The shot clock in basketball was first introduced by the National Basketball Association in 1954 to rescue fans from boredom. Stall tactics had slowed the game down. Recently baseball installed its own clock to reduce the amount of time between pitches. It seems to me we need to install a shot clock of sorts to govern affairs of the Talbot Planning Commission and County Council regarding Lakeside development.
Objections to the unrestricted development of up to 2,500 homes in Trappe along Highway 50 have been made and then made again. And again. I guess the advocates to revisit Lakeside, through responsible government agencies, believe physics will eventually force definitive action.
Members of local legislative organizations are chosen to make decisions. As are those appointed to government commissions. Persons presumably seek out these positions to become local leaders. Leaders make decisions.
It is hard for me to believe that our County officials can study the history of this broken process and not be embarrassed.
And especially embarrassed given the stakes. The only stakes on the table: the environment, the quality of education, traffic safety, and law enforcement. Simply stated if Trappe’s population triples in less than a generation the ramifications of a population explosion will collide with public budgets and responsibilities. Today’s leaders will bequeath to succeeding ones a real mess, not just a procedural one.
Regardless, make decisions. Put the questions on the clock. Move on. Hopefully we, all of us, will not have to look back with regret.
Al Sikes is the former Chair of the Federal Communications Commission under George H.W. Bush. Al writes on themes from his book, Culture Leads Leaders Follow published by Koehler Books.
Michael Davis says
Thank you, and thank all the people who continue to fight for reasonable development in Talbot County.
I’ve not seen one thing that refutes the claim that the approval of the unrestricted Lakeside Development was based on a lie. The County attorney consistently writes that no one has authority to stop the developers of Lakeside from doing whatever they want. The head of the Talbot County Council continues to support Lakeside while not saying one word about where all the money is going to come from for schools, roads, and law enforcement. The little quaint sweet town of Trappe, bless their hearts, approved the development based on a lie after the good folks in Denton had enough smarts to reject it. So Trappe continues to support it rather than admit they made a terrible mistake that negatively affects everyone else in Talbot County. This is a classic cluster.
Once again I will write the powers that be and hope they exercise some authority for the good of our fragile environment and for the good of the people already living here.
William Keppen says
I suppose you could find something good to say about the way the elected officials of Talbot County and other involved venues that have had their figures in this matter, to be polite, but don’t know what it possibly could be. The existing taxpayers and the environment should not be victimized by underfunded development, plain and simple. Do your job, for those that elected you. If proposed housing development requires infrastructure improvements, those cost should fall to developers and people who purchase their products, once again, plain and simple. That’s explaining it like you would to three-year-olds.
Laura claggett says
Of course we all want the uncertainty to end, but it’s more important that Talbot County get it right rather than get it over with. We are dealing with corruption in our local land use approval process, and MDE’s directive to “fix the map” must result in Lakeside being required, for the first time, to undergo a proper review for consistency with our Comp Plan.
This is not a game. For the future and integrity of Talbot County, the Planning Commission must find R348 inconsistent — because it’s the right and honest thing to do.
Reed Fawell 3 says
I endorse Laura’s message. Try truth for a change.
Eva M. Smorzaniuk says
Thank you for highlighting the fact that our county officials/leaders have been dragging this process on way too long. It begs the question “why?” and causes concern over the power of developers over citizens and the common good. Two of our county council members are willing to engage; what’s up with the other three? Clearly the barrage of public opinion doesn’t seem to move them to action.