Eastern Shore Land Conservancy

Conclusion

2011-03-18T12:59:00.000-07:00

Amy Owsley

We are now going over what we cherish about the Eastern Shore. Everyone agrees on the fact that the community and environment are very special to us.

There are many challenges presented to us in the future. Growth need to occur where it belongs. Jobs also need to be created. We need to chart a new path for economic development both vibrant and local.

Regional cooperation is very important for the Eastern Shore's future. Towns need to bring their visions together for a more vibrant future.

Articulating Aspirations: Refining the Vision

2011-03-18T11:41:00.000-07:00

The towns on the Eastern Shore draw us in for many different reasons. The natural beauty inspires us to take a profound interest in the environment. We also love our communities and the people in them.

Some changes need to be made to preserve our towns. Some examples are strong rural protection and economic development integrated with land use planning.

Aspirations for our town in the future are retaining a rural character, keep farmers farming, and stopping sprawl. We need to make our towns attractive to the future generations living within them.

Aspirational Statements:

How do you tell between good growth and bad growth?
Ordinances
Comprehensive Plan
Transparency or more information
Fiscal/Economic Development Statements
Walkable Towns
Communities grow with the understanding of natural capital
Regional Transportation
Communities attract and support quality employment
Instill a culture geared towards sustainability
Self-Sufficient
Any growth should conform to the principles of the small town
Provide flexible economic settings
Self-sustained communities that adopt innovative new technologies in alternative energy
Role-models of where development has been done right
Regional Cooperation

Charles Marohn: Strong Towns

2011-03-18T10:08:00.000-07:00

Curbside Chat

The mission of Strong Towns is to support a model for growth that allows America's towns to become financially strong and resilient.

With foreclosures at record highs competition is high and housing values low. A certain amount of people's income goes to paying for housing. The proportion from their total pay goes up and down. In 2000 houses were 214% above the value that they should have been.

Between 1990 and 2005, consumer spending per capita rose 14%(inflation adjusted), yet retail space per capita rose 100%. We have six times the retail space per capita of any European country. Vacant retail space is up 42% since 2006.

Can we change our current development pattern? In the modern area "Mechanisms of Growth" have included government transfer payments, Federal/State transportation Spending, Debt (both private and public), the Growth Ponzi scheme.

The government transfer payments has not been sustainable. Our priorities have not included infrastructure and community development.

Federal Transportation Spending went into a deficit in 2008. In Minnesota a study was done on a projection on what needs to done to current transportation in the next 20 years. The results were $65 billion was needed and there was only $15 in projected revenue. This means that $50 billion is needed.

Private Sector Debt dwarfs our public sector debt. When General Motors went out of business they lost money making cars but made money financing cars.

Growth Ponzi Scheme induces new growth that solves existing problems. The initial cost to the public for new growth is minimal in respect to the benefit to the public budget for new growth. Either growth continues at ever accelerating rates or the pattern of development ultimately generates more revenue than it costs to maintain.

Mar. Marohn is now going into technical examples including Leewood Lane Street Project. The neighborhood will cost the local government $6,600 per lot. It would take a substantial amount of time to be paid off. Another example, The Afton Hills Road Rehabilitation road maintenance project would be paid off in 79 YEARS. The North Sleuter Road Project to break even in this case they would have to raise property taxes by 25%. An Industrial Park Investment cost $1.9 million for 25 lots served. These are all examples of unsustainable development projects.

More Examples:
An urban industrial park development was built in the mid 1990s it cost $2.1 million inflation adjusted to make the improvements needed.

Backus Wastewater System sewr rehab project would cost the a family the same as their median household income.

Implications for the future:

The "Mechanisms of Growth" we have become accustomed to are waning
Local governments are going to be force to absorb the local cost of the current development pattern.
This can't be done in the current pattern of development without large tax increases and/or large cuts in service.

New Economy: Emphasis on building resiliency

How do local communities create return on investment for infrastructure?

Concentrate on High Amenity Areas

A strong town need age diversity to be sustainable.

Big Concepts:

The current path cities are on is not financially stable.
The future for most cities is not going to resemble the recent past.
The main determinant of future prosperity for cities will be the ability of local leaders to transform their communities.

