July 4, 2007

Is there a fast one being cooked up by the leadership (not the membership) and backers of Chesapeake Church Food Pantry and Counseling Center, Case 07-3445, scheduled with the Calvert County Board of Appeals, July 12, 2007, 9 a.m.? Though the “Calvert County Board of Appeals” members are appointed by the Board of County Commissioners, this board is actually a state-level board, not county (Article 66B of the Annotated Code of Maryland). Available documentation researched to date (Board of Appeals, county web site, and related publicly available property Deed information) was done by the Dunkirk Area Concerned Citizens Association (DACCA).

SCENARIO:

What if you bought your next door neighbor’s house and property then, used it for public activities (without permits). Would you expect the county to compel you to follow the previous residential zoning or a public institutional/commercial type zoning? If you say the law should then consider that property as non-residential, then you understand this case. Would you say the county changed the rules or did you change the playing field? It makes one wonder, why would any organization put the public at risk by not having proper inspections made? Could that organization also be putting itself at risk for potential liability issues?

Would you submit and then withdraw applications only to turn around and blame the institution for delays? Would you use that delay as a reason for going around the system with an appeal? In other words, if one does not get their way, seek another means.

Acquire property that will yield profit. Ignore local zoning laws until caught. Then begin to “duke it out” with the local authorities in a time consuming process (caused in part by not complying with local ordinances) until considerable time elapses. Use that elapsed time as partial rationale for appealing to state-level authorities. Mount public statements attempting to discredit local authorities. Provide your fellow backers with the means to have the state overrule local planning and zoning. Then, “cash in”.

CASE:

Backers of the above case claim alleged errors by Calvert County Planning & Zoning and the State Highway Administration (SHA). Rather than going through the established county zoning process, these folks appear maneuvering through legal technicalities directly to the state before the Calvert County Planning Commission even rendered a decision. DACCA asked candidates during the previous election for their positions about authorities over planning and zoning. Not one candidate for the Board of County Commissioners supported state take-over of planning & zoning. Now the election is past…

Prepare to hear these backers blame Planning and Zoning officers for delaying and obstructing the process. These backers might claim the issue is about “property rights” and equally enforcing the law. Can they use their property any way they wish? These backers are likely to say things like the staff at Planning & Zoning have become mean spirited while holding good, hard working people of Calvert County hostage without rendering timely deci