La Plata, MD – One week after holding a public hearing and one day after the public record was closed on a request to grant a conservation easement to a local environmental group the Charles County Commissioners conducted a work session on the proposal. The request from the Conservancy for Charles County Inc. for a conservation easement on over 200 acres of property located in the Bryans Road area near the Maryland Airport. The parcel is referred to in county documents as Indian Head Science and Technology Park. A previous board of commissioners bought the land for the purpose of developing a science and technology park to spur commercial growth in the area of the airport. The county paid over $6 million for the tract.
The hearing held Tuesday, Sept. 11 drew testimony from nearly 30 residents. Proponents praised the proposal as a way to possibly expand environmental education in the county. Two schools are in proximity to the tract. Opponents, including the Southern Maryland Association of Realtors and the mayor of Indian Head, claimed the plan was more evidence the current board of commissioners does not support job growth and economic development in Charles County.
During the work session, Commissioner Ken Robinson [D – District 1] made a series of motions to modify wording in the proposed deed of conservation easement. The meticulous process clearly frustrated Commissioner Debra Davis [D – District 2], who along with Commissioner Bobby Rucci [D – District 4] (both pictured, right], voted opposed to motions made by Robinson and Commissioner Amanda Stewart [D – District 3] to modify the document. “This is a really ineffective way of reviewing a document, guys,” Davis declared, adding that the whole process was “totally ridiculous.”
Davis and Robinson also verbally sparred on the issue of whether Charles County residents were benefitting from the conservancy request. “This is not a gift, the county will still own this land,” Robinson affirmed. “Nobody’s going to be paying taxes on this,” Davis countered.
After Robinson had made a motion to adopt the amended deed, County Attorney Rhonda L. Weaver advised the board that since the proposal was now modified the public needed to weigh in again. Weaver indicated there could be fiscal impacts as a result of the modifications.
“We don’t want to rush this,” Commissioners’ President Peter Murphy declared. Robinson’s motion to approve was then tabled—on a 3-to-2 vote.
A second public hearing has been tentatively scheduled for Oct. 23.
Contact Marty Madden at marty.madden@thebaynet.com