Questions:

1. How does rail service would factor in to the way of life that is discussed?

We need the rails for future transit. Our trend of building rails to trails might actually hurt our ability to develop the rail system. Small cities are hurt by the lack of rail transportation.

2. What do you think about the small towns ability to cope with the rising population?

It is important for infill development to slow down the rate of annexation of small towns. We have lost our concept of growth.

3. Give some examples of community leaders transforming communities.

We do not need to grow, we need to build resiliency.

strongtowns.org Check It Out

Amy Owsley: Where do we want to go with our towns?

2011-03-18T07:52:00.000-07:00

Focus Exercise

1. Do you feel there is a vibrant future for your and other Eastern Shore towns? What are the strongest forces influencing?

Expansion of local businesses draw people in
Larger size attract mores new people, has infrastructure and a vibrant future
Planning efforts is one of the strongest forces influencing vibrant towns
A growing awareness of growth control and getting the right people elected with a strong downtown are strong forces influencing the vibrant future of the Eastern Shore
Strong downtowns are defined by no empty stores with diverse stores that cater with a range of affordability
Vibrancy is not sprawl, it is what brings the community together
Long term Sustainability
Home ownership is a strong force on a vibrant future

2. What characteristics define our Eastern Shore towns and make them unique from other places?

Connection to landscape
people
life style
community events
architecture
scale
water
natural history
Being Local
artistic community
friendliness
historic buildings
safety
wildlife
diversity
recreational opportunities
economic diversity
isolation
mom and pop stores
resource based economy
farming

3. Solutions for Vibrant towns

strong preservation ordinances
regional vision
Diversifying farms
consistency in vision
Educate outsiders on the principles of the community
Building a New Economy
focusing on assets and building on them
more political weight
people need to know how to get involved
leadership with vision
Engage the public

Mr. Kaid Benfield

2011-03-18T06:20:00.000-07:00

Sustainable Communities: Where, Why, When, How

The Eastern shore is special. Having vibrant small towns and a successful natural landscape gives the Eastern Shore a large advantage. The population of the Eastern Shore is expected to grow by 37% from 2005 to 2030. An increase in housing by 43%. There will be a reduction in forest and farms by 96,000 acres. How will we manage this Growth?

In the next 25 years there will be an additional 70 million people in the U.S.

Developed land has been growing over twice as fast as population. Mr. Benfield shows a map of if the different land use cover between 2002 & 2030 produced by the Maryland Department of Planning.

Car dependency in the U.S. must change because of rising gas prices, destruction of the environment, climate change, and sea level rise. Sea Level rise is a big deal on the Eastern Shore.

U.S. citizens are not walking as much as they did before. There is a serious obesity problem in this county from inactivity.

Disinvestment is hurting not only large cities like Detroit but also the small towns of America.

The key to sustainability is to reduce the amount of land for development. We also need to make these lands great. An example of a city reducign the amount of land that can be developed is Ontario. They have a well established greenbelt.

Should the Eastern Shore have a regional planning authority? We do have PFAs (Priority Funding Areas) but these can be seen as weak.

Reneweable energy development should be an initiative throughout the whole Eastern Shore.

"Putting Smart Growth to Work" http://icma.org. Check it for smart growth applications in small towns.

When living downtown your per capita carbon footprint is much lower than living in car dependent suburbs.

The Character of Neighborhoods

Higher Density = Less Driving

Per capita Storm Water Runoff sharply decreases in increases in Density.

"Doubling nearby jobs increases walking 19%" Research does show urban design does have an effect on obesity levels. Urban Design should be characterized by connected grid like streets. Public green space is very important to Urban Design it reduces the need for large backyards. A green roof brings amenities to the neighborhood. It absords storm water and provides natural cooling.

The market is ready for Smart Growth. The demand for housing has changed. 75% of the market is for more compact style homes.

Highland Garden Village in Denver, Colorado is a good example of working landscapes within out communities in an efficient and sustainable way.

Artist have become involved in the community and have helped upgrade housing with led to many affordable attractive houses.

Sunrise Trailer Court was invovative in how they laid out the park by allowing green space.

nrdc.org/smartgrowth Go watch the transformation of neighborhoods.

On the Eastern Shore we need to build on what we have now. We have a unique natural landscape.

