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Our say: Kent Island's future at issue in county plan By THE CAPITAL EDITORIAL BOARD QUEEN ANNE'S County has embarked on the long but important process of revamping its Comprehensive Plan, the document intended to guide county government through the next decade. Yes, that sounds numbingly bureaucratic -- but it is actually the point at which taxpayers have the best opportunity to tell the county commissioners where growth should take place. This is particularly important for Kent Island residents now dealing with what was envisioned back in 1993, when growth areas were mapped by earnest citizens, committees and government leaders. Back then Kent Island was relatively undeveloped -- just a stop along the way to the ocean beaches. It was hard to look at it and see an area ready to explode with development. But those who assembled the 1993 plan are seeing their expectations realized. So if residents don't like what they see happening today, they should become involved in what is being planned for tomorrow. The Board of County Commissioners recently held a hearing on the proposed 2002 Comprehensive Plan. Not surprisingly, objections were raised about growth. While the proposals for Kent Island have some attractive qualities -- including a focus on more homes for retirees and assurances of affordable housing -- they raise legitimate fears that the area will lose its charm to overdevelopment. The island is targeted for growth because, according to county planners, the infrastructure is in place to accommodate it. But growth will hardly preserve the unique qualities of the island, which was the vision in the 1993 plan. And the risks of development are greater simply because it is Kent Island -- an area surrounded by water. County officials feel they have taken the necessary steps to protect the environment. Such officials always say that when they're drawing up plans. But a cursory familiarity with growth in Anne Arundel County will give you the suspicion that the planned development will silt up area creeks and strain county services. Residents who share these concerns should take a look at the county's proposal for the next decade and react accordingly. The plan is available at Queen Anne's County public libraries and online at www.qac.org Published March 8, 2002,
The
Capital, Annapolis, Md.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ KIDL urges residents to make themselves heard on the Comprehensive Plan -- the Commissioners are accepting written comment only until this Monday, March 11th - you can write them at qacc@qac.org A document from the Department
of Planning & Zoning entitled "2002 Comprehensive Plan, Planning
Commission - Issue Paper #9, Topic - Building Permit Cap" contains
discussion by the Planning Commission on the subject of Building
Permit Caps and their decision "not to include language in the Comprehensive
Plan relating to a building permit cap". The document says the
"Draft Comprehensive Plan anticipates 400-600 building permits per
year annually through 2020." It then goes on to say the following,
which anticipates much more than that:
The same document includes a table showing "development applications that are currently under review, or are anticipated in the future" (assuming build-out over a twenty-year time period). For Kent Island alone, in addition to Four Seasons (1350), Gibson's Grant (750) and Ellendale (now 285), the table shows 650 units for H. Brown property, 800 for Kent Manor Inn, and another 1,577 labeled "SKI". KIDL stands by our estimate of about 3,700 dwelling units to be built on Kent Island over 10 years, a figure we obtained from the County's own Rt. 8 Corridor Traffic Study. The numbers in Issue Paper #9 indicate a lot more than 400-600 d.u.'s per year. If anyone is interested in reading this document (3 pages) and all the reasons the Planning Commission gives for not including building permit caps, contact KIDL by email and we can fax you a copy.
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