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March 4, 2021

The Talbot Spy

The nonprofit e-newspaper for the Talbot County Community

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Talbot County Report with Chuck Callahan and Clay Stamp

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The Talbot Spy was pleased that incoming Talbot County Council president, Chuck Callahan, and newly appointed County Manager Clay Stamp have agreed to continue our quarterly check-in sessions about essential issues in our community.

Former president Corey Pack started this tradition to reach out to the Talbot County community in a decidedly apolitical way to inform and educate our readers on some of the more pressing issues of the day.

In our first of these, Chuck and Clay not surprisingly talk about the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on Talbot County. They also outline some of the issues related to vaccine delays and the need to reach out and encourage all residents, regardless of computer access, to educate themselves and the need to protect themselves and their loved ones from this deadly coronavirus.

This video is approximately nineteen minutes in length. For more information about COVID-19 in Talbot County please go here.

Dr. Maria Maguire Appointed Talbot County Health Officer

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Talbot County has announced that Dr. Maria Maguire was appointed as Talbot County Health Officer by the Maryland Department of Health on January 13, 2021, after the Talbot County Council recommended her to the Maryland Department of Health as Dr. Fredia Wadley’s successor. Dr. Maguire was appointed acting County Health Officer on December 15, 2020, after the retirement of Dr. Wadley.

“We were fortunate to have benefited by the excellent leadership Dr. Fredia Wadley provided as our Health Officer over the years and especially over the past year in responding to the pandemic; we wish her well in her retirement,” commented Chuck Callahan, President of the Talbot County Council.

“On behalf of the County Council, we are pleased with Dr. Maguire’s appointment as the Health Officer knowing her passion, training, and experience will continue to serve our county well as we battle the pandemic and address other public health matters.”

Dr. Maguire has served as Deputy Health Officer with the Talbot County Health Department since 2019, as a Pediatric Hospitalist with Children’s National-Peninsula Regional Medical Center since 2019, and as the Medical Director of the Talbot County Children’s Advocacy Center since 2018. Prior to these positions, she was a Medical Director with the Medicaid Program within the Maryland Department of Health, practiced pediatrics with the University of Maryland Community Medical Group in Easton, and worked as a health policy analyst with the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

After attending Princeton University, Dr. Maguire received her medical degree from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee, and stayed on to complete her residency in Pediatrics at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Her interest in understanding social determinants of health and improving the health system led her to pursue a master’s degree in public policy at the Princeton University School of Public and International Affairs, where she studied health policy under Nobel prize winners Angus Deaton and Paul Krugman and was mentored by former New Jersey Commissioner of Health Heather Howard. Dr. Maguire is board certified in pediatrics and is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

“I am honored to be appointed Health Officer for Talbot County and look forward to working with the community to protect and promote the health of our County. In particular, I am eager to help lead the county out of the COVID-19 pandemic. This experience has shown that Talbot County is mighty and comes together to do great things in times of need,” Dr. Maguire commented.

While Dr. Maguire is an employee of the State of Maryland, she works closely with the Talbot County Council which serves as Talbot County’s Board of Health.

“It is important for the Talbot County Health Officer to have a close working relationship with County Government and the County Council. We work to support each other during any kind of statewide public health emergency like COVID-19,” added Clay Stamp, County Manager for Talbot County.

“We are delighted to have Dr. Maguire here and in this important role to direct our county as we address the issues surrounding the pandemic. She continues to work closely with our staff and the business community to meet these challenges head-on.”

WC’s Interim President Powell on COVID, Campus Morale, and Presidential Search

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It’s hard to imagine a more difficult time to lead a small liberal arts college than in the first few months of 2021. In addition to the ongoing struggle of adjusting a school’s business model to remain competitive, college presidents now must cope with the massive disruption caused by COVID on an institution’s mission and finances.

And if you’re in these roles in an acting capacity, like Washington College’s Interim President Dr. Wayne Powell, it might be easy to double the stress factor in navigating through these troubled waters.

But in listening to Dr. Powell yesterday when he talked to the Spy, it is surprising to note his general theme of optimism in the face of these unprecedented challenges.

In his Spy interview, the former president of Lenoir Rhyne University talks candidly about his short tenure at WC in fulfilling his primary task of managing the school’s operations and creating a solid runway for a new permanent president to inherent once selected later this year.