Questions and Comments from the Audience:
How do we accommodate all the need growth? The annexation laws within the state of Maryland allowing towns to grow as much as they want. What restrictions should we do to keep our foot print small? There are many political issues that must be considered.

Americans love their SUVs and Big yards what we will do in the future to change their opinions. We need to show them the attractive Urban Villages.

Research has shown that LEED deisgn will increase building costs by 2.5%. We need to be careful in imposing the regulations within town because it could be harmful to economic growth.

Smart Growth and Historical Preservation: They are tied into each other because Smart Growth emphasizes the use of current development.

Robert J. Etgen

2011-03-18T05:47:00.000-07:00

Mr. Etgen has taken the podium to begin the conference. The Eastern Shore Land Conservancy has protected 50,000 acres through hard work and dedication from exemplary efforts from the ESLC staff.

Growth management is working on the Eastern Shore. There are many forces acting on what has controlled growth. The Eastern Shore is expected to grow by 37% in the next 20 years.

Mr. Etgen is now introducing Kaid Benfield.

Eastern Shore Land Conserancy "Vibrant Towns" Conference

2011-03-18T05:43:00.000-07:00

Vibrant Towns
12th Annual Planning Conference

Asking for Better Edge Retail

2010-09-30T14:09:00.000-07:00

At the edge of many small towns – and on the periphery of larger cities – you will find a landscape of single-loaded shopping centers, indoor malls, myriad parking lots, neon signs and standardized, vanilla landscaping. One town has been taking tentative steps toward altering this landscape by articulating what it wants and asking for more from retailers who want to develop and locate on Easton’s edges. Before we talk about the example of Easton or the characteristics of better edge retail, we should think about the power of this simple statement. By taking the time to articulate what it wants to be, wants from its development and wants from developers, a town is tremendously empowered to negotiate. This is not a difficult proposition – though it does require a time investment. The power to negotiate based on a clearly articulated standard should result in higher quality (though not perfect – as you can see by looking at even the best examples of standards for strip retail development) development.

Over the course of the last month, the Easton Star-Democrat newspaper has run several articles (1, 2) about the second phase of a suburban retail project on the west side of the town of Easton. The paper also ran a story this week on the debate representatives of Olive Garden restaurant had with Easton’s planning commissioners over their inability to adapt the architecture of their restaurants to Easton’s citizens’ expectations. Easton is one of a few towns on the Delmarva Peninsula with a relatively vibrant and healthy retail district at its center. The retail downtown is a tremendous draw for visitors from around the greater Chesapeake region. Easton is often featured in the Washington Post, Baltimore Sun and even New York Times travel sections. The built environment in Easton is a major draw for tourists and contributes to the viability of the town’s retail and tourism industries.

The characteristics we’re talking about are:
• Buildings built close to the street
• Parking on the street or behind buildings – NOT in front of buildings
• Many openings (doors and windows) on the street facade of buildings
• Narrow street section with building heights in almost 1:1 proportion to street width (the purpose of this is to create a comfortable space for people, rather than an open moving district for automobiles)
• Street trees, bike infrastructures, benches and trashcans – important street furniture for attracting people

Washington Street, Easton, Maryland

These characteristics are known by us – if not by name, at least by sight – in relation to downtown areas just like Easton’s. However, they are not – and should not be – exclusive geographically to central areas. The decision to locate development further and further from town centers is a separate issue entirely. Development – whether retail, office, residential or otherwise – could still be designed to incorporate the characteristics listed above.

The new proposal for Waterside Village in Easton sheds itself of its initial effort to incorporate some of the principles of walkable retail urbanism (see the site plan and rendering from the web site to get a sense of what I’m talking about).

Waterside Village Site Plan (Waterside Village web site)

The fact that the proposed senior apartments replace office space is a reasonable decision. Residential space over office space is preferable as it extends the hours of active use in the area. Office hours are between 8:00am and 6:00pm and are similar to retail uses. Longer hours of activity increase safety, vibrancy and longevity of the site.

According to the Star Democrat story, “the architectural design and community space that was proposed for the buildings in the Westport Commons application would remain the same” and “the Westport Commons development proposal has not been withdrawn”. This isn’t to insult the quality of the Westport Commons proposal, only to say that the decision to place the senior apartments behind the Target building should take into consideration the context of the site, and not simply be a plan for another site, moved onto this plot of land.

