Perry Hall – Overlea
Our Moment
Perry Hall and Overlea represent the heart of Northeast Baltimore County with stable suburban communities that have long attracted families seeking good schools, quiet neighborhoods and space to grow.
Yet these areas are too often defined by sprawl and low-density patterns that leave residents with few options beyond driving to Towson or White Marsh for work, culture or commerce.
At the same time, the region is changing. Proposed developments—such as a 79-home Planned Unit Development in Perry Hall—have met resistance from neighbors worried about losing the community character they cherish. This tension is real, but it is also an opportunity: to reimagine growth in ways that strengthen, rather than undermine, the fabric of the community.
The challenge for Perry Hall and Overlea is not whether growth will come, but how it will be guided. The region is targeted as logistical and advanced manufacturing hub. After years of piecemeal, car-dependent development, residents deserve a vision that offers opportunity, preserves open space and creates real places where people want to gather.
Our Mission
With thoughtful planning and community-driven investment, Northeast Baltimore County can be more than subdivisions and strip malls. It can be walkable centers, cultural anchors and green corridors that give residents pride, identity and options closer to home.
Our small area plan for Perry Hall and Overlea starts by coordinating revitalization efforts with community development organizations in a true public-private partnership so that neighborhood priorities are respected and executed. This collaboration must build proactive processes where residents shape outcomes instead of only reacting to proposals like the Perry Hall PUD.
Among the important goals for our small area plan is providing small-scale walkable nodes with mixed-use corridors that provide alternatives to long commutes around the county. We should create civic cultural anchors such as a National History or community museum, and nature preserves so that families have meaningful destinations right in their backyard. An example of this is the Linwood Historical District in Carroll County which ties together the deep history of the region into a 35-acre living snapshot of their heritage creating strong community identity and opportunities for tourism and education.
Perry Hall and Overlea do not need to fear change. With smart, holistic planning and inclusive vision, it can also be a destination for families to gather, connect and grow together as one community.