Duncan Suspends Home Building

Bozzuto, chairman of Bozzuto Homes, predicted that a slowdown will drive up the price of existing homes. "It's a supply-and-demand market, and the less supply there is, the greater the price people will be able to get for existing inventory," he said.

Already, efforts in place in Prince George's have slowed growth there significantly. In January, County Council members decided to stop accepting plans for new subdivisions in the county's most undeveloped region, known as the rural tier, for a year while leaders work on a comprehensive growth policy. That came on top of last year's legislation that links building permits to available police and fire services.

In Virginia, Loudoun County sought to slow development in its western reaches, only to have it struck down by the court.

If the Montgomery council's legislation is approved next week, residential building permits in areas requiring a site plan will be issued only after Berlage and Robert Hubbard, the director of permitting services, personally sign off on them. The council will then review the permit for 15 days, after which time building can start.

If a building permit has been issued but construction has not begun, the proposal requires that a "stop work order" be issued. The builder will have to reapply so that Berlage, Hubbard and the council can review it.

Subin and the other sponsors -- Nancy Floreen (D-At Large), Michael Knapp (D-Upcounty) and Howard A. Denis (R-Potomac-Bethesda) -- said home buyers should have to wait only a few weeks for building permits as long as the site plan conforms to Planning Board decisions.

But council member Steven A. Silverman (D-At Large) predicts that a backlog of applications for permits will ensue, delaying some projects for months. "It is unfortunate we have to take this step, but it is necessary to restore confidence," he said.

In Clarksburg Town Center, residents and county officials say the developer, Newland Communities, violated its site plan, which states that townhouses can be no taller than 35 feet. Newland officials contend that the planning staff gave them permission to build townhouses up to four stories, or 45 feet.

"County officials may be targeting the private sector as the whipping boy, but the officials who issued the plans and permits deserve an equal number of lashes, not one less," Newland spokesman Charlie Maier said. "No home in Clarksburg was built without their explicit approval."

Staff writer Ovetta Wiggins contributed to this report.