We have been residents of Talbot County since 1996 and we value our peaceful, safe and rural environment here near the end of the Tilghman Peninsula. We are deeply concerned over the effort of three Talbot County Council incumbents (Jennifer Williams, Chuck Callaghan, and Corey Pack) running for reelection in order to undermine the intent of the Comprehensive Plan.
For example: The primary goal of the Comp Plan is to preserve the rural character of Talbot County, implementing the principle of “Smart Growth”. But Council President Jennifer Williams proposed that all references to smart growth be eliminated. She suggested a new concept of “strategically selected new centers”. Read: pop-up development randomly throughout the County.
For example: Jennifer Williams also suggested replacing the seven-decades of prohibition on strip malls to be weakened by replacing the word “prohibit” with “discourage”. Read: Mr. Developer, the door is cracked open for you to come in regardless of the Comp Plan’s vision to preserve our rural countryside.
For example: Jennifer Williams, Chuck Callahan and Corey Pack adopted legislation allowing construction of open sewage ponds within the County’s non-tidal wetlands. Read: degradation of our rivers and creeks.
For example: Jennifer Williams, Chuck Callahan and Corey Pack, proposal allowing “the redevelopment of any improved property anywhere in the county into anything,” to quote the Talbot County Planning Commission. Understand: with the approval of three Council members, all zoning regulations anywhere could be set aside. (Fortunately strong citizen pushback stopped this legislation.)
It is very distressing to me that the Williams, Callahan, Pack voting block appears to be dead-set against the wishes of the citizens expressed in the Comp Plan to preserve our rural Countryside. We remember at the heated Session regarding the Noise Ordinance and Short Term Rentals, the President tried to Stop Councilman Bartlett when he was warning the Citizens to be very vigilant about the council’s policy making action. There is a lot at stake for Talbot County and these folks do not deserve to be reelected.
Janice and Barney Johnson
Sherwood
Debbie Leber says
To Janice and Barney Johnson: I think you have your facts incorrect and are taking bits out of context.
Have you actually spoken to any of these three council members and asked them or are you just repeating what you have been told by others.
Carol Voyles says
Barney’s description of events seems accurate. I also recall Jennifer Williams once suggesting we might time our travel to specific hours if traffic were to become problem on our Bay Hundred peninsula.
Jennifer and Chuck’s interests are known to be aligned with developers, but Corey Pack’s last campaign finance report (publicly available online) reflected generous support from real estate PACs.