Dear Mr. Ray Detig and Commissioner Graves,
As one of your constituents I would like to provide you with my prospective regarding Chaney’s request to rezone 150 acres in Hughesville from agricultural to heavy industrial.
Sam you are quoted in a recent article as saying:
“I remember as a child, Hughesville was a bustling little business community, and I’d like to see that happen again,” said Commissioner Samuel N. Graves Jr. (D-La Plata), whose district includes Hughesville. “At some point, somebody has to embrace someone coming in with the financial wherewithal to make that happen.” and that “Hughesville residents seem divided on the Chaney proposal”, and that you have received comments from supporters and opponents.
Gentlemen, I am opposed to this request (as is every neighbor I have for miles is as well!) and any other re-zoning proposal that would change the current rural character of the Village of Hughesville into that of a truck stop with industrial sites (read gravel washers) and warehousing facilities. The residents of the Village want the revitalization plan the County approved to be strictly adhered to and for any economic development to begin in the Village, not out in the surrounding area. We would like to see “Mom & Pop” niche market type businesses in the Village. We believe that specialty stores that would make the Village a destination and professional offices and eateries that “fit” in a rural community, not ones that require a drastically different type of zoning, are what is best for our home town. We do not want box stores, chain restaurants and industrial concerns. We want to remain a small country Village. We would like a walkable town center, with lots of green space for future generations to enjoy, not to dodge an endless stream of 18-wheelers and dump trucks! We want “Mayberry” not mayhem!
The Chaney project is not in keeping with our vision and not consistent with the Charles County Comprehensive plan, or the county’s transportation plan. It would reverse all the traffic improvements brought about by the recent construction of the by-pass.
At the recent March 17th planning board meeting attended by 100’s of residents who opposed this rezoning (and a mere handful that didn’t, mostly Chaney employees or attorneys) it was made clearly evident to the board that there has been no mistake in zoning made previously and there has been no significant change in the character of the Village, as one local resident so eloquently put it in the closing moments of the meeting, Chaney’s arguments and the boards position on this matter strains credulity and there is no basis (legal or otherwise) for approving this re-zoning request.
As a voter I will watch to see how these re-zoning requests are handled very closely and if my elected representatives work to minimize the current out-of-control residential development, if they support economic development that adheres strictly to the revitalization plan and don’t get “creative” with zoning changes to support special interests above the desires of the Villagers.
Hughesville is a very close-knit community that has a history of coming together to take strong action to maintain agrarian the life-style we all treasure, whether we were born here or relocated here to the “rural America” surrounding the Village we have come to love. Danny Mayer heard our voice in the last election when he failed to heed us and supported the great white elephant baseball stadium here against this community’s wishes. We hope Sam that you will “li