A public hearing was set for the public to hear what the public thinks about proposed changes to the Rural Road Ordinance. Charles County Commissioner President Candice Quinn Kelly (D) made it clear; she does not support expanded development along public roads, but that she is for protecting scenic roads.
One piece of the ordinance spoke about narrowing roads. It was stated that only applies to new development, not existing roads. Kelly said she was not comfortable with moving forward and making any decisions today, despite the request from the Planning & Growth Department.
“So many of these roads flood,” Kelly said. “We just shut down the same group that wants to do this over inadequate public facilities on Billingsley.”
At the same time, the plan could address roads that do have problems. As it stands, the status quo remains. Kelly said she wishes to be informed when something comes along that could destroy roads or create problems.
Last week, flooding caused problems across many roads in the County, closing portions of US-301 in La Plata, closing access to Cliffton and causing a major sinkhole at the Allen’s Fresh Bridge on MD-234. MD-234 remains closed and will remain so for several weeks as crews work to repair the sinkhole.
The public hearing was set for Tuesday, September 27, 2011 at 3:00pm.