The Town clearly sees they are worthy of better, as the commissioners have “expressed concern that the proposal was not consistent with design aspects of the town’s comprehensive plan.” Easton’s planning commissioners – in this instance – “recommend” the applicants make two changes. (You’ll recognize the recommendations from our earlier list of characteristics of high quality retail districts – like downtown Easton.)

The two recommendations:
• Make the development truly mixed-use; change some of the retail buildings from one-story to two, by putting residential units above retail.
• Move some of the parking to the rear or sides of the buildings.

As the commission noted, the comprehensive plan “encourages” residential space above retail. The ordinances governing Easton’s built environment could better reflect the principles laid out in their comprehensive plan. However, the developer making a contribution to the built environment has a responsibility as well.

Let’s recall that the ingredients of a successful and attractive retail area as we consider the following statement: “…the developers specifically avoided that formula because it would create competition with businesses in the downtown area, where residential above retail is frequently found.” Rather than worry about competing with downtown areas, edge retail should be a complementary district that may have room for larger tenants. Edge retail can still learn from and mimic the characteristics of downtown retail districts that shoppers love.

New suburban development – incorporating the design principles of traditional downtown retail districts.

In the Easton example, the developers argue with my suggestion by saying residential uses are “inappropriate” because they are only targeting 5,000-square-foot-plus “junior box” retailers. Countless examples – and all trends – are proving this wrong. It’s working in Pittsburgh, Vancouver and in hundreds of other developments (nicely presented by CoolTown Studios here). I’m not comparing a shopping center in Vancouver to one in Easton, but if it works at a large scale, it is unlikely that at a smaller, more human scale it should be any more difficult. I am confident that the creativity exists among small town developers in Easton and elsewhere that can craft a workable coexistence of retail and residences.

Mixed-use development in Vancouver, Canada with housing above big-box development.

Plan comparing typical rear-loaded strip shopping mall with parking in front versus innovative mixed-use shopping district (Ten Principles for Reinventing American Suburban Business Districts, Urban Land Institute, 2002)

The other request of the planning commissioners was for the developers to move some of the parking to the rear or sides of the retail buildings. The applicants responded that retailers would not want to occupy a store where shoppers would have to encounter trucks, loading docks and other back-of-house functions. This ethic is more likely applied by retailers than reflected by shoppers.

Retail set into a parking garage in a new development with features of a vibrant street (Ten Principles for Reinventing American Suburban Business Districts, Urban Land Institute, 2002).

When citizens in Easton or other towns want to complain about low density strip development and fields of parking lots, they look to their leaders. The burden of local leaders is being met as they adopt design guidelines and ask these probing questions of developers. It is the responsibility of those who develop retail on the edge to recognize that these types of single-use buildings set behind parking are the opposite of innovative, creative development that our Towns are asking for and we should expect.

Agricultural Urbanism and the Eastern Shore

2010-07-26T11:36:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week, Grist posted an article on an evolving phenomenon that goes by the name ‘Agricultural Urbanism’. If your head just cocked to the side trying to understand how that isn’t an oxymoron – you aren’t alone. That’s how I responded when I first heard the term. I also reacted with quite a bit of skepticism. Take a look with me at some images from the articles. This is what passes for some type of urbanism:

Prairie Crossing

Natural Resources Defense Council

In my next post I’ll talk about why I use the term ‘urbanism’ and why it’s relevant here. In the meantime, suffice it to say that I’m talking about the characteristics of buildings that are not only suitable for small towns, but those which characteristics of the great parts of towns that we love, right here on the Eastern Shore.

Source: ESLC

A quick look at Prairie Crossing’s site plan and photos will tell you this development would be better described as Agricultural SubUrbanism. That’s not necessarily a bad thing; ecologically and economically speaking isn’t it better to have fields of food or energy crops replacing turfgrass? Probably, but that’s a small and weak step toward integrating agriculture and urbanism without plainly sacrificing either.

By maintaining significant areas of contiguous farmland sustain a more vibrant agriculture economy. The very nature of integrating farmland into suburbia (and vice versa) takes land away from farming and contributes to less viability of the concerned farmland. Does that mean we should discourage farming that is integrated into the built environment? Not necessarily.

