're against sprawl.
And Young said the two bypasses, which he thinks are unrealistic based on cost alone, were denied for good reason. Young suggested that the towns instead consider making internal changes, such as to their traffic patterns, perhaps with state help. Young said Maryland and its localities must act quickly. He said that if current rates do not change, Maryland will consume as much land in the next 20 years as it has in the past 300.