This video is approximately thirteen minutes in length. For more information about Washington College please go here.

Split Easton Council OKs Zoning Change Allowing Home Improvement Centers to Seek Larger Size

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A split town council approved a zoning text change that will allow home improvement centers to propose stores larger than 65,000 square feet.

The Easton Town Council voted 3-2 Monday night to approve Ordinance 756, which amends the town zoning ordinance to add a definition of home improvement center and excludes those stores from the town’s size limit on major retail.

Councilmen Alan Silverstein, Ron Engle, and Rev. Elmer Davis Jr. voted to approve the ordinance; Council President Megan Cook and Member Don Abbatiello voted against.

Supporters said the zoning text change does not approve any specific project, but allows a home improvement center to seek approval from the town council for a particular project.

Opponents said the amendment should be considered during the coming update to the town’s comprehensive plan.

Engle, speaking before the vote, said many of those commenting on the amendment were confused about its effect.

“The purpose of this ordinance is to propose a pen and ink change to create a definition for home improvement center,” he said. “If passed, it would only allow the council to review, through the PUD process, a proposal for a new home improvement center is larger than the maximum 65,000.”

Engle said the current comprehensive plan was started in 2007, approved in 2010, and was intended to cover a 6-year period. The state later extended the plans to ten years and Easton is set to begin updating its plan this year, a process that could take two years.

“It’s too late. We’re already a regional shopping destination,” Engle said of concerns about allowing big box stores.

He said the current plan encourages new retail development in or near existing shopping centers, but “we should then look to existing commercially zoned properties in town. Not to non-commercially zoned properties or properties not in town that we would have to annex.

“There are only two parcels where this can occur,” he said. “The commercial area between Route 50, U-Haul, and Olive Garden clearly is the most attractive commercial area in town.”

Abbatiello agreed Easton was a commercial hub, but said any change involving big box retail stores should wait until after the comprehensive plan is updated.

“Those of you who want to think the town of Easton is still the quaint small town from the past are ignoring reality,” Abbatiello said. “Easton is growing and becoming a hub for commerce on the Mid-Shore.

“The question therefore isn’t whether or not development will come to Easton, the question is what form will it take,” he said. “(W)e currently have a mechanism for answering that question through the comprehensive plan.

“As a result, I think any current proposal should follow the comprehensive plan that is in place,” Abbatiello said. “And I believe that the new comprehensive plan, beginning to take shape this year, should look seriously at where a large home improvement store can go.”

Cook agreed that the comprehensive plan update should come first and said the majority of those who emailed comments supported that idea.

“During the last rewrite, there were roughly 850 people involved which shows that the comprehensive plan process is the correct venue for the community to consider, not just this proposal, … but for the general idea of big box stores within the town of Easton,” Cook said.

Davis noted the comprehensive plan has been amended since its last update in 2010.

“So it is not a plan … that was etched in stone and no one went contrary to what was written. I am of the feeling that this ordinance does not guarantee any business being built in the city of Easton,” he said. “This is just to change some verbiage and language, and I would hope and pray that this be considered, because from an economic point of view, that if it came to fruition, it will afford minorities, people who look like me and other people in the community a job, and I think that’s essential. Economic development is essential.”

Two people spoke Monday night against approving the zoning text change.

Pete Lesher, a former town councilman, said the zoning code should not be changed,

“Easton has a sound rule. And there are good reasons for that rule concerning the location of big boxes in our community,” Lesher said. “I said in my written commentary that the colocation of big boxes with with smaller retailers necessarily has a beneficial effect to those smaller retailers and linking those two in the rule requiring them to be co located, is something that does help our smaller businesses and I’d hate to see that advantage lost in a rule change here.

“The second is really that principle of encouraging redevelopment. I think we do have a sense that Easton is overbuilt with retail space, and while … we don’t have an empty big box, there are … retail spaces in this community that are ripe for redevelopment,” he said. “The rule as it stands encourages redevelopment into those spaces rather than the breaking of new ground for new development.

“We shouldn’t change the rulebook for one potential applicant — that smacks of picking winners and losers,” Lesher said. “And that just doesn’t seem the right way to govern.”

Laurie Forster, a resident of Mulberry Station, urged the council to “stick to the plan.”

