News

To supporters and members of Kent Island Defense League and other interested parties, several items of interest:

1. The deadline for written comment on Growth Allocation for Four Seasons is this Friday, March 16th. You can mail to Q. A. Board of Commissioners, 107 No. Liberty St., Centreville 21617; e-mail comments to qacc@qac.org; or fax to 410-758-1170.

2. There are more postcards available, saying simply "I respectfully request you deny Growth Allocation for the Four Seasons project" and requiring your signature. Stop by Ace Allen's Automotive (Pier One Rd.), the KI Library or the bulletin board of the Chester Post Office if you'd like a postcard to send in - keep in mind it should be mailed by Thursday!

3. There are several pieces of pending legislation you may want to check out that will affect us locally. Go to http://mlis.state.md.us/ , click on "Bill information and status", type in the bill # (there are three: hb661, sb607 and hb1178) HB661 and SB607 deal with Critical Areas in an attempt to reverse recent judicial erosion of the Critical Area Act. HB1178 deals with making the State's Attorney for Q. A. County a full-time job. Click here for a Star Democrat article by Konrad Surowiec to learn more: http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=1492532&BRD=2101&PAG=461&dept_id=392170&rfi=8evidentlyTo support or send comments on any of these bills to the legislators go "back" to the index page (of the http://mlis.state.md.us/ site), click on "Contact . . . a legislator", a pull-down list of e-mail addresses will appear. Be sure you put the bill # in the subject line and type in your comments.

4. To everyone who called the "Voters Voice" last week - GREAT JOB! The question drew a "record response" of 387 votes, 385 against giving Four Seasons the go-ahead and 2 for! We didn't twist anyone's arm, the other side had equal access and only managed two calls. That SHOULD tell the Commissioners something about where the average citizen of Q. A. County stands on this issue.

5. Spaghetti / Bingo fund-raiser is March 23rd. For tickets e-mail us.

6. Last, but not least, for your reading pleasure here is Winn Krozack's testimony from the 27th:

ATTENTION: QUEEN ANNE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

FROM: EDWIN JOSEPH KROZACK JR. AND FAMILY
100 HARBOUR SOUND DRIVE
CHESTER, MD. 21619

TESTIMONY TO DENY GROWTH ALLOCATION TO FOUR SEASONS

1. FOUR SEASONS IS A PRODUCT OF SPECIAL INTEREST, GROSS GREED, AND
DETRIMENTAL TO OUR QUALITY OF LIFE ON KENT ISLAND.

GROWTH ALLOCATION IS EXCESSIVE AND SHOULD NOT BE GRANTED. THIS DEVELOPMENT
IS TOO INTENSE FOR IT'S LOCATION, AND THE COUNTY IS NOT PREPARED. COUNTY
CRITICAL AREA LAW DICTATES WHEN CHANGING RCA TO IDA THE PROJECT MUST BE
BENEFICIAL TO THE COMMUNITY (RESIDENTIAL, NOT JUST BUSINESS), HAVE PUBLIC
ACCESS (IT IS A PRIVATE GATED COMMUNITY), AND NOT CREATE A BURDEN ON THE
EXISTING COMMUNITY. WE SEE THIS PROJECT AS ALL BURDEN WITH NO BENEFIT, AND
NO PUBLIC ACCESS.

2. IT'S CLEAR FROM THE ATTENDANCE OF BOTH MEETINGS THAT THERE ARE MAJOR
PROBLEMS WITH THIS PROJECT. WE HAVE PRESENTED OVER 3,000 VOTERS' SIGNATURES
ASKING YOU TO DENY GROWTH ALLOCATION FROM VOTERS THAT VOTE. WE ASK YOU TO
REPRESENT YOUR TAX PAYING, VOTING, CITIZENS OF KENT ISLAND AND QUEEN ANNE'S
COUNTY, AND NOT THE INTERESTS OF OUT OF STATE, BILLION DOLLAR DEVELOPERS.

3. THE SUBMITTED PLAN IS NOT THE PROPOSED PLAN. THIS IS NOT PROPER PROCESS.
THE CORRECT PLAN, WITH NEW DRAWINGS AND NEW FINANCIALS SHOULD BE WHAT IS
SUBMITTED. GROWTH ALLOCATION SHOULD BE REJECTED ON THIS ISSUE ALONE.

4. HOVNANIAN HAS NOT APPLIED FOR CRITICAL AREA APPROVAL OR GROWTH ALLOCATION
FOR THE ACME WATER COMPANY LOT, YET THEY ARE PLANNING PATHS IN IT'S BUFFERS
FOR A BEACH FOR ACTIVE RECREATION. THIS PROPERTY SHOULD BE LEFT ALONE. (Note: This is a separate 5 acre waterfront parcel near the Bayside marina.)

