With less than a month before the November election, Talbot County voters face critical choices. The new Talbot County Council will make fundamental decisions in the next year that could forever change the county’s quality of life. Despite a decade of slow growth, Talbot County faces a torrent of development that will destroy the small town, rural quality of life that make it and Easton special. It will also impose enormous demands on schools, services, and infrastructure.
Easton has approved, committed to, or is considering development of over 1340 dwelling units in town alone. One of those developments, at the former waterfowl sanctuary at Poplar Hill on Oxford Road, involves 439 dwelling units: 109 “estate” homes, 135 “villa” townhomes, and 192 apartments in 9 large, 3-story buildings. Over half the dwelling units would be in the Chesapeake Critical Area, which Maryland has designated for special protection because it is closely linked to the water quality of the Bay. Rather than mitigate the impacts of the development in the Critical Area by creating a passive park that highlights the beauty of nature, emphasizes Easton’s conservation heritage, and better protects water quality, the developer will bulldoze the remaining 25 acres flat and plant turf to make way for 3 soccer fields, complete with aluminum stands – generic suburbia.
Easton and Talbot County residents overwhelmingly say they enjoy a wonderful quality of life that should be protected. The developer’s proposal would place all that at risk, doing too much, too fast, all in one place. Although change is inevitable, it can be done in a way that preserves the quality of life in Easton and Talbot County, but only if it is carefully tailored.
Poplar Hill is a special piece of property that deserves special protection because of its proximity to the headwaters of the Tred Avon and its historic links to Easton and Talbot County’s conservation and environmental values. There are no more areas like this within Easton where those values can be preserved as they can be here. There are other, less sensitive, areas where additional playing fields or additional apartments can be located. The Critical Area regulations of both the Town of Easton and Talbot County require the development be designed to minimize adverse impacts on water quality. The current design does not do that.
The Easton Code requires protection of wildlife habitats determined to be of local significance. The Talbot County Code requires that the development maximize protection of wildlife
common to the Chesapeake Bay Region. The current design meets neither of those requirements.
The Easton Comprehensive Plan requires that the development be balanced and controlled as to timing, location, appearance and impact upon surrounding properties as well as the Town as a whole. The Talbot County Code requires that the development be ordered, efficient, or productive. This development fails both tests. Instead, the proposed design will have a dramatic adverse impact on the surrounding properties and the scenic Oxford Road corridor. It will seriously add to existing traffic safety problems for residents of Papermill Crossing and Easton Club without a plan to mitigate them. On top of the Lakeside development, it will contribute to a looming wave of fiscal requirements for new schools and other public resources without a plan on how to meet those challenges.
A design that asks as much as this one does from the community, the environment, and the Chesapeake Bay truly must be exceptional in all regards to merit approval. This design could be, but is not now, the equal of what is required.
The Talbot County Council has a critical role in whether this development goes forward as planned. Because Easton has already used up its growth allocation required to develop the Critical Area at Poplar Hill, the developer has asked the County for permission to intensely develop all 66 acres of Critical Area. The members of Council you choose in November will decide whether that request is the best path forward. We believe the candidates who have committed to relooking at the Lakeside development also will give the development at Poplar Hill the careful review it deserves. We recommend votes for Pete Lesher, Michele Dappert, Lynn Mielke, and two of the following: Scott Kane, Phil Jackson, or David Montgomery. Vote like our future depends upon it – it does.
Thomas Ledvina
President
Papermill Crossing Homeowners Association
Ralph Walker says
I totally agree with this article. Moved to Easton in 1962 from Massapequa, Long Island, N.Y. where I was raised from family
roots going back forever.
The same thing happened back then in a beautiful area but could see after serving in the U.S. Air Force that things were
changing for the worse. My parents said let’s go and we found Easton. They are all gone but I remain here in Woodland Farms,
The second longest resident since building in 1983.
These developments are only a money-making for many out of towners who cannot appreciate the way of life here, but only to
many, many of us, another destruction of a beautiful area. Meanwhile they will skip to the bank, smiling.
The building designs remind me of Disney World, not Talbot County.
Enough of my rambling but couls go on with many memories of Easton.
Ralph Walker
Woodland Farms, Easton, Md
Reed Fawell 3 says
For all of us who depend on Oxford Road and/or the Easton By-pass for safe, efficient, and convenient major transportation routes, working in tandem or otherwise, the defeat this Poplar Hill project on Oxford Road is mandatory. Indeed, Poplar Hill if built as planned (439 dwelling units: 109 “estate” homes, 135 “villa” town-homes, and 192 apartments in 9 large, 3-story buildings) when combined with the 2500 unit Lakeside project will destroy the efficiency, safely and convenience of the road net comprising Oxford Road, Easton By-pass, and road-net south of Oxford Road and west of Route 50. These two projects, alone and/or together, are in obvious and gross violation of the Talbot County Comprehensive Plan.
