Councilmen – I do not know how long you have lived in Talbot County, nor why you came if you are not a native. We are “come heres” from Washington DC who gave up the rat race and traffic to come to the peace and calm of Talbot County 15 years ago. We had sailed over here for some 30 years before finally pulling out of our native Washington. We have always loved the pastoral nature, the lack of traffic, the friendly people and small town shops and shopkeepers. That is what drew us to leave DC “cold turkey” and put down roots in Talbot County.
Letter to Editor: Talbot County Council Needs to Hear Facts on Comp Plan
With your apparent vested interest in real estate matters, it appears that you are blinded to just what makes Talbot County so very special. It is not bumper to bumper traffic on the St. Michaels Road (we lived in Royal Oak, and still own land on Ferry Neck, for our first few years over here and we have dealt with that afternoon “rush hour”). It is not hundreds of houses on the Bellevue Road from which hundreds more cars will try to safely drive down the narrow Royal Oak Road where a car or UPS truck goes into the ditch nearly weekly. Even more, it is not mass development out in Tilghman with no road but Route 33 to traverse to get anywhere. And this is at a time when climate change could raise water levels that would prevent anyone living on Tilghman. How can you not see that these things you are pushing into the Talbot County Comprehensive Plan will destroy, not enhance, our County?
When you meet with the public this evening, please listen to those who state facts to you. Think of the hundreds of years that people have migrated to the Eastern Shore to get away from crowds and traffic then decide if your real estate interests are more important than your conscience in turning Talbot County into another Hyattsville or Catonsville or even Kent Island. Please put the future of Talbot County ahead of your own wants.
Thank you for NOT forgetting why you are here. Thank you for your thoughtful and far-reaching vision for Talbot County.
Missy Warfield (Mrs. Seth)
Talbot County
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Richard Skinner says
Not yet full-time residents of Talbot County, we nevertheless think we understand and sympathize with the writer’s alarm at the prospect of large-scale change to the County, now under consideration by the planning commission. At the same time, it is hard not to understand the need to plan for change rather than simply wait for change. The very attributes that drew the writer and us to the County will continue to attract others, and the resources needed to pay for public services will be needed, or else those who now reside there will be taxed more and perhaps significantly more.
Having lived in Victoria, British Columbia, in western Canada, we saw how a small city of 300,000 residents located in extraordinary natural beauty could indeed manage growth. Cornerstone values such as pedestrian-friendly streets, sensitivity to cultural differences, reuse over new use of commercial and residential structures – among several – allowed for phased growth, the remediation of severely-polluted areas of the city made new land out of old and unused land, public over private car transportation reduced traffic, and on and on.
If one of the key attributes of Talbot County is its agricultural nature and the centrality of the Bay, future housing and business growth will need to be concentrated into higher density areas that are accessible by a variety of conveyances (in our “other” home of Washington DC, the bicycle now plays a significant role in transportation and the District is entertaining allowing taller buildings rather than sprawl and supporting development where public transportation is while insisting on mixed-use development.
My point is that we CAN allow for some growth, but that growth needs to be planned for.
Richard Marks says
One of the many joys living within or even just visiting Talbot County is the opportunity to witness it’s pastoral beauty while cycling. I have been fortunate to experience this feeling for the better part of the thirty-eight years as a resident and have been known on many occasions to remark to fellow cyclists that given a few rolling hills and a vineyard or two we would have as much to offer as Tuscany. Sadly, however, at a time where cycling has become more popular and more bike touring groups come here, there are now roads in our county that despite having less obstructed vision turns than in Tuscany, are truly not safe for cyclists. My first residence in 1976 was in Oxford and biked the loop (Oxford-Easton-Royal Oak-Bellevue) frequently. Now, living in Easton I avoid Rt 33, Rt 329 and Bellevue Road completely. In fact, two years ago, cyclists from our bike group convinced TIS to move their annual Shelter Ride Fundraiser away from St. Michaels because we were so concerned about the unsafe conditions on the routes they were using. Interestingly, the routes are not unsafe because the roads are narrow. In fact, with the exception of downtown St. Michael’s, most of Rt 33 has a shoulder. The danger comes from the amount of traffic which continues to grow as our county becomes more of a destination for tourists.
I encourage our county council to step back and conduct more studies before making changes to our comprehensive plan. While many people who spoke last evening at the public forum reside in the 25 mile (Pinocchio’s Nose) corridor, there are many more residents throughout the county that will also be negatively impacted if the growth and density is not properly managed.