The citizens group Committee to Fix Lakeside (CFL) with the support of over 800 petition signers (14-page list of signatories attached) recommends that the Talbot County Council pass Resolution 338 Amendment 1.
The eventual buildout of over 2,500 new homes in Trappe will have far reaching consequences not limited to that small town but affecting all Talbot County citizens and taxpayers. In spite of this being the largest project in the County’s history this project has not even one time, in over 20 years since its inception, had a complete airing and review of likely impacts in the county. Not by current and former county councils, planning commissioners or Talbot County citizens. Infrastructure, traffic, schools, taxes, police/fire response, medical providers – all the subjects considered essential to good public planning – left unreviewed, questions unanswered.
This represents a tragic failure of planning mechanisms role and an astounding success of the developer and its counsel’s ability to thus far embark on such a huge project without those pesky impediments of County officials’ oversight and citizen input.
The one exception has been the environmental component. Md Dept of Environment last year rejected the developer’s request for over 500,000 gallons/day sewage treatment needed for the full project buildout. Instead they granted a limiting 100,000 gpd permit, thus preserving MDE’s right for future review of additional phasings’ impacts on the already polluted LaTrappe Creek and Choptank River. However, MDE’s requirement for the developer to return for future permit expansions is self-limiting. MDE’s purview does not extend beyond environmental impacts and specifically the controversial spray-irrigation sewage treatment system.
Resolution 338 Amendment 1 would allow consideration of the many other issues, not once vetted to date, to become open to discussion as future phases of the project move forward.
CFL and over 800 Talbot County petition signers encourage our Council members to support the Lesher/Mielke introduced Resolution 338 Amendment 1.
Committee to Fix Lakeside
Bob Wenneson, Laura Claggett, Eva Smorzaniuk, Mike McConnel