Liz Fisher says
So Why is it called Critical Area? It is finite, and important. I feel a bit like we are frogs in a pot of slowly (or not so slowly) heating water. . . Who is going to turn the burner off? Isn’t that the job of the county council?
Jerry McConnell says
It’s hard to believe that our Town and County Councils are actually juggling the options of approval, denial, or, obviously, modification of the Papermill and Maryland Health Club applications. Both are completely out of context with this community, and out of touch with the desires and preferences of the current residents.
Because a developer has acquired property and submitted a grandiose, massive plan, aided and abetted by hometown, pseudo-friendly lawyers and hometown engineering and architectural buddies, doesn’t mean it’s the right thing.
The Papermill project is an unnecessary, irresponsible behemoth no one—no one (except the developer, and his entourage, of course) needs or wants.
The MHC project is even more ridiculous and unrealistic. Where does the impetus for these two really stupid requests gain legitimacy with the Town and County approving authorities? Do they really have to encourage every application before them as if it’s in the best interest of the citizens, because profit-driven developers have put cash into buying or optioning the property?
Current Town and County residents are fighting to keep from being victims to these two unwelcome, undesirable, unnecessary developments. Property values will be negatively impacted and lifestyles will be degraded if they are allowed to proceed.
Hopefully our trusted government representatives will be able to overcome their inclination to help engineers, architects, lawyers, builders and developers prosper and, instead, do what’s in the best interest of the current residents they are supposed to be representing.
Ralph Walker says
Jerry I don’t know you but you are 100% plus right on. At the young age of 87 life never goes easy.
Three words FOLLOW THE 💰. And the council wants a pay raise for about $9,0⁰0?
What about the rest of us in this super economy?
E.W. Clucas says
To one and all ,
It is time that these MASSIVE development’s be put to public referendum . To let a dozen or so elected officials pass judgment on the developments is ludicrous.
Are we soon to look like Middletown Delaware ? Where are these environmental groups ? We see little in the way of press any them
The banks of MilesCreek
E.W Clucas
Bob Wenneson says
Another Lakeside. Only smaller. And so many similarities. Right down to an out-of-town northern Virginia developer: a Mr. Kevin Sills of a firm called Mid-Atlantic Real Estate Investments Inc. And representing his legal interests? Our own homegrown local developer-enabler Mr Ryan Showalter. Again with practically the same quotes we’ve heard so many times. About the interesting and unique opportunities this gives to the town! The amenities! The same knee-jerk replies to any objections raised about traffic, about environmental issues (even though 50% of the proposed area to be developed is in Bay ‘critical areas’), etc.
It would be laughable if it weren’t for real. And if it weren’t for our present County Council and Town Council playing no role in stopping this type of growth. Feeling like they’ve done their duty when they’ve tweaked a few rough edges off proposals, or forced a developer to increase a few parking spaces here, add some more designated Handicapped spaces there, thrown in some extra landscape buffers as if that will save the Bay…
Lynne F McGrath says
I appreciated your passion for preserving our land and it is concerning to all of us who treasure Talbot County. I am surprised that you would not recommend Keasha Haythe for County Council. Everyone should seriously consider a voting for Keasha Haythe. With her long history in Talbot County and her expertise and knowledge in economic development, she would be an excellent addition to help move Talbot County forward using sound economic and environmental principles. I would refer you to her website https://keasha4talbot.com/ for more information, but having met her personally…she is quite impressive. I very much look forward to her sound judgement on our County Council.
Mickey Terrone says
Mr. Ledvina: Is your letter the reflection of your own opinion or that of a vote taken by the Papermill Crossing Homeowners Association? While I agree that we must make every effort to control the growth of Talbot County’s population, we must also control the development of its supporting infrastructure (schools, roads, public safety, etc). However, we must be careful in whom we place our trust in this county’s overall leadership.
Endorsing David Montgomery and/or Lynn Mielke, while they may agree with some issues of growth, would both be dangerously irresponsible to the community. Both want to plunge Talbot County back into a divisive culture war with another civil war statue featuring another confederate flag. They are both blindly dedicated to the ruse of CRT in an effort to disrupt the Public School system. Montgomery has threatened to mire the County Council to use a line item veto to eliminate any expenses from the Public School budget that he feels will support Critical Race Theory implementation, which he cannot define. This spells chaos and radicalization because CRT is a sham issue. These people are dangerous idealogues who should not be elected as one-issue candidates.
The strong leadership of Pete Lesher is already clear and Phil Jackson, Keasha Haythe, Scott Kane and Michelle Dappert are all in on the same page for controlling growth without radicalizing the County Council to drag us back into the late 19th Century. I hope you and your community members see the leadership contrasts involved in this election.
Ralph Walker says
Sorry you feel this way. I have been here since 1962 and remember it well. It will destroy our beautiful area just like so much of our great country that is happening all around us. At 87 I still care!
