Commissioners Sign Comp Plan That Excludes Ridgeline Issues

courtesy Republican News

Oct. 9, 2008

After more than two years of preparation, numerous meetings and public hearings, and hundreds of volunteer hours, Garrett County has a new comprehensive plan. The county commissioners unanimously approved and adopted the 216-page document on Tuesday.
"This has been a long time coming," said Commissioner Denny Glotfelty.

The new document however, differs somewhat from the one adopted unanimously last week by the Planning Commission, the local organization that has overseen the plan's drafting process since June 2006.

Director John Nelson, Garrett County Department of Planning and Zoning, said two paragraphs in the "Ridgelines" section of the Sensitive Areas chapter were eliminated from the Planning Commission's version.

One paragraph recognized ridgelines as "sensitive areas in need of protection." It also noted that ridges contribute to the "aesthetics, scenic quality, and overall character of the county" and help attract visitors, who are "vital to the health of the tourism sector of the local economy."

The second deleted paragraph noted that large scale use of ridgelines for wind power development "could be incompatible with the aesthetics, scenic quality, and rural character of the county."

Nelson said the commissioners also added two lines to page 15 in the Sensitive Areas chapter. The first states that "the county further acknowledges property rights of owners of land that is suitable for wind power facilities to use that property for that purpose."

The second added line notes that the commissioners "intend to seek legislation to establish setback requirements from property lines and from existing residences to wind turbines." This line was also added to the policy and implementation sections of the plan.

The commissioners formerly rejected the Planning Commission's document and adopted their revised version.

"No offense, Troy," Commissioner Ernie Gregg told Planning Commission chair Troy Ellington.

Ellington did not appear to be offended. "We can agree to disagree," he said.

The commissioners commended Nelson, Ellington, the Planning Commission, and local residents and property owners for their contributions. Glotfelty noted that the Planning Commission is a group of volunteers who spent much time on the Comprehensive Plan.

Nelson also commended local residents and property owners for their help and comments during the drafting process.

"At virtually every public meeting that we had, we tried to utilize those comments that were submitted," Nelson said. "And the document that you see before you is the result of a lot of public input and changes to policies that are in our existing plan."

"I agree, John," Gregg said. "The process truly did work in this case. The public had the opportunity to participate, and they did."

"I don't think there is going to be any comprehensive plan in the state that has had any more public input than the one you all have done," Commissioner Fred Holliday told Ellington. "It's great. That's the way government's supposed to be. There was just that one thing (the ridgeline issue) there that we just didn't totally agree with."

Holliday indicated that a another plan would not have to drafted for quite a while, as the newly adopted one would be good for about six to 10 years.

The county's former comprehensive plan was more than 10 years old. The new document proposes goals, objectives, principles, and standards, and establishes county policy with respect to land use, transportation, community facilities, water resources, housing, mineral resources, sensitive areas, and economic development, and includes recommendations for implementing the plan. It also includes a component for the Deep Creek Lake influence area.

Glotfelty noted that now that a new plan has been adopted, it was time to move forward to the next phase of the process.

Nelson said the Planning Commission's next work assignment will be to adjust local ordinances that will implement this new plan.

Copies of the document will be available at all branches of the Ruth Enlow Library, the Garrett College library, and on the county's web site. Nelson said some copies will also be available for purchase.


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