Once more, the controversial Cross County Connector took center stage during a meeting of the Charles County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday. Attorney Larry Liebesman from the Holland & Knight Law Firm recommended against appealing an Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) permit denial on the project, but said it is a viable option in the future.
“As far as an appeal is concerned, it’s my professional judgment the county would not be successful,” Liebesman said. “Appeal would have to find legal precedent was violated or errors were made.”
The commissioners made no decision to file an appeal, which would have to be filed by next Monday.
However, Liebesman said there are a number of positives in the ACOE report and that it remains a viable option in the future. Liebesman said the ACOE found a need for an east-west route and that they rejected the idea of a no build alternative. Liebesman said upgrading Billingsley Road alone would not address the needs of future traffic.
Liebesman also said mass transit is not a viable option and that there are economic benefits to a cross county connector project of some kind. However, the ACOE denial did state that upgrading MD-228 was a more viable and less environmentally damaging option.
“I have had an opportunity to speak with PG county executive back in 2009 in regard to MD-228 and it was very clear the ACOE would identify that alternative,” Commissioner President Candice Quinn Kelly (D) said. “In the course of his response, PG expressed their support for this project. MD-210 is a major obstacle for our commuters.”
“You witnessed 228 in your report 18 times,” Commissioner Ken Robinson (D: 1st) said. “It sounds like, if we go in with a viable plan for upgrading that road, we’ll go in with more success than any other options.
Regardless of any cross county connector, Billingsley Road is dangerous and needs to be fixed. Billingsley Road is going to exist even if this route was approved and it would not have made Billingsley any safer.”
“I’m glad to know that the problems we find ourselves in are serious but not insurmountable,” Commissioner Debra Davis (D: 2nd) said. “You mentioned in the finding that the Corps rejected the updated Billingsley Road as being enough.”
“That is correct. If you just did upgrades to Billingsley Road, you couldn’t expand it (due to engineering difficulties) to address traffic flow,” Liebesman said.
The commissioners have already discussed making safety upgrades to Billingsley Road.
“We should explore all options that may deal with proposal of cross county connector in (Capital Improvement Projects) over the last 20 years,” Commissioner Vice President Reuben Collins (D) said. Even explore options in improving Billingsley Road corridor. That needs to be part of that co
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