The Maryland Department of Planning is presenting a webinar, “Designing Adequate Public Facilities Ordinances (APFOs) for Sustainable Growth”. APFOs ensure that infrastructure and community facilities can keep pace with growth, but if not designed or applied correctly, they can hinder the type of development needed to ensure thriving and affordable communities. Panelists will describe how APFOs work in Maryland and share insights gained from recent research completed in partnership with the National Center for Smart Growth, including an updated inventory of APFOs in the state. Representatives from Charles County and Annapolis will share lessons learned over decades of school, transportation, and recreational APFO implementation. The panel will also detail best practices for designing APFOs that can help jurisdictions address Maryland’s housing crisis.
Attendees will learn how to:
Navigate the complexities of school APFOs.
Panel Members
David Dahlstrom, AICP
David Dahlstrom, AICP, has been a planner with the Maryland Department of Planning for over 13 years and among other duties serves as the manager of local jurisdictional annual reports and biennial APFO reports. David has also served as the coordinator of the APFO Workgroup of the Maryland Sustainable Growth Sub-Cabinet. David has over 35 years of planning experience. David earned a master’s degree in urban and Regional Planning from Florida State University. Prior to moving to Maryland, David worked at the Florida Department of Community Affairs and the South Florida Regional Planning Council and has extensive experience with Florida’s Concurrency Management Systems, the ‘teeth’ of growth management.
Jason Groth, AICP
As the Director of the Charles County Department of Planning & Growth Management, Jason Groth, AICP, leads a team of over 100 full time employees that manage land use planning, development entitlements, civil engineering, permit review, and public transportation. He has over 28 years of experience in the planning and development industry, including 20 years of management and leadership. His expertise includes the planning and policy development of transportation, land use, housing, water resources, economic development, emergency management, conservation, recreation, and adequate public facilities.
Melissa Hively
Melissa Hively is a Planner II with Charles County, Maryland, where she oversees the Adequate Public Facilities program and reviews development applications to ensure compliance with local regulations. Her role involves close collaboration with internal departments and external agencies to safeguard the capacity and integrity of public infrastructure to support responsible growth.
Melissa began her career as a paralegal in a private land use practice, where she developed a strong foundation in zoning, subdivision, and regulatory frameworks. Her transition to public service began as a Planning Technician before advancing to her current role.
With a unique blend of legal and planning experience, Melissa brings a practical, solutions-oriented perspective to land use and development review. Outside of work, Melissa enjoys traveling, reading, and spending time with her cats.
Eric Leshinsky, AICP
Eric Leshinsky, AICP is the Chief of Comprehensive Planning for the City of Annapolis where he focuses on a broad range of urban policy areas including housing, land use, natural resources, mobility, and cultural arts. He led the city's recent comprehensive plan update, Annapolis Ahead 2040, which includes an ambitious vision for the City's future. A native Annapolitan, Eric worked for over twenty years as an advocate, architect, planner, and urban designer in other places including New York City, Houston, Austin, and Baltimore, before returning to Annapolis in 2020. He holds a Bachelor's Degree from Columbia University, a Masters in Architecture degree from Rice University, and is a licensed city planner. In addition to his work with the City of Annapolis, he is also the Board Chair at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts.
Sarah Kamei Hoffman
Sarah Kamei Hoffman is a second-year Master of Community Planning (MCP) student at the University of Maryland (UMD). She is driven to use urban planning as a catalyst to foster health, happiness, and creativity among youth and broader communities.
Sarah’s foundational experience lies in education and youth engagement, having served in three AmeriCorps education service programs. She continues to apply this expertise by supporting a built-environment after-school program through UMD and tutoring K-2 students. Her commitment to community well-being also extends to food access and sustainability. She works at farmers markets in the Washington, D.C. region and interned for a food education program in Washington D.C.
In graduate school, Sarah has gained necessary planning skills through her work as a teaching assistant, research assistant for the National Center for Smart Growth (NCSG) and the Stormwater Infrastructure Resilience and Justice Lab (SIRJ), and a summer fellow with the Montgomery County Council. Sarah was born in Japan, grew up in Northern Virginia, and earned a double degree in Political Science and Criminology from The Ohio State University.
Subscribe to our mailing list