In theory, using in-town land for farming or building new projects with agriculture integrated simply spreads out the footprint of the town, village or city. If our goal is to have vibrant, walkable, sustainable towns, spreading out the development footprint is a no-go. A possible exception, both to the integration of agriculture into towns and the need for large tracts of rural land to sustain farming, is the high-value produce or value-added products like grapes for viticulture. Community gardens and vacant land reclamation (excellent example: GTECH Strategies’ Larimer site) are other opportunities to integrate agriculture into the town landscape.

GTECH Strategies

The question is: how? Look again at the Prairie Crossing plans. Are their true opportunities for the average resident to walk or bike to everything they need? Is there any potential to replicate this project elsewhere? Is there a wise use of the land on the site? Compare this to a recent proposal from Charlottesville-area planner Daniel Nairn. Daniel has drafted up a ‘model block’ for Agricultural Urbanism. It might not work in every community – it was designed for a Richmond, Virginia neighborhood – but elements are not at all dissimilar from blocks in Cambridge, Denton, Easton, Chestertown and elsewhere.

Discovering Urbanism

Let’s think for a moment about why this block might have applicable lessons for Agricultural Urbanism on the Eastern Shore.

Street Wall

There is both a presumption and a legal framework that reinforce huge and unnecessary setbacks for buildings. These setbacks provide no benefits for human safety or welfare and only serve to erode the quality of streets as public spaces. Daniel’s block keeps buildings relatively close to the street (even with small front yards). This is a condition that exists in the heart of virtually every single town on the Eastern Shore from Betterton to Vienna.

Mixed Use

Mixed use does not mean having one huge swath of an enormous development devoted to commercial and another swath devoted to residential use (look again at the Prairie Crossing site plan). This does nothing more than encourage short-distance driving. Daniel’s proposal includes a corner market on the block (retail) and the integration of agriculture provides the opportunity for jobs within the block.

Use of Ancillary Space

Rather than use the block interior simply for parking or recreational space, Daniel proposes the block interior be primarily (and significantly) devoted to crops. There is little wasted space. As one commenter on Daniel’s post notes – an alleyway or structure for alleyways would be a nice addition, but I think there are obvious ways an alley could be integrated.

Scale

One of the issues I have with the block – for its application here – is the block size. The dimensions aren’t articulated in the post, but if we imagine that the block is something like 600’ x 600’, I would think a rectangular block (say 600’ x 300’ might be better suited to an Eastern Shore town – and to walkability. That said, it is the size of the block’s interior that makes it so potentially successful as a model of urban agriculture.

Building Height

At 3 stories, the tallest building in this block would be short or comfortable in any town on the Eastern Shore – with very few exceptions. The employment of architectural details that draw from the local vernacular would make the building even more likely to fit in.

Density

This proposal offers 15 dwelling units per acre – which could easily be increased or decreased with any number of design adaptations. If, for example, the yellow or red (presumably brick) houses depicted in Daniel’s block were to replace the gray-blue apartments, the density would drop to 9 dwelling units per acre. That density might be more appropriate for smaller towns like Queen Anne or Millington.

The potential applicability for our towns is very interesting. Obviously, agriculture must not be a gimmick used to sell an unwalkable, unlivable places, but that where strategically implemented, Agricultural Urbanism on the Eastern Shore should be both comprised of productive agriculture and real urbanism.

For a more in-depth analysis of this proposal, check out Daniel’s web site or NRDC’s Kaid Benfield’s (always insightful) analysis here.

Jake Day is Town Planning Manager at Eastern Shore Land Conservancy. He plans to be a regular contributor to ESLC’s blog on design, development, community and towns.

The Choptank Route?

2010-06-21T07:49:00.000-07:00

ESLC has been following the latest developments with the MAPP project very closely (see below for our latest update.)
What do you think?

The Choptank Route; a different option with the same questions

Most of you are aware of Pepco Holding INC's. (PHI) recent announcement of a the Choptank Route - their proposed route through Dorchester County. The Choptank Route entails bringing the high voltage transmission lines underwater across the Bay, continuing up the Choptank River, coming on land north of the Cambridge Hyatt Regency and continuing over land into Vienna. PHI applauds the route selection and is in the process of gaining support for the new route - but many of the same questions remain unanswered.