“We have a process called the comprehensive plan. I just read the one from 2010 I never thought I’d be doing that,” she said. “And I understand a lot more about the comprehensive plan now that it’s community involvement that really is to drive that plan.

“And we have a saying in our house, stick to the plan. And so I guess I’m asking you to stick to the plan,” Forster said. “The plan does not allow for this size or this type of business in that spot. I won’t debate the effects that it might have on our neighborhood because I know that’s not the issue at hand tonight but I am concerned.”

The town’s current 65,000-square-foot size limit for major retail uses does not include stores that expand, redevelop, or are adjacent to shopping centers approved before Aug. 25, 2004. Ordinance 756 would add “home improvement centers” as a use that is not subject to the size limit.

The Easton Planning and Zoning Commission considered the proposed text amendment at its November meeting and unanimously recommended the town council deny the request. Changes to the town’s size limit on retail stores should only be considered during the upcoming comprehensive plan review, the commission urged.

The town will start its review and update of the comprehensive plan this year, with the update expected to be complete by 2023.

The zoning text amendment, sought by the Gannon Family Limited Partnership, has prompted speculation that Home Depot is again interested in building a store in Easton.

During the town’s Jan. 19 hearing on Ordinance 756, a representative for the family partnership said a home improvement center was interested in purchasing property at U.S. Route 50 and Chapel Road, but would want to build a store larger than the current 65,000-square-foot limit. The partnership then applied for a zoning text amendment to allow for a larger size for home improvement centers.

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Bay Foundation Challenges Wastewater Permit for Lakeside Development in Trappe

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The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) filed a lawsuit against the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) contesting the legality of the wastewater discharge permit it issued for Lakeside at Trappe. ShoreRivers also is challenging the discharge permit.

The permit, which MDE approved in December, allows the proposed 2,500 home and commercial development in Talbot County to use spray irrigation over farm fields to dispose of treated wastewater, CBF said in a press release.

Under the permit the development can spray up to 540,000 gallons of treated wastewater per day over the fields. The treated wastewater must contain no more than 3 mg/L of nitrogen and 0.3 mg/L of phosphorus on average before being applied to the fields.

While this is the standard for wastewater plants disposing of treated wastewater, the current assumption for wastewater disposed onto fields — as is proposed in this project — is no net pollutants once it leaves the field, according to CBF. Nitrogen and phosphorus from treated wastewater can fuel harmful algal blooms in local rivers, streams, and the Chesapeake Bay that create oxygen-deprived dead zones inhospitable to marine life.

In a press release, CBF outlined two primary concerns related to this method of wastewater disposal.

The first is that the department did not fully account for the connection between groundwater and surface water. Multiple studies have shown that even under the best conditions, nutrient pollutants applied to agricultural land can reach nearby streams through shallow aquifers under farm fields.

However, MDE asserted, without sufficient evidence, that the nitrogen and phosphorus in the wastewater will be taken up by crops in the spray field, according to CBF. MDE contends that this will effectively result in “zero net discharge” of pollutants to local waterways, which may enable the development and MDE to bypass requirements to reduce pollutants under the Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint, also known as the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load.

Neither the department, nor the developer has effectively proven that this plan to dispose wastewater won’t increase pollutants entering the Bay.

The second issue is that MDE did not publish the nutrient management plan for the project during the public comment period. The plan is intended to demonstrate how the proposed development would use specific crops to take up nutrients in the wastewater being sprayed on the field to prevent them from entering nearby waterways.

Instead, MDE accepted the plan after the public comment period was closed and deemed it “satisfactory” without providing the public with an opportunity to weigh in on it, CBF said in a press release.

The development is being built near Miles Creek and the Choptank River. The Lower Choptank River is already impaired by sediments, nutrient pollutants, and fecal coliform in its tidal portions.

“The department’s approval of this wastewater permit sets a risky new precedent enabling large developments to use spray irrigation to bypass Bay pollution reduction requirements,” Alan Girard, CBF’s Maryland Eastern Shore director, said. “We already know legacy pollutants such as fertilizer, manure, and chemicals can seep from the ground via groundwater and flow into nearby streams and creeks. However, by claiming the Bay TMDL that obligates Maryland to reduce pollution is not applicable to wastewater treatment plants that use spray irrigation, the department has basically ignored that fact.

