First Round Listening Session - February 13, 2018
Regionalism and Regional Planning ♦ Concerns Over Previous Mandates ♦ Concern Over Growth Tier Map Requirements ♦ Demographics ♦ Economic Development ♦ Infrastructure ♦ Transportation ♦ Environment ♦ Community ♦ General
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.
Regionalism and Regional Planning
There needs to be better cooperation between State and local jurisdictions
There needs to be more incentives to increase state-local collaboration – to grease the wheels
Create a catalog of realistic solved problems, i.e. Best Practices
What is the status of State Stat?
There is a need for greater inter-jurisdictional collaboration on watershed protection efforts, particularly associated with Watershed Improvement Plan (WIP)implementation
The County and towns need to work on quality of the schools. particularly for lower-income families
Concerns Over Previous Mandates
There needs to be some consideration given to redefining Priority Funding Areas (PFA’s) and sewer service to rural jurisdictions that have density less than 3.5 dwelling units (du’s) per acre. The PFA Law eligibility needs to be more flexible to accommodate different regions of Maryland
There is very little capacity for sustainable growth in the County because of land use limitations, such as agriculture preservation, Critical Areas, and areas that don’t meet the minimum PFA density requirement. This leaves very little room in a County where the existing urban build out is 1 – 2 houses per acre. We need exemptions from the PFA process not exceptions. Having to go through the PFA exception process has delayed the construction of critical infrastructure (e.g., Rt. 304 overpass) from being started or completed as quickly as possible
PFA Law’s density requirement of 3.5 du’s per acre is too high for rural area. Allowing lower density cluster development can preserve the rural character and still avoid spreading out development. One size does not all – rural and urban areas
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Concern Over Growth Tier Map Requirements
The tier map legislation does not appear to work for Queen Anne’s County. The County doesn’t have tier maps because of existing subdivision regulations
The County has 80,000 in preservation, with zoning and Transfer of Development Rights (TDR’s) and development capacity of 1 house per 8 acres. The tier map is not appropriate for the County and impedes sustainable growth
The tier map appears to negatively impact our ability to promote use of our local transfer of development rights program. While it technically may not impact the County’s TDR program, there is a perception that the County’s TDR program is no longer viable
The Septics Law (Growth Tiers) has been harmful to local land preservation programs because it has placed a cap on subdivisions to 7 lots and may inhibit the county’s use of noncontiguous transfer of development rights. This has hurt farmers land values. Land values is an important issue for farmers that need to rely on the value of the land to finance agricultural operations. Land values have dropped from $10,000 – $12,000 per acre to $6,000 – $6,500 an acre as a result of the Septic Law’s restrictions on the development potential of agriculture land
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Demographics
The County relies heavily on MDP’s State Data Center for Census statistics, data interpretation, and analysis
The County coordinates with MDP on property mapping to ensure local maps are in sync with state tax maps
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Economic Development
Queen Anne’s County has a fairly diverse economy, and we would like to continue strengthening all sectors
The State should provide mediators, so that in difficult development and land use cases the community and developer would not have to spend large amounts of money and years on conflict. It is usually preservation v. development. The State could play a role in helping resolve the issues
The County has very low unemployment and most people work outside of the County. Queen Anne’s is a bedroom community and needs to get more jobs in the County
The poultry industry is very important to the County’s economy. The regulations on chicken houses seem to be getting excessive
Economic development is dependent upon growth in industrial areas. These areas need adequate infrastructure such as water, sewer, roads, and broadband. Need State support in supplying this infrastructure
There is a need for more planning resources to prepare communities to accommodate new businesses. Small towns do not have sewer or water capacity, but before they can get State funding for the infrastructure they need to do the upfront planning on what future demands would be
Agriculture is major economic driver in the County that needs to be supported
More funding is needed for land preservation and the restoration of funds need to go back to Program Open Space (POS) and land preservation programs
Land preservations programs are needed to discourage the loss of farmland to development. Fragmentation of farmland is also a real concern and makes it difficult to stay in farming
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Infrastructure
Broadband is a critical need in the County. Although schools and libraries are connected, when the children take computers home, they cannot hook up to the internet. The last mile of getting the broadband internet access to residence and businesses is too expensive
Developers need to provide more infrastructure. They need to be more proactive and putt infrastructure in place prior to development
The County needs better pedestrian and bicycle connections
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Transportation
State needs to tell us what is going to happen to Route 18, 301 – Middletown By-pass and third Bay Bridge
Roads are hurting growth in the County, and are impacting resident’s ability to move about. The traffic is severely impacting quality of life issues on Kent Island/Kent Narrows
