Rural growing pains
Fight: Talbot residents have stalled the building of two 'big-box' stores near Easton and entered into a debate over the future of the county.

EASTON - A little more than a year after officials here effectively banned "big-box" retailers such as Home Depot, slow-growth advocates here have dealt the national chains another setback - stalling plans for two home improvement centers across the town line with a referendum drive that will let Talbot County voters decide in November 2002.

At issue, for the moment, is Bill 808, a handful of technical changes to county zoning law meant to clear the way for a Home Depot and its rival Lowe's - which after 25 years in town wants a bigger building - at two sites set aside for light industry.

The broader story, both sides say, is the type and pace of development in this Eastern Shore county known for its historic small towns, its princely ambience and waterfront mansions. Similar fights are being waged in small towns across the country, including nearby in Kent Island and Chestertown, where neighborhood activists are opposing proposed Wal-Mart stores.

"Our whole effort is to give the people of this county the right to decide for themselves how they want Talbot to grow," said Gene Mechling, one of the organizers of Citizens for Sound Growth, which led the referendum fight.

The diverse coalition includes the Democratic Forum, the Republican Central Committee, the Talbot River Protection Association, the Talbot Preservation Alliance, the county historical society and the Talbot Taxpayers Association. Members ended a two-month campaign last week, forcing the issue to the ballot with more than 4,300 petition signatures, more than double the number required.

Though the vote is 17 months away, the debate has deteriorated into "an emotional mud fight," as one local banker put it.

Coalition activists contend that three of the County Council's five members rolled over for developers of the two proposed home improvement centers, which had been rejected by the county's planning commission and zoning appeals board.

Developers are labeling the slow-growth activists as a smug group of wealthy retirees and professionals with little regard for middle-class consumers who must drive to Annapolis, Dover, Del., and Salisbury for better prices and selection.

"I hate to see lines built around so-called class, but certainly the retired people and those who've come here recently seem to be leading the referendum," said Sylvia J. Gannon, the matriarch of a prominent farm family that holds many key commercial properties, including the site for the proposed Lowe's store near Easton's airport.

Opinions within the coalition run the gamut, with some opposing the zoning change because of environmental concerns, while others are angry that Bill 808 was written by lawyers for the developers and property owners.

"If you allow commercial development helter-skelter, you become Glen Burnie east - home of dumb growth," says Emery Herteledy, head of the Talbot taxpayers association and a retired engineer who has lived in the county since 1965.

Others, developers contend, are flat-out opposed to change in still-rural Talbot, the self-styled "crown jewel" of the Chesapeake, with 600 miles of shoreline and a rich history that draws weekend trippers and affluent retirees to take advantage of its sailing, golfing and hunting.

People on both sides say they were shocked at the animosity the issue has generated.

County Councilman Robert Higgins, who joined two colleagues in approving the bill, characterized the three-year debate about big-box retailers and the referendum campaign as the most divisive issue in his 11 years on the council. He expects a bruising 2002 election campaign.

"I'm concerned we could have a clean sweep by one side or the other, and that wouldn't be good for the county either way," Higgins said. "There is a degree of hysteria about this, kind of a lynch-mob mentality."

One group of activists who were soliciting signatures too close to a supermarket were ordered off the property by Easton police.

Businesspeople in both camps say they've lost clients for speaking at public hearings or contributing to a deluge of letters in local editorial pages.

Developers, who complain about "scare tactics" used by the coalition, ran quarter-page newspaper advertisements almost daily, warning voters against signing "no growth" petitions.

Many in the business community are concerned that if the referendum effort builds steam, it might encourage more slow-growth sentiment, choking off increases in the commercial tax base that would help pay for a widely anticipated surge in residential growth over the next 10 to 20 years.

"Communities like Easton go through these political extremes, and you can't grow a community in an extreme political climate," said Michael S. Menzies, a banker who heads the county Chamber of Commerce. "The question really is whether we have the community courage to collaborate."

Others worry about tampering with Easton's role as a regional commercial hub, which historically has drawn shoppers from parts of Caroline, Queen Anne's and Dorchester counties.

Carpenter Ross Allen, who frequently makes the 40-mile round trip from his home in Denton, says he drives even farther to Dover when he can't find what he needs in Easton.

"I like Home Depot, I like Lowe's, particularly the Super Lowe's in Dover," Allen said. "As long as the prices come down, I'm all for it."

Referendum organizers are confident that come November, they will have the votes to roll back Bill 808. The two-month petition drive garnered 4,363 signatures, about 18 percent of 24,000 registered voters. The referendum, they believe, might spark a strong turnout in the off-year election.

But Councilman Levin F. "Bud" Harrison IV, who voted in favor of Bill 808, noted that the new Lowe's store drew 500 letters of support.

"These are the same guys who I saw voting at polling places all over the county last time - the electricians, the plumbers, the families that load up the minivan with kids and have to go shopping in Annapolis or Dover," Harrison said.

Dyanne Welte, a leader in the Talbot Preservation Alliance, says the referendum has had a positive effect, delaying projects not only until the next election, but long enough for the county to revise its comprehensive plan, a process that begins this summer.

"This isn't a referendum on Home Depot," Welte said. "It's an opportunity to consider the impact on our waterways, our look and our tourist industry."