“This appears to circumvent established state policy to manage water quality. The state must account for pollution from septic systems that discharge to groundwater, but by obtaining a state groundwater discharge permit to spray irrigate instead, developers will be able to ignore these limits,” Girard said. “We are deeply disturbed that the department will not close this loophole that allows the state to disregard Bay restoration requirements.

“MDE must also follow its own public notice regulations, which it did not do in this case. While the department did eventually make the nutrient management plan for this project available, it did not do so when the formal public comment period was open as required by law,” he said. “This is unfair to those who could be affected by the pollution that this project could generate, and we are asking the court to recognize this fact. There are substantive issues with the plan and its application here which could have been addressed through the public notice and comment process.”

Petition for Judicial Review 2-1-21

Comment Period Closes Feb. 1 on Proposal to Allow Home Improvement Centers to Exceed Easton’s Size Limit

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The town council will be taking written comments until Monday, Feb. 1, on a proposed zoning text amendment that would allow home improvement centers to exceed 65,000 square feet.

The 65,000-square-foot size limit for major retail uses does not include stores that expand, redevelop, or are adjacent to shopping centers approved before Aug. 25, 2004. Ordinance No. 756 would add “home improvement centers” as a use that is not subject to the size limit.

The Easton Planning and Zoning Commission considered the proposed text amendment at its November meeting and unanimously recommended the town council deny the request. Changes to the town’s size limit on retail stores should only be considered during the upcoming comprehensive plan review, the commission urged.

The town will start its review and update of the comprehensive plan this year, with the update expected to be complete by 2023.

The zoning text amendment, sought by the Gannon Family Limited Partnership, has prompted speculation that Home Depot is again interested in building a store in Easton.

During the town’s Jan. 19 hearing on Ordinance 756, a representative for the family partnership, said a home improvement center was interested in purchasing property at U.S. Route 50 and Chapel Road, but would want to build a store larger than the current 65,000-square-foot limit. The partnership then applied for a zoning text amendment to allow for a larger size for home improvement centers.

Attorney Zach Smith said there are no existing sites in town that would readily work for the home improvement center and the store also would like to be on the east side of U.S. Route 50 where future growth is planned.

Approving the ordinance, Smith said, would simply allow the home improvement center to “proceed with a design, bring that design forward to the town council, the town council can lay it out to the public and we can have a robust discussion in the context of an actual concrete plan about the pros and cons of a home improvement center.

“I guess if you are of the mind that ‘no way, no how, we don’t want another home improvement center in Easton,’ then there’s no point in making that change as it is not necessary,” he said. “And certainly I suspect there are folks in our community that have that opinion. I also think there are probably folks in our community who would say, ‘it can’t get here soon enough, open the door, let’s bring ’em in.'”

Tom Alspach of the Talbot Preservation Alliance said the proposed text amendment “raises what has been over the last 20, 25 years probably the most contentious, controversial issue regarding development that the town of Easton has faced.”

Alspach said the issue started in the late 1990s when the town adopted a moratorium on big box developments. Big box stores were addressed in the 2004 and 2010 comprehensive plans and subsequent zoning ordinances.

“This is not some minor matter that we are being asked to tweak in the town ordinance,” Alspach said. “This is something that goes to the very heart of how this town should develop in terms of its commercial enterprises ….”

Written comments on Ordinance 756 may be emailed to the town council at mayor&council@EastonMD.gov.

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Talbot Co. Health Officer Gives COVID-19 Update; Dept. Launches Call Center for Vaccination Info

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Talbot County’s acting health officer gave an update Tuesday afternoon on the county’s COVID-19 statistics and vaccination progress and announced the county’s new call center for vaccine information.

Anyone with questions about the vaccination program in Talbot County may call 410-819-5641. The call center will be staffed from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, with extended hours until 7 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays.

“This is a call center that we’ve set up purely for vaccination questions,” Dr. Maria Maguire, Talbot’s acting health officer, said in a call with business leaders and the public.

The health department is being assisted with the call center by the Avalon Foundation and Easton Utilities.

“We have never operated a call center on this scale before,” Maguire said, and the center already has been getting a large number of calls. She recommended that callers try again later if they get a busy signal or hold message.

In addition to the call center, the health department’s website has forms eligible residents interested in getting a vaccine may fill out.

Emergency personnel or licensed medical professionals who work in Talbot County and have not yet scheduled a vaccination appointment, may use this healthcare form to sign up now.

