O'Malley bill: Local development plans must be followed

It's a simple bill, but one that Gov. Martin O'Malley deems necessary: a law to require local governments to carry out the development plans that they write.

A controversial court case over a huge proposed development in Western Maryland called Terrapin Run led to a ruling that local governments do not have to base zoning decisions on their comprehensive development plans, which say where growth should occur.

Terrapin Run was in an area that Allegany County did not mark for future growth, but the county zoning board approved the development anyway. The Maryland Court of Appeals upheld the zoning board's decision...