Comp Plan Meeting April 8, 2008 

The Town Hall was filled with standing room only for the third Town Comp Plan meeting held on April 8, 2008.  It will be reported in the Star Democrat and I will only include highlights here. 

Lynn Thomas, Long Range Planner for Easton, began with a pleasant but defensive presentation entitled Mythbusters, clearly in response to the many letters to the Town as well as to the Star Democrat.  He presented three “myths.”  The first was that the Commission/staff is planning for a Town of 40,000 people.  He was apologetic, saying that perhaps he was not clear in his first presentation, and he gave several facts refuting this “myth.”  “Myth” two was the assumption that we will see a 3% growth rate driving all planning for future growth, again refuted, and “myth” three was that the future Easton being contemplated is too big, and therefore we need to use a smaller growth rate.  He refuted this by saying the rate of growth only determines how fast we reach “build-out” and if anyone is uncomfortable with the ultimate size (geographic or population) contemplated, the way to change that is not via the growth rate, but by moving the Growth Boundary (!)  I hope that the power point slides dealing with this will be on the website, because it was too much for me to write up here (or for you to read!) 

Highlights of dialogue follow:

• The Baptist Church wishes to build on the land that was previously a pig farm on the St. Michaels Road but this is way outside of the growth boundary and would have to bring in all the land between the Town boundary up to that land or be annexed by a “pipe stem” down the St. Michaels Road.  The church says it cannot afford land in town and they feel the County would not be amenable to building there on  agriculturally zoned land.  Dyanne Welte suggested that the church knew of this problem when they purchased the land.  Outside of the Planning Office staff I did not hear much sympathy for the church.  Terry Nolan argued that if the growth boundary were ignored to let the Baptist Church build on the pig farm that the permanency of the growth boundary would be jeopardized.  June Mc Gukien felt that the Church should be in the County but Hamilton said septic there would be too expensive, and Steve Pericone added that the County would never permit it.
• Lena Gill asked how many sewage hook ups were being granted annually, and Hamilton responded that there is ample supply to last the projected 20 years.  Furthermore, he added, that the plant can easily be expanded.  John Ford noted that capacity for the 900 houses in the pipeline has been set aside.
• McGukien questioned what advantage there is to growth.  Hamilton answered that the state projects that in the next 25 years 160,000 new people will come to the Eastern Shore. He said we will accommodate some of that growth.  Susan Clifford asked about the 160,000 people coming in the next 25 years and if the state can mandate that we take a certain number.  The answer is no.  Priscilla Morris said that 160,000 new residents represents a compounded annual growth rate of 1.25% over the next 25 years.  Comparing that to the historic annual compounded growth rate of 1.55% over the last 40 years,  there would be no need for more annexation. 
• Bill Kirby asked in what time frame.  Hamilton answered that the Town Council determines that.  He added that an annexation in the priority three area was turned down because of the current Comp Plan.  He said infill should come first.
• Patrick Ward questioned the 3.5 minimum density figure, suggesting that higher density preserves farmland and requires less annexation.  Hamilton mentioned that the historical density has been about two dwelling units per acre.  He added that the market will dictate growth and what density sells.
• A man I did not recognize said this is not true, that it has more to do with getting bank loans.  This man later firmly stated that a town does not have to be adversely impacted economically if it does not grow.
• Ward said that if there were a negative growth rate the current growth boundary would be fine.  Hamilton responded that this boundary reflects the last Comp Plan and was determined by the “historic growth rate” (whatever that is – seems to be an ever-changing number depending on what years are included).  He said there is no goal to be a certain size but rather what the citizens want.  He also noted that builders need jobs.
• Ward questioned why then is a growth boundary required, Hamilton responding that people can change the boundary, and suggested that the county has to buy the land in the growth boundary.
• David Gill, responding to a comment by the previous speaker who said no growth would result in a loss of business in the Town, said this was not factually correct, there were example of other towns where zero growth had not resulted in any decline in business. 
• A woman asked if the Town intends to facilitate growth, and Hamilton responded that we are here for you (the citizens) and we are fine with no growth.  She asked if residents are happy with the current growth, to which Hamilton responded that a survey to be taken will tell.
• Tom Alspach mentioned that in the survey taken six years ago (to which 446 citizens responded) that two thirds felt that Easton was growing too fast.  According to his math  if we added 3000 people in the last six years and add 3000 in the next six years there is no need for additional annexation at this time.  He added that infill is the way to go, and developers should be directed to take that route instead of requesting annexation.
• Greg Gannon asked how much workforce housing (definition?) is in the 900 units in the pipeline.  Hamilton responded that developers will build what they can sell.  He said Douglass landing homes go for about $210K and Hunters Mill in the $200Ks.  He added that a few years back our growth rate was 5-6%, lately less than 2% now, so there is no immediate need for more houses.  Barbara Padden said there are 25 single family work force housing units at Easton Village, nine at Ashby Commons, and 10 on Clay Street.
• Gene Mechling brought up traffic issues, to which Hamilton said we have to be able to get around.
• Laura Carney objected to the Easton Village traffic and asked who makes decisions.  Hamilton said there is an application for expansion of Easton Waterside Shopping Center in the Planning Office now for stores to come in to the undeveloped area. Thomas added that the application must be consistent with the Comp Plan of 2002.  Carney said it was too late for anything good to happen in terms of traffic. 
• Steve Pericone (Planning and Zoning Commissioner) made a plea that the process not be seen as “you vs. us” because the commission really wants citizen input.
• Amy Owsley of the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy discussed greenbelts (growth boundaries) as workable in other areas of the country, and mentioned that it is an ESLC priority.  Hamilton said Talbot County likes the concept, and that the County has been referred to as a model for the state.  Thomas added that there are actually quite a few properties in the green belt already in easement.

I have done the best I can to report accurately without editorializing or remarking on the lack of answers to some questions.  The meeting ended with the opportunity to mark up large growth maps according to what the citizens wanted.  Handout sheets showing various growth statistics and historic growth rates were at each map for public use. This generated enthusiastic dialogue with nearly everyone wanting less annexation.  The half dozen developers and their attorneys did not participate in this exercise. 

Clearly the Town has the message that there are many people who want managed growth, determined by the Town, not the market, but we will have to keep the pressure on for infill as opposed to mega annexation! 

There will be a survey that will probably occur in June, and there may be another meeting on growth, most likely focused on commercial and industrial issues. 

Many thanks to those who attended and especially those who wrote letters sparking public interest. 

Jane Bollman