County Council Vote Fails to Protect Rural Land and Water Quality

Decision goes against three years of studies -- issue remains unresolved

Author: Tom Zolper
Date: May 5, 2009

SALISBURY—The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) expressed disappointment with the Wicomico County Council's 4-3 vote today to continue allowing intense housing development on farm and forest lands. The vote comes after years of thorough study, hard facts, and the conclusions of two public bodies—one of them composed of experts appointed by the Council itself.

"Our current policies put the future of the county's rural lands at risk. Unfortunately, today's vote by the County Council is a vote to continue the status quo, and to ignore a solution offered by the very experts the Council appointed to study the issue," said Alan Girard, Manager of CBF's Heart of the Chesapeake office in Salisbury. 

In 2007, the County Council appointed a group of farmers, business owners, land developers, and environmental interests to the Rural Areas Planning Committee to thoroughly study the issue. The group's answer: eliminate a part of the current zoning policy that rewards developers for intensive building on farm lands if they save half the property from the bulldozer. Instead, the county should simply allow fewer homes to be built in rural areas, the group decided.

In January of this year, the Wicomico County Planning Commission voted unanimously to uphold that recommendation. Today, the County Council voted against that recommendation as well as legislation to fix the problem.

Today's vote, however, marks a turning point in the debate over how to manage sprawl in Wicomico County, as Council members acknowledged that the work of controlling growth in rural areas is not done.

"Citizens are frustrated with this outcome. That's why we commend the Council for committing to finding a solution that moves us forward, and away from current failed policy," said Girard. "Most people agree the status quo is unacceptable. We look forward to continuing the dialogue with all sides until a final resolution is reached."

A group of Wicomico citizen experts assembled by Salisbury University determined in 2006 that the county government "could not wait" any longer to restrict development in rural areas, seek additional open space preservation money, and more thoughtfully plan for future growth closer to existing developed areas.

Petitions from 1,400 Wicomico residents in favor of fixing the county's policies also were delivered in 2006 to the County Council. The petition made specific recommendations and urged the county's elected leaders to better manage how and where communities grow.
 
"It's clear today's vote is not the end, it's just the beginning," Girard said. "The status quo isn't hard to predict: increasing congestion, longer drives to work, dirtier water, farms without enough farmland, and higher taxes to serve sprawl development. Just look at other areas around the Bay where governments have failed to act."