5. TRAFFIC - FOUR SEASONS WILL ADD 2700 CARS TO CASTLE MARINA CIRCLE.
DEVELOPMENTS TARGETED FOR THE SAME AREA WILL ADD 2100 ADDITIONAL CARS. IN
TOTAL, 4800 CARS WILL BE ADDED TO THE CIRCLE, NOT INCLUDING EXISTING
BAYSIDE, CASTLE MARINA, AND QUEENS LANDING TRAFFIC. THIS IS INSANE, AND
THEN THERE'S BEACH TRAFFIC AND BOTH BAY BRIDGES NEEDING EXTENSIVE REPAIRS.
WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?

HOVNANIAN IS TRYING TO ACQUIRE THE DAVIDSON FARM. THIS WILL FURTHER
INCREASE TRAFFIC AT CASTLE MARINA AND CLOVERFIELDS.

BECAUSE THE DEVELOPMENT IS A PRIVATE GATED COMMUNITY, IT DOES NOT ALLOW FOR
IMPORTANT CONNECTING ROADS BETWEEN CASTLE MARINA AND CLOVERFIELDS. THIS
HELPS CREATE TRAFFIC GRIDLOCK AND AN UNFAIR TRAFFIC BURDEN TO THE PEOPLE
LIVING IN CASTLE MARINA.

6. THERE IS A WEBSITE DEDICATED TO BAD BUSINESS PRACTICES OF DEVELOPERS.
LOOK UP www.hadd.com AND CHECK OUT "BUILDERS", then "K. HOVNANIAN".

7. SEWER - THE ESTIMATE FOR THE NEW SEWER PLANT IS $33 MILLION / NOT $22
MILLION - WHO IS GOING TO PAY FOR IT?

THE COST TO FIX THE EXISTING PLANT IS $17 MILLION. THE STATE IS GOING TO
LOAN US $17 MILLION. WE SHOULD FIX THE CURRENT PLANT AND USE THE OTHER $16
MILLION FOR SCHOOLS, EMERGENCY SERVICES, POLICE, AND FAILING SEPTIC SYSTEMS,
AND NOT FOR NEW OVERSIZED DEVELOPMENTS.

8. EMERGENCY SERVICES - 5 SENIOR KI FIRE DEPT EMPLOYEES RECENTLY STATED IN
THE BAY TIMES WE CANNOT HANDLE THIS. I PERSONALLY HAD TO CALL 911 FOUR
TIMES TO GET AN AMBULANCE TO QUEEN'S LANDING FOR MY MOM WHEN WE THOUGHT SHE
WAS HAVING A HEART ATTACK. IT TOOK ONE HOUR AND TWENTY MINUTES TO GET AN
AMBULANCE AND PARAMEDIC WHEN THE FIRE HOUSE IS ONLY 3 MINUTES AWAY, YET WE
ARE GOING TO BUILD HOUSING FOR 2700 SENIORS WITHOUT ADEQUATE EMERGENCY
SERVICES.

9. IMPACT FEES /SCHOOLS - HOVNANIAN IS REQUESTING REDUCTION OF IMPACT FEES
STATING THE DEVELOPMENT WON'T AFFECT SCHOOLS - THIS IS VERY WRONG!

A. TRANSIENT WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES WILL BE BROUGHT IN TO PROVIDE LOW
COST LABOR. THIS WILL CAUSE AN IMMEDIATE INCREASE IN STUDENTS. NEW JERSEY
RESIDENTS CLAIM IT DESTROYED THEIR PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. WE WILL HAVE NINE
YEARS OF THIS.

B. HOVNANIAN IS ENROLLING SENIORS ON KENT ISLAND AND PROSPECT BAY. THIS
OPENS UP MORE HOUSES IN THE COUNTY TO PEOPLE WITH SCHOOL CHILDREN.

C. THE AGE RESTRICTION CAN REVERT BACK TO ALL AGES IN 20 YEARS.

D. THE PROPERTY AS A GROWTH AREA IS A WINDFALL. THE DEVELOPER SHOULD PAY
ALL IMPACT FEES.

10. ENVIRONMENT - DNR SAID DON'T REDUCE THE SHORE BUFFERS AND DON'T CUT
MATURE WOODLANDS. THE CHESAPEAKE BAY FOUNDATION SAID THE PLAN DOES NOT
COMPLY AND SHOULD BE RESUBMITTED. OUR COUNTY CHANGED THE 300' BUFFERS TO
100' VIA TEXT AMENDMENTS TO THE BENEFIT OF THE DEVELOPERS. COMMISSIONER
O'DONNELL, YOU CALL THIS PERFORMANCE ZONING. WE CALL IT DESTRUCTIVE TO THE
ISLAND AND UNETHICAL.

HOVNANIAN IS NEGOTIATING WITH CASTLE HARBOR MARINA TO ACQUIRE DREDGE SPOILS
FOR USE ON THE PROPERTY. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE.

WE ASK YOU TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND DENY GROWTH ALLOCATION TO FOUR SEASONS.

WE WANT TO WORK WITH YOU, OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, BUT YOU ARE ACCOUNTABLE -
AND WE WILL REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER.

SINCERELY,

EDWIN JOSEPH KROZACK JR.

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