Poor communication.
Till now, The Talbot Integrity Project (“TIP”) has not adequately explained just how important our recent successes have been. You remember all the “Reset Lakeside” yard signs in last fall’s election? Well, different route, but Mission Accomplished. Perseverance pays.
Think about it: today Talbot citizens stand in virtually the same spot as if on January 14th the Council we elected had introduced and adopted the “Reset Resolution” we were all advocating. Here is how “Reset Lakeside” was described when first announced in the Spy, September 28, 2022:
“TALBOT COUNTY VOTERS HOLD THE POWER to require Lakeside to proceed through a new—but this time a proper—evaluation…by the public, by the Public Works Advisory Board (“PWAB”), and most importantly by the Planning Commission, before going through a public hearing and being reconsidered by the new County Council.
“This time, we can talk about schools and who’s paying–because, of course, school capacity is inadequate. We can talk about traffic, and who’s paying for the roadwork triggered by a 2,500-unit subdivision and the scale of this billion-dollar project. This time around, we can discuss the impact on the Sheriff’s office, and EMT services, and the capacity of our hospital. We can discuss what a “regional commercial center” means, and whether Trappe’s one stoplight is the spot for a shopping center 1/3rd the size of the Annapolis Mall. And we can arrange assurances that whatever is finally proposed is what really gets built…and over what time span.
“Most importantly, we can talk about Lakeside’s compatibility with the vision in Talbot’s Comprehensive Plan as a rural community with a unique, uncongested quality of life.
“That said, no one is going to “stop Lakeside.” Presume those houses are not going to be torn down. Presume those roads are not going to be ripped out and soybeans planted where Rocks laid asphalt. Assume the project will proceed in some manner. But if voters act wisely, we can make sure Lakeside is reevaluated at the County level, in terms of pace, scale, uses, the funding of public facilities, and more.”
The whole point was to get the Lakeside approval back to the Planning Commission—and that is right where we are today! The 120 homes comprising Phase1 of Lakeside are not going away. But until the County complies with the Maryland Department of Environment’s (“MDE’s”) directive to discard the flawed Sewer Service Map adopted in 2020 and adopt a corrected map, no plat for any new section of Lakeside is going to get recorded. Virtually the same result as the “rescission” TIP sought, but actually simpler and cleaner.
But are we prepared for success? The task at hand is clear and immediate–and it is not for TIP to do on your behalf. TIP’s laser focus was to claw back the approval of Lakeside so that citizens have a second chance to make their case—most critically, before the Planning Commission—as to why that enormous, ill-conceived subdivision so destructive to the fabric of Talbot County, should NOT be approved wholesale, “immediate priority” all at once.
No matter how much three County Council members might support Lakeside and its Virginia developer, Rocks, no Sewer Service Map can be adopted by the Council that is not certified by the Planning Commission as being consistent with our Comprehensive Plan.
WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN NOW:
First, at its next meeting on September 12th, the County Council is going to introduce the Sewer Service Map (along with other changes of lesser importance) that the Lakeside developer, Rocks Engineering, wants. It changes nothing related to Lakeside.
But that Sewer Service Map, which governs future development, will have a public hearing before the Planning Commission on October 4th, where the Commission will hear from citizens and citizen organizations. The Commission will also have benefit of written comments submitted prior to the meeting, from citizens, organizations, and the Public Works Advisory Board.
The Planning Commission will thoughtfully consider all of the testimony presented before rendering a decision. If the Commission majority decides the map presented by the Council IS consistent with our Comp Plan, then shame on us. That map will go back to the Council for adoption. “Fix Lakeside” will have failed. Talbot County will thereafter have virtually nothing further to say about the project; Rocks and the Town will proceed unmolested.
Citizens “Fix Lakeside” only if the five Planning Commissioners (who themselves have learned a lot about Lakeside since 2020, even before new testimony) consider the information citizens and organizations provide and conclude that the Sewer Service Map presented—the developer’s map—is not consistent with our Comprehensive Plan. In that case, it will be sent back to the Council (already under serious pressure from MDE to get things resolved PDQ) to respond promptly to the issues raised before the Planning Commission, to whom it must be sent resubmitted for approval.
The Sewer Service Map cannot be adopted until it meets the Planning Commission’s standards for consistency with our Comprehensive Plan—the plan whose vision calls for protecting our “rural character and quality of life.”
