Via email to qacc@qac.org:

Dear Commissioners;

I want to add my comments to those made on the Comprehensive Growth Plan.  In general, I agree that growth in the County in inevitable, and should not be totally discouraged.  We need to increase the opportunities for those who live and work here, and increasing population generally increases economic growth for everyone.  As the population ages, there will be more and more pressure to build in potentially attractive retirement areas such as Kent Island, and we would be foolish to believe we can halt the growth.  

However, I strongly disagree with the assumption that the infrastructure to support the level of growth planned already exists along the Route 50 corridor.  Anyone who has tried to traverse Route 50 on the weekend in the summer knows there is more than enough traffic to overwhelm a six-lane
highway, and as people use Route 18 to get around the bottleneck, Stevensville, Chester and Grasonville become equally impassable.  Add to this the possibility of another several thousand homes on Kent Island, and we will have gridlock on the local roads for all the residents.  

In my opinion, the most equitable way to handle the anticipated growth is to limit its rate.  This will allow the infrastructure to be improved and expanded to keep up with the increase in population.  Despite the current intention to limit Four Seasons to adults, eventually there will be children in those houses, and they will need more schools, better fire protection, more law enforcement and other general county services.  If the rate of increase in housing is allowed to grow without control, there is no way we
can avoid overcrowding our roads, schools and shops.  No one who moved to this beautiful island wants that to happen.  

My request is that you incorporate a limit on the number of building permits the County can issue in a year.  I don't know what the right number is, but several thousand is way too many.  Give the County a chance to grow in an
orderly, maintainable rate, and we can preserve the lifestyle and beauty we came here to enjoy.

Thank you.
Hamilton G. Walker, Jr.
Stevensville, MD