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THE CAPITAL, "OUR SAY" EDITORIAL: "Moratorium makes sense - but what's next?" Editorial - The Capital - May 31, 2002 The Queen Anne's Board of County Commissioners made the right decision in clamping a six-month moratorium on development. This shows the commissioners were listening to the public. More importantly, it buys the county some time to reassess its ability to accommodate a building boom. But the action raises two questions: Why now? And what will happen when the moratorium expires? Some believe this decision's proximity to an election is not coincidental. Two of the commissioners are running for re-election. Their critics, some of whom are running again them, ask if the moratorium is politically driven. The six-month waiting period ends conveniently after the election. We are surprised the commissioners included in the moratorium the 1350-home Four Seasons project on Kent Island. They had steadfastly supported it, in spite of all heat they had taken about its impact. Why the sudden change of heart? The
commissioners say the skyrocketing number of building permit application
- 5,700 lots under review this year alone, compared to 3,900 in the previous
It all sounds logical - even if the decisions were driven in part by citizens who were threatening to retaliate at the polls. The real question for voters is what will happen in six months, when the planning office is open for business again. We hope that by then the county will have devised a plan to slow development so that high-growth areas like Kent Island can better adjust to major changes in their communities. If there is one question that all candidates for the Queen Anne's Board of County Commissioners need to be asked, it's this: What needs to be done before the moratorium is lifted? Voters in Queen Anne's County need to pay attention - now more than ever. Published May 31, 2002,
The
Capital, Annapolis, Md.
Note: Commissioners email: qacc@qac.org
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