Has the Need Been Established?
NO!

PHI has not established the need for the overall MAPP Project as the process remains in suspension at the state level. This suspension was at the request of the utility company with the understanding that the project would be revisited when studies were released about overall energy consumption and demand. Locally, many people do not realize the project is in suspension because of the continued efforts to secure rights of way and numerous presentations to gain support for the project. A statement such as "The power could go out by 2014" doesn't facilitate understanding the project or the address overall need for the MAPP project. The Office of People's Council, a Maryland State Agency that represents the utility rate payers of Maryland, called these types of tactics fear mongering.

Will this disrupt aquatic life in the Choptank River?
We don't know!

What are the environmental impacts of the Choptank Route? PHI has actively promoted the oyster studies they have completed and how the high voltage lines will not disturb historic or current oyster beds but fails to address other aquatic life that resides in the Chesapeake Bay or the Choptank River. There are more valuable resources in the Choptank River and Chesapeake Bay beyond oyster beds and how they will be affected must be addressed.

Is this Going To Impact MY Wallet?
YES! Even if the transmission line never breaks ground!

The original price tag for the project was 1.2 billion dollars, however the new Choptank Route could cost an additional $100-200 million dollars. Who will pay these costs? You, the consumer will. This project also has a 12.8% interest rate of return - that is for every dollar spent PHI will get that dollar back plus 12.8%. PHI has already spent over 4 million dollars to purchase properties in Dorchester County alone. All of which you, the consumer, will ultimately pay for.

There are too many unanswered questions to simply accept the Choptank River route as the right option to the MAPP line. Eastern Shore Land Conservancy will continue to ask questions about the environmental impacts, push for the highest levels of fiscal responsibility, and work at the state, regional and local levels to better understand the need for this project. Please don't stop asking questions and demanding the highest level of transparency for the process and answers to your questions.

Remember to flip the switch! You are the first step to energy conservation and it makes a difference!

Live Blog Feed: ESLC Annual Planning Conference

2010-02-26T11:05:00.000-08:00

Keynote Speaker: Ken Snyder, Place Matters

The Art and Science of Civic Engagement

Civic Engagement Tools and Techniques

-Information and Communication

-Visualization

-GIS Modeling and Impact Analysis

-Public Process and Civic Engagement

Principles of Successful Public Participation

Inclusive. . . . . . .. . ... .. . . .Ownership

Community . . . .. . . . . . . . .Driven legitimacy

Transparent. . . . . . . . . . .. .Trust

Carefully Designed.. . . . . . .Accessible, Safe, and Fun

Intuitive and Informed. . . . . Realistic Outcomes

Lead to Implementation. . .. Affecting Present and Future Decisions

Ken is now talking about using the right set of tools and techniques that help communities. A key word here is visualizing. Snyder talks about quantifying impact. When will you hit build out? What are our short-term and long-term infrastructure needs? Integration is another key tool when helping communities. How do issues like housing, economic development, the environment, and transportation needs overlap? Create is another key word for Ken. What do we uniquely create as a whole as a result of planning the future of our community? Lastly, Ken talks about having fun--simply stated: make the process fun!

Civic engagement in the 21st century must incorporate technology such as Twitter, Facebook, and a website. Connect with people also using SketchUp and GoogleEarth--both excellent tools for community planning. Use 3-D visualization to show what a community could look like. Present "futuristic world" type solutions.

Box City: What's that? Build replicas of what you want to keep in your community or map out a realistic model version of what your town/city actually looks like--no matter how depressing.

Use cameras on cell phones in community planning exercises. Send people out to take pictures in their community.

Anatomy of A Town Meeting: 1) Coordinator, 2) Lead Facilitator, 3) Table Captain, 4) Tech Support, 5) Free Lunch, 6) Networked Computers, and 7) Keypads

Keypad polling can be used as a means of collecting information during a meeting in an honest, anonymous way.

For Vision Utah, citizens engaged in dot exercises. The dot exercises literally meant people dotting out and identifying different areas of concern, answering questions like: where are the jobs in our community? where are the schools? where will future growth go? where are problem areas for our community? where are bright spots in our community? where will new people live in our community?