The third Bay Bridge crossing is critical and needed. The County would support the crossing in Queen Anne’s County. The bridge needs to stay open and unconstrained as possible; 70% of the County’s workforce travels outside the county to their jobs
State needs to get its act together on roads. There needs to be a consistent position on the third Bay Bridge, MD 213, MD 301 by-pass, etc. In the past at the Consolidated Transportation Plan (CTP) tour, MDOT ignored our comments
There needs to be greater cooperation and sharing of traffic count information to improve transportation planning. The County had to install its own traffic counters because the State was unwilling to share information
Centerville road improvements and coordination with the City water & sewer lines is not being handled correctly
Bay Bridge is our single biggest issue. Traffic is trapping people in their homes. This needs to be resolved, especially considering a 20 – 30-year time frame
Consider promoting more commuting centers to reduce commuting and traffic congestion
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Environment
The septic Best Available Technology (BAT) requirements and the critical areas restrictions need to be reviewed. Our waterfront properties are the most valuable properties we have, and these regulations make it difficult to accommodate an important component to our tax base, while still ensuring environmentally responsible development
The step system for sewer service is a good success story, and has won EPA awards. This is a good best practices model
For coastal jurisdictions, sea level rise could be a critical issue and the State should be involved in helping jurisdictions determine an appropriate response. There needs to be some flexibility to allow for some development on properties and not prohibit development on the entire property
State needs to look at the Critical Areas growth allocation process
Irrigation systems and the use of water has been a major concern
More funding is needed for land preservation and the restoration of funds need to go back to Program Open Space (POS) and land preservation programs. Land preservations programs are needed to discourage the loss of farmland to development
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Community
Organizations are most effective in promoting positive change because they can speak for the citizens. The volunteer agricultural land preservation programs have been a real plus to the County and State
The County has a good balance of land uses with good agriculture preservation and development along Route 50 Kent Island/Narrows area
The County needs to update its comprehensive plan
County needs more workforce housing
The County has a burgeoning aging population, and they are seeing an increased need for retirement communities. This aging population also needs older adult support services. Unfortunately, senior services are diminishing and transit services to doctor appointments cannot go across the Bay Bridge. So, some older citizens have to move because of the difficulty in getting needed services
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General
The broad-brush planning approach doesn’t work. One size does not fit all. The State should not pass laws that affect everyone equally when jurisdictions are so different, especially rural areas
Adequate health care needs to be addressed for the Eastern Shore. It has been difficult to get the certificate of need for additional beds. There is need for a full service hospital in the area. The current hospitals to the north and south of the County are being converted into emergency clinic facilities. For more severe emergency care, patients have to be transported to the Western Shore, which is costly and often blocked by Bay Bridge traffic. This is a regional issue. There are also shortages in EMS staffing in the County
Funding pension plans is creating a fiscal problem for local jurisdictions. The shifting of the financial burden to counties, to cover the cost of teachers’ pensions, cuts into the available county resources to fund other local obligations
The Maryland Emergency Management Agency has had a lot of changes in directors, and this has made it difficult for smaller jurisdictions to get assistance
Assets
Bay
People
Friendly Helpful Families – farms – rivers – water (bay)
Magnetic environment that attracts people and jobs due to the beauty of the area
Unique identity and a sense of place
Challenges
#1 Traffic
Bay Bridge
Delaware Connector 301 corridor, Rt. 8, 213 through traffic
#2 Bay
#3 Growth and #4 Development
Need responsible growth
Losing our identity, loss of uniqueness
Need to stick to what was planned and not change – stick to Comprehensive Plan. The Plan’s recommendations are not being implemented. There is a need to follow-up on the Plan’s recommendations
It is difficult to move forward on Kent Island plans
Need more family owned businesses and restaurants,
Threat to the Bay and pollution in Corsica River
Need better communication between the State and the County
Meeting the stormwater requirements for the SHA project in Centreville is challenging
SHA has been unprepared and unresponsive to the need for more coordination regarding the Delaware road improvements. There is a need for more coordination with the regional Metropolitan Planning Organizations, i.e.., BMC and WILMAPCO
Utilities are not in place for development, such as the expansion of sewer around Queenstown. Existing pipes are antiquated and cannot support growth
Lack of Connectivity. Road designs do not accommodate pedestrians. State, county and town roads are not well connected. Similarly, pedestrian paths are not planned and designed to be connected and support alternative modes of travel
The State Plan needs to address the coordination of connectivity with Delaware and the 301 road improvements to ensure proper design continuity to avoid bottlenecks
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