First Round Listening Session - December 12, 2017
Concerns Over Previous Mandates ♦ Public Services ♦ Mapping Support ♦ Economic Development ♦ Housing ♦ Infrastructure ♦ Regional Planning ♦ Training and Education ♦ Transportation ♦ Environment ♦ Community ♦Funding ♦ Neighboring Jurisdictions ♦ State Agencies ♦ Permitting ♦ Planning ♦ Revitalization ♦ Growth
The comments below represent the statements or points of view of one or more individuals who participated in the Maryland Department of Planning (MDP) “A Better Maryland” Development Plan Listening Sessions. These comments do not represent any official position or policy of MDP or any other State agency, nor do they represent any official position or policy of any local jurisdiction or local planning agency.
Concerns Over Previous Mandates
Cost of code compliance to meet state regulations is high
Fire and sprinkler systems (mentioned in two meetings)
Yet there is an exception for mobile homes, which doesn’t make sense
Interiors of structures: sometimes façade improvement money for the exterior of structures is available, but not funds to make improvements to the interior of structures. When someone makes a certain level of improvement, dependent upon the assessed value of a structure, it may kick in additional costs and requirements such as floodplain or sprinkler
Lead abatement
1 hr & 2 hr fire separation walls
This high cost makes it very hard to redevelop and revitalize downtowns
Flood insurance hinders building (mentioned by a few participants)
Have heard of and are concerned about new regulations for chicken farming
Septic requirements for critical area housing are too stringent and hinder development
Stormwater regulations should not apply to flat Somerset topography. Would like this conveyed to MDE. MDE should not use the same standards in Somerset that they use in parts on the western shore. MDE needs to be more flexible
More flexibility with historic tax credit program is needed
Critical Areas regulation has limited development and redevelopment
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Public Services
Community outreach and service are lacking in Somerset County. This leads to limited opportunity for basic assistance, transportation, community organization, and helping those in poverty
Majority of civil servant groups are self-serving and biased
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Mapping Support
More GIS training would be helpful
There is a need for mapping assistance to identify blighted housing in the mid-shore area for code enforcement and housing rehabilitation assistance
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Economic Development
The agricultural and water economy, traditional economic drivers in the County, have fallen off
Lack of jobs is a big issue
New vocational school going into Westover will be a game changer and the County is very excited about it
Grassroots cultivation and harvesting of seafood is the greatest value
Economic and employment opportunities are lacking
Too many people do not earn living wages
Lack of a tax base and private investment
Economy is the number one area to focus on in Somerset County because it supports other aspects such as environment and housing. Will also improve property maintenance and enhance cultural opportunities
Business investment will affect positive change in the community by demonstrating that the community is alive, bringing up the tax base, inspiring confidence, and supporting new infrastructure
The state development plan should focus primarily on economic development and revitalization. It could potentially do this by promoting tax incentives, grants, and partnerships
The lack of available natural gas is significant impediment to economic development in Somerset County
Youth are leaving the County because they can’t find jobs or easy access to goods and services
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Housing
Need to promote affordable housing, but State regulations make it more expensive
Community housing is not the answer. Affordable family housing is needed
Need to help those in substandard housing. In great need of direct and easily accessible assistance
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Infrastructure
Need more collaboration between state agencies when roadwork is being completed. All infrastructure improvements should be completed at the same time
Limited cellular and internet service
Water and sewer infrastructure is prohibitively expensive
Lack of broadband and natural gas for business recruitment
Somerset needs infrastructure investment to compete statewide, specifically natural gas, which stops at Salisbury. Many employers say they cannot open shop in the County without natural gas. The County could put development where it wants it to go if it had natural gas infrastructure
Sanitary Commission expressed concern that MDE has limited their ability to implement projects
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Regional Planning
Maintain and/or increase access to Regional Planning staff
DNR and DHCD worked well together to assist the town in providing information for the local comprehensive plan
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Training and Education
Need for training at regional locations such as in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Historic Tax Credit Financing
The University of the Eastern Shore “attracts” much, much less financial support than the University of Maryland Baltimore Campus. Why?
Schools are key to improving the economy. The perception of Somerset public schools is that they are poor quality
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Transportation
The Mayor of Crisfield is working with the Department of Natural Resources and the State Highway Administration to allow for unlimited golf cart access in town; especially from the marina, so people can make it all the way to Food Lion. This was a big topic during the MDOT tour meeting, but MDOT has a concern with safety
You need a car to get around. Transit is limited with fewer bus runs
Need more intermodal options and ways to connect to population centers
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Environment
Abundance of critical area and wetlands hurts development in the County
Many coastal areas are actively flooding. The land is compromised for farming and housing, especially in the lower lying impoverished areas. For example, most of Deal Island
No curbside recycling is a problem
The quality of the environment affects the entire state, so a state development plan should address it
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Community
Very proud of the Smith Island Vision Plan and the interjurisdictional and intergovernmental collaboration that went into it
Significant history and heritage in Somerset County, which draws people to live and visit
Income disparity in Worcester and Somerset Counties is major issue that needs to be addressed
Remoteness from the city is a plus for the County. This leads to a different mindset with a physical separation. The nature of the County is rural and friendly
The Somerset community has a good relationship between different races, and its diversity is a strength
The traditional waterman culture is a unique resource
Poverty is high in the County and there is a lack of knowledge of and access to services and programs that could help
The grass roots actions of individual citizens affect positive change in the community because it helps bridge gaps
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Funding
Somerset County and its municipalities, which are financially challenged, need more grant funding
The County hasn’t fully recovered since the recession
Need for more simplified and streamlined application for accessing funding. Often must pay someone so much to fill out an application that the amount of the grant award is not worth it
Hard to score well on grants with such a small County population
Preliminary engineering for grants is expensive and small municipalities don’t have funding for it
Ironic that a friendly engineer who provides an estimate for free to support a grant application is made ineligible for hiring if grant is awarded. Hard to come by many engineers in small communities. Perhaps state technical assistance in this area could be provided
The formatting of applications and reports (e.g. Maryland DHCD and USDA) is not consistent. It would help if they could be more similar and replicable
Hurricane Sandy led to significant funding
State should provide additional funding to adaptively reuse all the armories that localities were stuck with. The only funding is through MHT and it is too expensive for a municipality to maintain the structures on their own
Please set funding aside for expanding Greenwood Elementary School
Funding is the basis for everything (schools, community initiatives) and the state development plan should focus on funding sources and timelines
Restoration of Highway User Revenue funding
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Neighboring Jurisdictions
Transportation is a big interjurisdictional issue
State development plan could help ensure that the park system is consistent and of high standards across jurisdictions (maintenance, safety, venues)
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State Agencies
Maryland Department of the Environment is a roadblock in Somerset. Priority Funding Areas are also a problem. Would like Planning to help with this
There is not always a positive view of the State in Somerset County
The state development plan should facilitate greater collaboration across the board
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Permitting
Crisfield is almost entirely in the floodplain, which makes permitting complicated and expensive
Planning and Zoning are rationales for giving citizens the run around and putting up red tape and developing long waiting lists
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Planning
Somerset will be updating its comprehensive plan in 2020
The County wants to grow smartly, but it needs infrastructure for that
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Revitalization
More flexibility on Historic Tax Credits
Maryland Historical Trust staff is great, but they cannot always make something work under their own requirements
Section 106 standards are very tough. How can we modify them?
Are there state funds available to help meet these standards?
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Growth
Only six building permits for new single-family residential development issued in County in 2016!!
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