County Executive Jim Smith thinks the county's planned unit development law needs some tinkering.

County residents should be wary.

Planned unit development, or PUD, is an alternative planning and review process.

Imagine a development proposal as a train that must stop at a series of stations -- meetings and hearings -- before arriving at its destination. That's the standard development process.

Now, imagine a high-speed train on a different track, with fewer stations along the way.

Also, this development engine can pull things the other engine cannot, such as a mix of zoning uses, relaxed density limits and different setback rules.

That's the PUD process.

PUDs are nothing new and are often used around the country, sometimes with great benefit. It's an alternative that can inject flexibility into planning and zoning rules, which otherwise may not allow desirable innovative or creative development.

The tinkering that Smith proposes, via a bill introduced at his behest by Council President Joseph Bartenfelder, involves plans that go through the process but fail to get approval.

This happened recently with PUDs proposed for the Bowleys Quarters and Millers Island areas, both killed by community opposition.

The proposed change would send such plans back to the Planning Board for additional work. In other words, instead of the train going off the tracks, it goes back to where it started and can make the trip again.

Making the stakes even higher is the fact that, in 2005, the PUD law was changed so that the County Council no longer has the power to override Planning Board approval of a PUD. The Planning Board -- not an elected body -- has the final say.

Some community activists are already blowing the whistle.

Steve Whisler, president of the Coalition for the Preservation of Southwest Baltimore County, said the change would create an "endless loop" that would have the effect of wearing down opponents.

Don Mohler, a spokesman for Smith, said the intent is simply to codify what currently is implied.

"This is not a pro-development bill," Mohler said.

Another activist, Mike Pierce, who is with the Greater Kingsville Civic Association, said the county PUD law is broken and this bill "doesn't fix everything."

It would probably take a skilled land use attorney to parse what is going on here.

The County Council will vote June 1 on the bill.

The Latin phrase "Cui bono?" -- "Who benefits?" -- should be kept in mind.

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