The county currently is in Phase 1B of the state’s vaccination plan, which includes residents 75 and older. Residents in that age group may express interest in getting a vaccine by clicking here: Interest form for residents 75 and older.

The next phase will be 1C, which will include those who are 65-74 years old. Residents in that age group may express interest in getting a vaccine by clicking here: Interest form for residents 65-74.

These interest forms are for planning purposes and help the health department gauge interest in the community. Only one submission is necessary. You will not receive an appointment after completing the survey. The health department will reach out when vaccine is available.

Additional interest forms will be added in the future for residents who will be eligible for vaccinations in other phases, such as childcare and essential workers. Go to https://talbotcovid19.org or talbothealth.org for the latest information.

For most of the past week, Talbot County has been the “most vaccinated” in the state, with more than 10% of the county’s population having received “at least the first dose of a COVID vaccine” as of Tuesday, Maguire said.

One reason for that is the large number of healthcare workers who live or work in the county, she noted. Those workers were included in the initial phase of vaccination (1A).

About 30% of the county’s population is 65 and older, Maguire said, and she estimated about 40% of Talbot’s residents are in Phase 1 of the state’s vaccination plan.

With a large percentage of residents who are 65 and older, Talbot also will administer a lot of  vaccines during Phases 1B, which includes those 75 and older, and 1C, which will include those 65-74.

Although the state has said counties are allowed to move to Phase 1C, Talbot and most other jurisdictions have been unable to do so due to the number of vaccine doses provided by the state.

About 5,000 Talbot residents who are 75 and older and 4,000 who are 65-74 have pre-registered to get the COVID vaccine, Maguire said.

Due to those high numbers and the low number of vaccines provided, Talbot may need to remain in Phase 1B for longer than other counties, as health officials work to vaccinate the residents who are at highest risk first.

“Our main hiccups are just that we simply do not have enough vaccine to meet demand. And unfortunately, we don’t have much control over the amount of vaccine we do receive,” Maguire said.

Talbot had been getting about 600 doses a week, but the county’s allocation was cut to 300 doses this week, curtailing plans to move the county to Phase 1C.

“(W)e need to make sure that the very high demand is met before we proceed to … Phase 1C,” she said.

With fewer doses, the county currently is prioritizing residents who are 85 and older.

“(T)hey are the highest risk among the 75 years and above … in terms of … mortality and hospitalization,” Maguire said. “And so that’s what we want to get to first and we will be proceeding through. So anyone who has already registered will get priority in terms of scheduling before we move on to the next phase.”

“Our goal is always to … administer vaccines as quickly as possible. We receive them on a Monday or Tuesday, and … more than 99% of them are gone by the end of the week.”

Maguire also outlined some positive news in terms of the county’s COVID-19 statistics.

“So our numbers are starting to go down a little bit from the holiday surge,” she said, noting the county’s case rate (the rate of cases per 100,000 population) had dropped significantly from its peak on Jan. 11.

Talbot’s positivity rate also has dropped from about 10% at the beginning of January to about 6% now.

“(T)hat’s really good because our goal is to get that number, that positivity rate, below 5%,” Maguire said.

Although there are positive trends, she urged residents to continue to follow safety precautions and not become complacent.

“(T)he only way we can get these numbers back down to where we want them is if people … continue to wear their masks and avoid the crowds and gatherings.”

Dr. Maguire had given the Talbot County Council, sitting as the county’s Board of Health, an update during the council’s Jan. 12 meeting. The video of that presentation is available below:

Talbot Interfaith Shelter Purchases Second Shelter in Easton

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In mid-November, the Board of Zoning Appeals voted unanimously to approve a permit for Talbot Interfaith Shelter (TIS) to operate a second shelter facility directly next door to their existing shelter in the heart of downtown Easton.  On January 26th, TIS finalized the purchase of the property.

After a few upgrades, including the installation of a fire suppression system, this new shelter will serve single men and women, while the organization’s first shelter, located in a former bed and breakfast called Easton’s Promise, will be converted to a families-only facility.

“This is a big leap forward for our organization,” says TIS Executive Director Julie Lowe.  “We have been receiving approximately 25 calls per month from single individuals seeking shelter and assistance with getting back on their feet.  It has been heartbreaking to turn people away, and we are looking forward to being able to welcome more of our neighbors into our family in the near future.”

