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of
South Carroll County, Maryland
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Carroll
County is faced with a crisis situation arising from a combination of
unmanaged growth and failure to maintain and develop the infrastructure
to support that growth. These problems have been exacerbated by a past
pattern of governance characterized by a resistance to citizen input
and policies dictated by the development interests.
The Freedom
Area Citizens Council therefore recommends to the new Board of County
Commissioners the following actions to help correct these longstanding
problems:
Growth
Control
- Revise
the Zoning Code to restrict the use of Industrial Zone to industrial
uses by curtailing the use of Conditional Uses to permit the establishment
BL and BG uses in IR and IG zones.
- Revise
the Concurrency Management Ordinance to require a broader consideration
of infrastructure elements including but not limited to schools, water
supplies, roads (both county and state) and emergency services. The
determination of adequacy must include consideration of both existing
developments as well as approved but not yet constructed units. Include
minor developments and off conveyances under the requirements of the
ordinance.
- Adopt
the concept of approaching inadequacy and inadequate currently under
consideration by the Board of Education and the School Board.
- Provide
a better process for citizen input to planning and development approval
particularly for the unincorporated community planning areas.
- Expand
the Planning and Zoning Commission membership to at least seven members
to provide better representation and consider area representation.
- Consider
expansion or replacement of the members of the Board of Zoning Appeals
(BZA). Too much zoning power is concentrated in too few people. Again,
consideration should be given as to area representation for familiarity
with local zoning issues.
Infrastructure
- Support
the improvement of MD 26, Liberty Road, in the Eldersburg area through
a cooperative County / State effort. The Maryland State Highway Administrator
granted design approval for this project on July 24 of 2002.
- Support
the funding for the development of the new intersection on MD 32, which
will provide an adequate entrance to the Warfield Project, and the possible
construction of a conference center by the Episcopal Ministries (Fairhaven).
- Improvement
of MD 32 from I 70 to MD 26 should be given serious consideration. This
project should be included among Carroll County's top road priorities
and planning studies should be requested by the Commissioners and the
State Delegation.
- Actively
pursue the development with the state of wells on both the Springfield
and Moxley properties. Pursue other well possibilities to supplement
the present Liberty Reservoir resource.
- Vigorously
pursue the signing of the Watershed Agreement, expanded withdrawal allocations
from Liberty Reservoir, and an expanded Liberty water treatment plant.
- Consider
the establishment of a Water Board to provide citizen oversight and
input to the South Carroll Water Supply System.
- Develop
and implement an action plan to address the need for additional schools
in South Carroll.
Government
- Expand
the Planning and Zoning Commission to at least seven members.
- Reduce
the number of Closed Meetings.
- Replace
the present Ethics Commission members with either an expanded Ethics
Commission or a suitable alternative, such as a proposed ethics officer
who refers ethics complaints to outside parties for investigation.
- Provide
more Evening Meetings when key issues are to be decided.
- Hold periodic
area Commissioners forums.
- Support
the placement of a Question on the ballot in the next election (2004)
concerning expanding the Board of County Commissioners to five members
elected by district.
Approved by the FACC Board of Directors on January 22, 2003
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Ross A. Dangel, Chairman
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