Control, Direct and Contain Growth

Do we on the Eastern Shore want uncontrolled sprawl? According to our Citizens For Tim Quinn "Listening Tour" the answer is an emphatic No! There is agreement between our citizens and experts: "Growth must be controlled, directed, contained and yes, must pay for itself.”

Are these goals attainable? According to growth experts we interviewed, they are. Why should we accomplish these goals?

First, our citizens and experts believe we must preserve our farmland, open spaces and critical areas. Preserving farmland and open spaces is important to our communities because it lets our farms continue to produce commodities and sell them profitably, provides locally grown feed for our livestock businesses, keeps our tourism and heritage attractions vibrant, our hunting Industry intact, insures the future option of renewable fuel programs as job improvement opportunities for our children and environmentally friendly profit centers for our farmers. Also, forests and farms naturally clean our air; and with our state-funded nutrient reduction programs, farmers are helping keep our treasured Chesapeake Bay cleaner. In addition, critical areas are critical for a reason. A healthy Chesapeake Bay is not only vital to our citizens’ well being, but is essential for good business. To help insure a healthy Chesapeake Bay we need to expand our critical areas programs and keep them pristine. Are these reasons enough for us to find ways to preserve our farmland, open spaces and critical areas? Yes!

Insuring farmer profitability should be a high priority as we preserve farmland and open space. Research and development of renewable fuels (soy bean, barley, corn, refined manure, etc...) can and probably will act as an economic base that farmers can count on when marketing their products. Maryland farms are poised for renewable fuel production. Also, our land preservation programs that purchase open space need increased funding because they preserve our forests and lands for our future use and recreation.

Second, the ability of farmers to participate in TDR (Transfer of Development Rights) programs provides necessary funds for farmers to keep farming and for developers to build in a directed and controlled manner. With strong communication lines between our towns and counties, TDR's can and should be used as tools for redevelopment in our residential and commercial centers.

Finally, counties and towns must communicate well in order to develop controlled, directed and contained growth plans that pay for themselves. We must give them the opportunity for input into each other’s plans. I propose that counties and towns be required to cooperatively plan when each governmental entity is making a growth decision that affects their common borders. It would provide each entity the opportunity to help the other when they determine rights and agreements with developers, understand mutual and exclusive impact needs both financially and physically, and generally create a more cohesive and financially sound community.

Solving growth problems is a tough business but it is in the best interest of our businesses, environment and personal well being that we control, direct and contain growth.