In its latest attempt to slow growth, the Queen Anne's County commissioners yesterday sought public comments on a measure that would give the county more control over the design of roads in new developments. 

But nobody -- resident or developer -- cared to talk about it. 

The ordinance, which could be approved by the Board of County Commissioners Oct. 1, will require: 

Road widths of at least 26 feet from curb to curb. 

Sidewalks on both sides of the road or a sidewalk on one side and a bike path on the other to promote pedestrian use of road. 

Right-of-ways to give county control of future maintenance of the road. 

"We have already been requiring developers to build sidewalks and create rights of way, but this will give us more power to enforce it," said Todd Mohn, deputy director of public works. 

Board President George O'Donnell, D-Queenstown, said the ordinance will help the county control growth without stopping it altogether. 

"It is not our job to pick and choose projects, but instead to have policies in effect that make sure you have the best product," he said. 

County officials want to have the roads ordinance updated before the six-month building moratorium ends in mid-November. 

In May, the commissioners halted processing building applications for large development while the county worked to create tools for controlling the tidal wave of residential development that has hit Queen Anne's. 

From January to May, county officials had received or been in the process of reviewing permits applications for 5,700 houses. Those include 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. 

In initiating the moratorium, the commissioners said they wanted to do the following before the six months are up: 

• Update the county's zoning and subdivision ordinance.
• Create a final adequate public facilities ordinance. 
• Update the master water sewer plan and a new sewer allocation policy. 
• Update the roads ordinance. 
• Approve a new Route 50/Kent Island transportation plan. 
• Approve a new growth allocation policy. 
• Increase impact fees for development. 

mmohsberg@capitalgazette.com 

Published September 25, 2002, The Capital, Annapolis, Md. 
Copyright © 2002 The The Capital, Annapolis, Md.