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We think the article in The Capital (following) contains some misleading information. For example, the headline is misleading, there is not a building ban, but a ban on new subdivision applications and approvals. It also does not say that " 'no county official may accept, process or approve' a building application during the moratorium". Building permits for approved subdivisions should NOT be affected unless the number of permits applied for goes over the 400/188 cap set for 2002. Queen
Anne's bans building
By putting a freeze on the controversial Four Seasons development and other projects, the commissioners hope they will give the county time to institute regulations necessary for controlling growth. "We cannot ignore the recent spike that is taking place in the number of lots being proposed in the county," said County Commissioners President George O'Donnell, D-Queenstown, during the announcement made at the commissioners' weekly meeting in Centreville. Since January, county officials have received or been in the process of reviewing permit applications for 5,700 lots. Those include the 2,800 homes proposed on Kent Island in the Four Seasons, Gibson's Grant and Ellendale projects. That's 1,778 more lots than the total number proposed in the past 22 years, which is 3,922. "People love Queen Anne's. We love Queen Anne's," Mr. O'Donnell said. "But we want to make sure we don't love it to death." Steve Kaii-Zeigler, the county's director of planning and zoning, said "no county official may accept, process or approve" a building application during the moratorium. "If we keep having applications come in, we can't work on (the mechanisms to control growth) in the shortest time possible," he said. Over the next six months, county officials plan to create or update tools for controlling growth, including:
Several residents were overjoyed by the moratorium. Joseph Gannon of Church Hill, who's running for the District 1 commissioner's seat, thanked the commissioners. "I personally think this is the most important decision you have made," Mr. Gannon said. But others, even those who have called for a moratorium in the past, are still wary. "Now they can devote themselves full-time to their re-election," said Mike Koval, vice president of the Kent Island Defense League, which has long been critical of the commissioners' efforts to control growth. "Let's see what happens once the election is over." Commissioners John McQueeney, R-District 4, and Marlene Davis, D-District 2, are running for re-election in November. The commissioners didn't expect the decision to be popular with everyone -- especially developers and the county Chamber of Commerce. "The county commissioners are acutely aware that many residents earn their livelihood in the development and construction trades," Mr. O'Donnell said during the announcement. "We will endeavor to complete our work in the shortest time possible." Mark D. Stemen, division president for Four Seasons developer K. Hovnanian of Red Bank, N.J., said he needed more time to digest the ramifications of the moratorium before making a comment. Chamber officials did not return phone calls. The
commissioners also approved the county's 2002 Comprehensive Plan Update,
which directs new development into the county's six designated growth areas,
as well as plans to expand the county's Kent Narrows Stevensville Grasonville
Wastewater Treatment Plant.
mmohsberg@capitalgazette.com Note: Commissioners email: qacc@qac.org Published May 22, 2002,
The
Capital, Annapolis, Md.
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