La Plata, MD – A public hearing for citizens to express their opposition or support for Charles County’s proposed Watershed Conservation District (WCD) will be held Wednesday, May 24 in two sessions at 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
The Charles County Commissioners voted Tuesday, May 9 to move the zoning amendment and associated zoning map amendment forward. Commissioners Debra Davis [D-District 2] and Bobby Rucci [D-District 4] both opposed the measures.
Charles County Director of Planning and Growth Management Steven Kai Zeigler said that the new amendment would institute the Watershed Conservation District.
“That creates a new base density of one housing unit per 20 acres,” he stressed. “It does provide for impervious surfaces with an exception for schools and churches. Schools and churches are permitted uses in all areas of zoning.”
He pointed out that the Charles County Planning Commission is allowing up to two new lots for family lots, adding that the property owner must have owned the land for at least 10 years before the statute could take effect.
“That was a significant element the planning commission added,” Kai Zeigler noted.
He said the amount of land being considered for the new zoning is just under 37,000 acres, adding that there is more than 13,000 acres already preserved within the new district.
“The planning commission did make two recommendations,” he added. “One was that the county provide a citizen outreach program on management of septic systems [the new district calls for more advanced, more expensive septic systems throughout the WCD] and that the county establish a dedicated funding source for resource conservation easements within the Priority Preservation Areas.”
There was also conversation from Kai Zeigler concerning his office’s response to e-correspondence surrounding the proposed WCD. He said that some sent their comments not only to each member of his staff, but to each of the county leaders as well.
“There were, in some cases, 10 to 15 letters which were all from the same person,” he said. “Those should be counted as one.”
He described it as a logistical nightmare. He said the county’s Information Technology Department has developed a form which allows citizens to designate whether they are in favor of an issue or opposed to it and allows room for them to describe their views. That will be posted on the county’s web site.
Davis wanted to know if those making comments are being required to enter their address.
Evelyn Jacobsen, chief of the county’s IT division, said the form does have an area where individuals can enter their address, “but we’re not making it mandatory,” she said.
“It would be helpful if we knew these were county residents,” Davis said. “Is there a way we can make it mandatory?”
“Yes,” Jacobsen replied. “That part is easy.”
That may be the only part of this process that is. There were so many speakers at planning commission public hearings on the issue that the hearings had to be held on three separate nights.
Contact Joseph Norris at joe.norris@thebaynet.com