Mickey Terrone says
Mr. Walker, I too lived on Long Island in the 1970’s and know Massapequa. I remember visiting Massapequa Zoo and Kids Park in the early ’50’s. In 1960, just under 20,000 people called Massapequa home. Today, in the 11 square miles that cover Zip Code 11578, 53,000 people live with a population density of nearly 4,900 people per sq. mile. Here in Talbot County, with our population of 37,474, we manage to squeeze 140 people per square mile into our county as of the 2020 Census. By contrast, Anne Arundel County’s population density is 1,400 per sq. mile. And so, you might be surprised that just under half of Talbot County’s population lives in the town of Easton with a population density of 1,492 per sq. mile – nearly the same as Anne Arundel.
So, let’s not get too panicky. In reality, our population has barely tripled since 1790 and has had nearly zero growth since 2010. Do we need to control growth and protect the environment? Yes, of course. In doing so, however, we absolutely should not vote for Montgomery or Mielke to drag the county back to the mid-50’s by stopping all new housing, looking to chop up the school budget, resist funding public schools and try to drag another Confederate flag on to the Court House grounds. We should certainly work to preserve our environment and plan for growth but under the leadership of forward-thinking people like Lesher, Jackson, Dappert, Haythe and Kane.
Ralph Walker says
Mr. Terrone, thank you for your reply but it appears that my family was in Massapequa long before your dates and I was in the military in 1956. My grandfather developed some areas in that town,back in the 20’s and 30’s. I have the pictures and bluprints
in my office to this day.This is not about areas and this is not a political debate to me, but one of common sense to our area which is eroding to those who like, as my grandmother would say, the almighty dollar.
Thank you for your reply which I respect at the tender age of 87. Vote for who feel has the best solution.
Duane & Nadine Hilghman says
As residents of the Easton Club community, we will not support Lynn Mielke for the Talbot County Council. While serving as a past President of our Homeowners Association, she embroiled the Easton Club community in two boondoggle lawsuits. Neither of the lawsuits came with the knowledge or approval of the residents. When we asked Ms Mielke about the lawsuits and how much of our HOA funds had been used to pay for the legal expenses of these lawsuits, she declined to tell us. Again, when she was asked how the one lawsuit would benefit our community, she would not tell us, as though we were not entitled to know.
If she were elected to the Talbot County Council, we fear she would continue her lack of transparency and integrity, much as she did when she served on the Easton Club Board of Directors.
Susie Hayward says
I agree with the others, I will not vote for Lynn Mielke. As a resident of Easton Club I know first hand what it’s like to have Lynn Mielke in a leadership role; she is condescending, hard to work with and very critical. She would rather intimate and threaten legal action then have a normal discussion. She makes demands instead of requests. She will treat the residents of Talbot County like she treated the residents of Easton Club; like a dictator lording over her subjects. There are many good candidates to vote for but she is not one of them.
Randolph Perry says
It is embarrassing to see the current President of the Easton Club HOA, Susie Hayward and Duane Hilghman, a member of the Board of Directors, completely ignore the point of Tom Ledvina’s letter regarding the potential impact of the Poplar Hill development. Instead they used their comments as an opportunity to attack Lynn Mielke.
Perhaps Susie and Duane could focus more on challenging Maryland Health Club’s boondoggle development plan for the Easton Club golf course property.
Susie Select... Hayward says
Randy, Tom Ledvina asked readers to vote for certain candidates running for the Talbot County Council. Yes, we felt compelled to state our views about one of his endorsements, Lynn Mielke whom we have direct experience. I noticed that you did not defend her or her actions, but then, you were also on the Board with her.
Gretchen Celestino says
I am writing this letter in support of Lynn Mielke, a candidate for Talbot County Council.
Lynn is a resident of the Easton Club Community and has been for fourteen years. In the eight years that I have known her, she has demonstrated care and concern for our community and has gone out of her way to try and protect it from outside development that directly opposes our culture of a golf course community. Although she has run into opposition by some, Lynn has stood her ground, critically researching actions taken and not backing down from her principals. I believe these are positive attributes to be carried over to the county council.
Lynn believes in thoughtful growth that comes with responsibilities on the part of developer’s. She is realistic about workforce housing knowing it doesn’t include $400,000 plus homes; she is supportive of our police and sheriff as well as healthcare and education needs and supports implementation of necessary actions.
The Talbot County Council needs hardworking members who research issues, demonstrate concern for our county and stand firm for what is best for all citizens. Lynn clearly fits that bill.
Rose Sigman says
I have lived in Easton Club for seven years. A year after I moved into the community, I was elected to the HOA Board. I did not know Lynn Mielke prior to working with her on the Board. I knew of her and liked what I saw. In our three years together on the Board I found Lynn to be extreemely conscientious, meticulous in doing her homework on issues that effected the residents of Easton Club Community. I believe it was reflected in her actions. During our tenure our community was in a very difficult situation regarding the maintenance and preservation of the golf course property by its new owners. Lynn is tenacious and will not be silent. She will do what is right for the residents of Talbot county. You can count on it.