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Jan. 12, 2012
The Garrett County commissioners are moving forward with their plans to draft land-use management policies, they announced during their public meeting on Tuesday. Commission chair Jim Raley stressed the public will have opportunities to make suggestions and voice their concerns about the proposed regulations.
"I don't want people to believe and perceive that this is a done deal, that they're not going to get any input, because that's not the intent," commission chair Jim Raley noted.
He said the commissioners intend to conduct this issue just as they have conducted many issues so far. The current board members were sworn in about 13 months ago.
"I think we took on the turbine issue when we first took office," Raley said. "We've taken on the Marcellus issue. We've had discussions about Deep Creek Lake and lake management and those things. And I think that we can have a civil – what I call dinner table discussion – amongst ourselves and the citizens if this is a direction that we want to go."
The commissioners explained in a press release that ongoing interests in the development of shale gas, industrial wind energy, and even junkyards have "brought to light" the concerns that exist for property owners.
Raley noted at Tuesday's meeting that Garrett is the only county in the state that does not have countywide zoning. He also noted that efforts by local lawmakers to enact certain land use regulations through the state legislature regarding wind turbines have been rejected in the past by other legislators, who point out that Garrett County has the authority to enact such policies on a local level under Article 66-B.
"The absence of any reasonable and prudent land management policy for Garrett County leaves the citizens, visitors, businesses, and property owners vulnerable to what many view as an exploitation of our lands," the commissioners stated in their press release. The rest of their statement is as follows:
"The commissioners have requested that a land-use policy be explored and drafted by staff that can be shared with the Planning Commission, organizations and the general public. The direction will be to take into consideration the ongoing changes to land use in Garrett County and discussing potential reasonable standards for what are viewed as potential harmful effects of said usages.
"The continuing absences of a comprehensive approach, and the insistence of the state that we have statutory authority to enact regulations to help address basic issues affecting the county have led the county commission to share the concern of many citizens. Citizens, organizations, and stakeholders have also expressed apprehension about the lack of responsible ability to manage areas of concerns regarding the potential for changing land uses on a large-scale basis throughout the county.
"Many feel the failure to act will only allow other institutions and entities to shape and control the future of Garrett County, which may not necessarily balance the interests of all of the stakeholders.
"The purpose is to have an open dialogue about land use and allow for input from all citizens through open forums and public meetings," the statement concluded. "Once the draft proposal is complete, the document will be shared on the county web site, at public libraries, and citizens who desire a print copy will have one made available."
Director John Nelson, Garrett County Department of Planning and Land Development, indicated the drafting process would take several months.
"I feel a sense of urgency to deal with this issue," Commissioner Gregan Crawford said, noting that more wind turbine projects are planned for Garrett County.
The county's Permits and Inspections Division issued a meteorological tower permit last month to Synergics for a tower on St. John's Rock at Four Mile Ridge near Avilton. "Met" towers are used in preliminary stages of turbine projects to determine the amount of wind at proposed sites.
More here.
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