We Make It News
Audio & video reports in Charles County, Maryland
Posted 7/20/11
IS THE ENVIRONMENTAL RECOVERY ZONE (ERZ) A HANDOUT TO DEVELOPERS?
WeMakeItNews.com recently interviewed Jennifer Bevan-Dangel of 1,000 Friends of Maryland to discuss EPA requirements to reduce pollution in Charles County's waterways and whether the Planning Commission's ERZ is a threat to achieving success.
In June, the Planning Commission sent the ERZ to the next stage of approval, which is stoking
fears that the new zone will usher in massive new development in Charles County's rural areas -- effectively shutting down the county's promised shift to Smart Growth.
Proponents of the ERZ include Danny Mayer, a consultant for a landowner who wants to build up to 1,500 new homes on 1,000 acres near the Port
Tobacco River (a nine-fold increase in currently allowed housing density).
HIGHLIGHTS FROM JENNIFER'S INTERVIEW
LISTEN to HIGHLIGHT 1:
The ERZ hasn't been fully thought through
LISTEN to HIGHLIGHT 2:
Someone from the Board of Commissioners should tell the Planning Commission that now is not the time for an ERZ
LISTEN to HIGHLIGHT 3:
Is very hopeful about the future of Smart Growth in Charles County