THE PLANNING COMMISSION:
It is important to remember that the Planning Commission is not the “opposition” here, and in expressing objections to the developer’s map the Council is putting forward, we just need to be reasoned, specific, evidence-based, and temperate in tone. The five Commissioners are unpaid citizen-volunteers who thanklessly put in untold hours. TIP is confident of their fidelity to their charge: “the primary responsibility of the Planning Commission is to implement the vision outlined in the Comprehensive Plan”—in Talbot County, that means our rural character and quality of life.
While it would be unwise to assume anything, as to Lakeside these individuals already may be as frustrated and unhappy as the rest of us…maybe more so. It was they, after all, who in 2020 were misled by all of the falsehoods and omissions, clearly approving Lakeside as “consistent” only because they were led to believe the project had already been approved by the County long, long ago. It was they who were told that in 2002 the County said Lakeside should be developed “in 3-5 years,” when that had never happened and, until August 2020, the whole tract was “unprogrammed,” just like 99% of the other corn and bean fields in Talbot County. (See the recent Spy article on “Falsehoods,” here.)
WHAT TO DO IF YOU CARE ABOUT THIS ISSUE:
Be prepared, and help close the deal. As the Planning Commission’s public hearing approaches, a good deal of additional information will become available. Plan to participate via email and in person. Rather than “I don’t like Lakeside,” gather your thoughts as to just WHY that is: is it traffic safety? Or school capacity? Or the absence of the most perfunctory fiscal analysis of Lakeside’s impact on our taxes? Maybe it’s as simple as the destruction of our rural character.
It seems we have a month to prepare. TIP and others will be helping to coordinate efforts to see that concrete information is presented to the Planning Commission in a thorough and articulate manner. It’s all about consistency with our Comp Plan, which you can see here. If a particular issue interests you (or if you have experience or expertise to offer, e.g., you were in public finance, or traffic engineering, or you are a member of the Whitemarsh PTA) think about emailing [email protected] to offer your help.
And if you’ve got that old “Reset Lakeside” sign in the back of your garage…or the more recent “Fix Lakeside” yard sign…how about putting it out there again. We can do this, and quite an adventure it is!
Dan Watson
The Talbot Integrity Project
Reed Fawell 3 says
I have some very recent comments (#19-22) generally applicable to Lakeside that are found here:
https://talbotspy.org/the-avalon-and-talbot-spy-the-easton-council-president-election-town-hall-meeting-with-craig-fuller/
Graham Fallon says
As always, great analysis and leadership!
Alan Boisvert says
The Lakeside yard signs make Easton super ugly. Please everyone, throw them away.
Eva M. Smorzaniuk MD says
You think the signs are ugly? Have you driven past the Lakeside development recently?
Dr. Bob Weigand says
Dan, your cogent analysis of the process for a new resident of Talbot County, like me, is appreciated. Drivers of change, as you have noted in your comments, sometimes are not motivated to bring all of the data into the conversation. Time, reflection and people like yourself who have studied the process offer those of us who need to know more a informed perspective of the past and what to look for in the coming weeks. Thanks for your work and describing the right, values driven by data, reasons to make the best decisions for the future of Talbot County.
Eva M. Smorzaniuk MD says
Thank you Dan for this comprehensive review. Yes, citizens of Talbot County have won a battle, but not yet the war. Continued citizen engagement is required. It has been a long slog so far, but we shouldnt allow this to wear down our resolve. The developer has time and money, and hopes that citizen interest in this issue will die. Please continue to follow this issue, and the response of the Planning Commission. And, as mentioned, if you have a particular area of interest and expertise, please email [email protected] to offer help!
Leslie Steen says
I am thankful that the Sewer Map is going back to the Planning Commission, which can reject it. What I don’t understand is how the Council can put forth to the Planning Commission a Sewer Map that embodies the errors of the past and is so inconsistent with the Comp Plan.
In my opinion the Council should have proposed a Map that put us back to the beginning, creating a sound baseline, a map that dies not have any of the erroneous changes. This would set the record clear, taking us back to the beginning. Then the Council and Planning Commission can consider changes to the proper baseline. We don’t need a muddled mess moving forward as we will have if this map is approved.