The Poplar Hill Farm project, a proposed housing development in Talbot County, was the topic of recent discussion for both the town and county planning commissions. The project’s potential impact on the Maryland designated critical area has raised concerns among residents and officials alike. The critical area is a designated area of land that is protected by law due to its sensitive ecological and environmental significance.
On April 2, a joint listening session was held at the Avalon to discuss the viability of the project and its potential impact on the critical area. With the help of our partner, the Avalon’s MCTV, the Spy has condensed the two-hour meeting into three segments to fairly explain the project in its entirety, every citizen comment, and finally a short response by the developer’s attorney.
The first segment features Ryan D. Showalter, a lawyer representing the developer. Showalter outlines the developer’s plans for the project and addresses concerns raised by the planning commissions and residents. He discusses the steps the developer has taken to minimize the project’s impact on the critical area and how the project aligns with local and state regulations.
The second segment features public comments from residents who express their concerns about the project’s potential impact on the critical area. Many residents voice their opposition to the project, citing concerns about increased traffic, loss of wildlife habitat, and the potential for pollution in the area’s waterways.
The final segment features Showalter responding to questions raised by resident comments. He addresses the concerns raised and explains how the developer plans to address these issues. He emphasizes that the project is still in the planning stages and that the developer is committed to working with the community to address any concerns and ensure that the project is in compliance with local and state regulations.
While this project and its approval process will have a direct impact on Easton, the entire Mid-Shore community, all of whom are facing similar growth issues, should take special note of this process and some of the uniques challenges that come with growth.
Segment one (Summary) and two (public comments) are approximately 30 minutes in length. Segment three (developer response) is 7 minutes.
Bob Kopec says
I attended the Poplar Hill meeting on April 4 and noted that the developer is proposing 525+ homes, condos, apartments & commercial businesses be built.
I do not recall anyone asking the following question:
“How will the nightmare of 500 – 700 cars that will empty onto Oxford Road each morning when the residents go to work or shop be addressed?”
Reed Fawell 3 says
Don’t believe that traffic study. In Northern Virginia, almost every traffic study between 198O and year 2010 concluded exactly the same thing, and the result gave us four decades of gridlock. Why? Traffic consultants who shut down new projects their clients want are fired, never to do business again. So all successful consultants in business are extremely clever in reaching results demanded by their clients, whether public or private. As a result most every successful town fronting the water on the eastern seaboard from Maine to Key West has severe traffic problems build upon bogus traffic studies built by extremely clever consultants.
Jan Bohn says
The question of how the school system will handle the undetermined number of students is of concern to me (I have no dog in that fight). Also as so many of us know, we have a shortage of physicians, nurses etc – where will these new residents find health care – at the expense of those of us now living here?? These questions were not addressed. Traffic impact studies do not take into account adjacent roads, only those ‘actually affected’. For example, the traffic study for the traffic light at Easton Village/Target area did not include the businesses further down the road toward St. Michaels not Ratcliffe Manor Road even though those entries and exits were/are greatly affected by that light. A traffic study that says all will be well doesn’t necessarily mean all will be well.
Deirdre LaMotte says
This is just sad. Why does Talbot need this? Why does Talbot not focus on the needs of it’s existing citizens? Why does Talbot trust
developers who could care less for the County, and give so much power away? This is insane. I remember saying the same to a family member in the 1990’s when Walmart was approved. Even at that time, everyone knew that once Walmart was in, commercial and residential development will follow. There is no stopping it.
So, can this be contained? Why not? Talbot should insist on the county they want to live in. NIMBY, as far as I am concerned, is
important because if citizens do not protect their community, who will??
wendy schied says
I saw what was happening in St. Michaels and high tailed it out of there. It’s a shame, a nice little town is now a s show. I hope this doesn’t go through and if it does, I’m truly sorry.
Chuck Reeser says
Seem like these development projects are all baked in even, after public outcry. The lakesidein Trappe md with 2500 homes ,4 times the amount of homes in Trappe today, I’m sure a traffic light is on the horizon at the intersection with rt 50. Bellevue Md a quiet African American community rich in history waterfront now having 14 1.5 million dollar waterfront homes all the while the community was in the dark til they saw the advertisements. Named “North Oxford”
I live on rt 33 outside of Easton heading to St Michaels and the traffic is nonstop from 5 am to midnight.There’s is such a thing as smart growth.
Reed Fawell 3 says
“There’s is NO such a thing as smart growth here, because its all single use car centered. That is especially true on a peninsulas where there is and must be one road in and one road out. Then the damage done is cumulative, on steroids, damaging everyone up and down the peninsula from one end to other end. Same thing happens on a hijacked by pass serving such roads. Hence the typical damage is quadrupled here with Poplar Hill Farm project. Do not believe this traffic study in question.
Brian says
Money…that’s all this project and Lakeside are. We’re asking the very people who benefit most to be the arbiters of the project’s appropriateness. Any one who actually cares about Easton’s long term health would never approve the destruction of the habitat if there was no money to be made. Make no mistake, few will profit, and many will pay those few in the form of life quality decline, and the destruction of the natural beauty we (almost) all love so much.
Eva M. Smorzaniuk MD says
Thank you to the Spy and the Avalon for making this event happen, and to the Spy for the concise recap of the evening. For those of us who were unable to attend, this is a great service! I appreciate all the private citizens who voiced concerns and objections to what appears to be another attempt to further augment the degradation of our environment. Kudos to Matt Pluta and Owen Bailey who spoke the truth about how this scale of development would negatively impact us in the future.