To celebrate the purchase of the new shelter, Talbot Interfaith Shelter is holding a house naming contest.  Those with a name suggestion can visit here before Wednesday the 2th to submit their idea.  Voting will open on Thursday 29, and the winner will be announced on February 15.

In addition, those looking to provide financial support for the shelter’s expansion now have a unique opportunity to double the impact of their donation.  In honor of Marketing and Development Director Jayme Dingler’s 40th birthday, a generous donor offered to match the next $40,000 donated in support of Talbot Interfaith Shelter’s mission.  Dingler will also donate $40 each in honor of the first ten people to make a gift as part of the campaign.

She says, “One of the biggest blessings of my entire life is being a part of this incredible organization…  As TIS and I are reaching major milestones at the same time, it seems only fitting to celebrate my ‘big day’ by celebrating TIS!  Thank you to our generous matching donor for making this possible, and thanks in advance to everyone who contributes.  I am humbled and so grateful!”

To make a donation, visit talbotinterfaithshelter.org or mail a check to PO Box 2004, Easton, MD 21601.  Contact Jayme at jaymedingler@talbotinterfaithshelter.org or 443-786-4676 to learn about other ways to give.

Easton Holds Public Hearing Tonight on Maximum Size for Home Improvement Centers

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The Easton town council will hold a public hearing tonight on a proposed zoning text amendment that would allow home improvement centers to exceed 65,000 square feet.

That size limit for major retail uses does not include “retail stores within or adjacent to shopping centers which were approved prior (to) August 25, 2004, including projects which involve the expansion of individual stores within an existing shopping center; or the redevelopment of an existing shopping center; or the expansion of an existing center onto an abutting site or an adjacent site; or the construction of a new retail store on a site adjacent to an existing shopping center.”

Ordinance No. 756 would add “home improvement centers” as a use that is not subject to the size limit.

The Easton Planning and Zoning Commission considered the proposed text amendment at its November meeting and recommended the town council deny the request.

The zoning text amendment, sought by the Gannon Family Limited Partnership, has prompted speculation that Home Depot is again interested in building a store in Easton.

A public hearing on Ordinance 756 is set for 5:35 p.m. during the council’s regular town meeting tonight.

The Easton Town Council meeting may be viewed live online at https://www.facebook.com/midshorecommunitytv. The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. Easton Cable subscribers may view the meeting on Channel 98.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, face masks must be worn at all times in the council chambers unless addressing the council and there is limited seating to ensure proper social distancing.

During the town’s Jan. 4 meeting, Easton Town Council President Megan Cook noted the limited seating available in the council chambers and said the council would be provided with public comments made on the video of the meeting and would leave the written record open until Friday.

If you wish to make public comments during the meeting, use the chat function on the livestream; leave a recorded message by calling 410-822-2526 and choosing option 9; or send an email to Questions@EastonMD.gov

The text of Ordinance 756 may be read below. Use the arrows at top left to move through the pages.

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Exit Interview: Discover Easton’s Ross Benincasa

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The Spy “Exit Interview” series is part journalism and part oral history. Over the last eleven years, we have interviewed dozens of local leaders at the moment of their departure to reflect on their work and some of the challenges they faced in their professional careers and the nonprofit organizations they have helped lead.

In this installment, Ross Benincasa has been asked to provide some perspective as he completes four years as director of Discover Easton and its partner organization, the Easton Business Alliance.

For Ross, the last four years have seen some great success in having the world “Discover” Easton. He has also overseen many experiments to help achieve that goal. And in his interview with the Spy, he outlines his observations on what works in attracting visitors from Washington or Baltimore.

Ross also talks candidly about the Easton Promenade concept that was embraced but then was quickly discarded by the Town of Easton Council early last summer. The promenade idea was to promote outdoor dining by closing off Washington Avenue in the historic downtown to encourage more customers. Unfortunately for many, there was major pushback from other downtown stakeholders, and the town council reversed their decision within a week.

Benincasa is the first to admit the project was fast-tracked in the attempt to help local restaurants. He also acknowledges that this kind of quick change is hard to implement. Still, it remains confusing and disappointing to him that the promenade conflict has led to the end of his organization and its mission by Easton’s mayor to merge Discover Easton into one budget center with the Easton Economic Development Corporation.

This video is approximately ten minutes in length.