Talbot County finds itself at a crossroads this election. We can allow pro development candidates to dominate the Council, as has been the case for the past eight years, or we can elect people that will protect the County’s rural character by defending and strengthening the Comprehensive Plan (CP). Need I remind all of the Jennifer Williams and Corey Pack led councils that tried to gut the CP in 2015, and the recent fiasco with the Trappe development project.
We have become complacent about local issues in the county and are letting others handle them. When it comes to land use issues, we reconcile our lack of participation by thinking that a few more houses in the county won’t impact us. We have too many other “things” to worry us.
TALBOT COUNTY – WAKE UP. This rural character that we love is now under pressure and it will only increase in the coming months. This pressure comes in the form of development proposals, new zoning requests, sewer extensions, and the sale of agricultural land for development. This is now happening in piecemeal fashion all over the county and most of us are not taking note. We need to sit-up and pay attention at least for this short time we have before the election.
This new County Council will oversee and make decisions about these issues. The most important of which will be the review and renewal of the County’s Comprehensive Plan (CP). This framework guides county government in making decisions about growth. The current CP calls for protection and preservation of the features that we love about our county. Changing this would allow the county to succumb to development pressures. We need to elect people to the Council that will protect the CP and make decisions that will preserve the county’s character.
Take note of the candidates that have already been vetted by groups who want to keep Talbot County from being over developed, such as the Talbot Preservation Alliance (TPA) at www.talbotpreservation.org or Talbot Integrity Project (TIP) at www.ResetLakeside.org then VOTE!
William Kennedy, Chair, Steering Committee
Bay Hundred Coalition
Sherwood
Barbara Denton says
Please note that the Comprehensive Plan was not gutted in 2015 and in 2018 Jennifer Williams was thrown off the Council. If the public had been smart they would have thrown Corey Pack off also, but alas, they were not smart. Much of the pressure for development has been caused by the Town of Easton annexing County land for development. The awful plan for Easton Point was created by the Town and the committee who designed it did not have anyone from the surrounding neighborhoods on the committee. Easton is out of PUDS and they should remain out of PUDS. Start checking the Easton town agenda and start attending these planning sessions and let your views be known. Do not sit around and complain if you are not willing to put the work in to stop these bad developments. All the Town of Easton is interested in is tax dollars from new citizens who will live in these developments. The affect on the rest of the population, the infrastructure, the traffic snarls, our already packed schools, and the ruination of our rural life is not a consideration as far as the Town of Easton is concerned. Not one of the Republicans who are running for Council are going to rip up the Comprehensive Plan, they are going to strengthen it. This self-appointed group of purported growth authorities are just that. Self-appointed. Do not be fooled.
Alan Boisvert says
Seems hilarious that growth was OK for those that already live here and continue their tired siren song complaining about unbridled growth(where?). So, you have your slice of the pie and bitch if anyone else wants a piece. What’s wrong with this picture.
Thomas Hughes says
Mr. Kennedy’s observation is spot on. The 2015 county council consisting of Ms. Williams, Mr. Pack, and Mr. Callahan did “gut” the comprehensive plan draft that was unanimously recommended to them by the planning commission. That draft was a continuation of the policies expressed in the 2005 plan, which was a true representation of the wishes of the majority of the people of Talbot county. That council ignored the attempted protestations of the PC’s chairman, who was not even allowed to speak during most of the so called workshops with staff. Under Maryland law, and Talbot’s charter, only two government entities are allowed to make comprehensive plan and land use recommendations-the PC and the planning officer. That council recklessly deleted and or materially changed portions of the PC’s draft, while preventing the PC’s chairman from even attempting to explain why what they were doing was counter to the public’s long held wishes and sometimes even counter to Maryland law. Those material errors remain in the 2015 plan, which are sitting there like little land mines waiting to go off if stepped on. I know all this because in 2015 I was the chairman of the planning commission, and I fervently hope that at least three council persons are elected who will preserve what’s left of the rural character of this beautiful place that I have known since the 1950’s.
Mickey Terrone says
In case anyone is interested in facts, let us understand that in the decade of 2010 to 2020, Talbot County’s population shrank by 0.7% to 37,526, or 140/per sq mile. That density is near the very bottom of the definition of “suburban”. Yet, more than half of the county’s population resides in towns like Easton, St. Michael’s, Oxford and Trappe. In Easton, where about 17,000 of us live, the population density is about 1,500 per sq mile. This is well within the definition of suburban. As a comparison, Anne Arundel County has a density of 1,000 per sq mile.
So, wake up, Talbot! More than half of us don’t live in rural areas. Let’s come to the realization that we shouldn’t be trying to drag the entire county back into rural status. Stopping all development until we can get the Comprehensive Plan fully to match our environmental and infrastructure considerations is a delaying tactic to kill ongoing development rather than ensure the mature, ongoing future greatness of Talbot County.
Our county council leadership must serve the needs of suburban-level communities to thoughtfully and safely manage modest growth and infrastructure while maintaining the rural nature of the overall square mileage of Talbot County. We must not elect a handful of naysayers who seem blissfully unaware of our current living environment while waxing poetic about our rural county. We need optimistic leaders who see a positive future, strong public schools, healthy and safe environments, modern infrastructure and the best use of our glorious natural resources.
I believe we can all agree that chaotic growth would be tragic but to be intent upon somehow providing rural infrastructure to suburban areas is dangerously misguided and foolish. We need forward thinking leadership such as is being offered by Pete Lesher, Phil Jackson, Keasha Haythe, Scott Kane and Michelle Dappert. The county can’t afford a misguided setback with this Republican slate.
Barbara Denton says
First of all Mr. Terrone you live in Oxford. You are not part of the us in Easton. The Town of Easton is the problem. Do not think the developers do not recognize a greedy local government with no scruples when they see one. The county cannot support a 2500 unit housing development in Trappe, nor can it support a 439 housing unit in Poplar Hill at the beginning of the Oxford Road corridor. Inserting a so-called Agri-Business in the heart of the Easton Club a very fine planned residential community is another ploy being used to “update” this community. Everyone in Talbot County is aware of our environment and what will happen with this massive development. All of our schools including the brand new elementary school in Easton are at capacity. Our rural county will not exist if this list of Democrats are elected. We need to maintain our farmland and the proper environment for our water men to thrive.
Carol Voyles says
With little change in our population over the past decade, our county council simply may not have been prepared to manage the level of growth we are facing today. It is also ironic that despite our comprehensive plan’s mandate to preserve the rural character of our county, a council majority comprised of born-heres would favor this level of development.
Authority over water and sewer plans is our council’s primary source of control – and certainly fundamental! We’re also reminded of our comprehensive plan’s goal of focusing development around existing infrastructure for smart growth, and that our county and towns might focus more upon coordinating these efforts.
Fortunately we have council candidates capable of addressing not only issues of population growth, but environmental issues supportive of a healthy Bay in a county with over 600 miles of shoreline. Reviewing the CBF council candidate forum could be a good idea.