Touch table technologies (just think of an iPhone the size of a table). Ken says why not have several in a room where everyone has a city map, then they can zoom into their specific community area to think about local planning issues.

Touch table technology used in community land use planning:

Use Google Wave in community planning to discuss issues and follow lines of thought. Snyder says Google Wave must be improved in the future to be more community friendly, but nonetheless is a cool online tool for communication, discussion, and engagement.

Live Blog Feed: ESLC Annual Planning Conference

2010-02-26T10:08:00.000-08:00

What's Next, East New Market?

place work[s]hop with Jake Day

We believe that place works, place works as a strategy. Believing in small towns is a strategy of upmost importance on the Eastern Shore. We want to engage in a workshop process. Our work is never finished, it is a process. Placework[s]hop is a Eastern Shore community design workshop to envision the future of our special towns. The first Placework[s]hop was held in fall 2009 in East New Market, Md. East New Market received a Streetscape grant from SHA, but they also face major problems related to community character.

The first step was to research East New Market before the workshop. The second was to engage people in the process. We asked people to take pictures. We gave several people in town disposable cameras. We wanted them to take the first half of the roll on good things about East New Market and the second half on what needs to be improved. We ended up with 1500 pictures of this 150-160 person population town. The pictures were categorized. Important questions arose from the pictures: how do we preserve our rural character and agricultural landscapes? What do we do about these subdivisions that have sprout up? Seven pictures were on an intersection in a traditional development where the development ended, with nothing but road extending into a field.

After pictures were compiled sessions were scheduled to bring in the community to get feedback and to spur discussion on the pictures and the important themes that the pictures raised.

A 2-day (Friday night/Saturday night) community design retreat was scheduled at the fire department. We went to community events to network and have a presence with the community. We had a team of block captains who met with ESLC staff bi-weekly to talk about the development of the project. Together the block captain team got the word out to the community word on upcoming workshop meetings and planning sessions.

Unexpected Outcomes of the Community Workshop: Through this process it was highlighted that nothing was protecting the character of the African American community in town. Many felt that expansion of the town historic district or creation of new one was needed to protect the integrity of the African American community.

The objective and goal of this exercise was to assist the town of East New Market in making a plan for their community's future. ESLC had no agenda for making the plan for the town, the objective was to help facilitate the plan making process. By creating a process that work you come out with a better plan. Providing the community the ability to communicate and discuss in a comprehensive and honest way allows for real issues to be addressed that in other community involvement processes would not have been on the radar screen.

Live Blog Feed: ESLC Annual Planning Conference

2010-02-26T09:42:00.000-08:00

Process and Participation in Community Planning

Anne Fitzgerald-Pittman, Field Organizer

Maryland League of Conservation Voters

What is your goal?

This step is often overlooked in processes. We need goals to define success, to know if what we want to do is achievable, to make sure that we are all on the same page, and to drive our work efficiently.

Goals must be achievable and specific. You can have overall goals and short-term goals. All must be integrated into one vision. Involve the key players in the process.

When establishing plans with goals do the following. . . .

#1 Work Backwards

#2 Be Flexible

#3 Be Responsive

It is also important for you to figure out what your message is. What message will most get the citizens in my town to take action on this issue or to at least be informed and engaged?

A message is a short statement that lays out exactly what you want citizens and decision makers to think of when they think of your issue.

Who do you need in the room?

-business

-civic leaders

-agency officials

-community members

-scientists

How do you get them in the room? Use targeted recruitment by directly contacting the person you want at the meeting. Mass recruitment is contact one person who will then contact several others.

You must ask people, don't just let them know about a meeting. Follow up with them and make sure that they know that you really want them there.

Quick tip: The community land fill or dump may be the place you take your trash, but it is also a great place to connect with people. In a couple Saturdays you could make contact with 1000s of people in your small community.

Public speaking is important. When you speak be sure to introduce yourself, state the problem, present the solution, emphasize the urgency, give the call to action. Here is a quote for thought: "Extemporaneous speaking should be practiced and cultivated."-Abraham Lincoln

When speaking in public: practice out loud, keep it simple, engage people, pace yourself, memorize it, and be yourself. Anne says to "Think about your messengers and much as your messages."

Contact Anne at afitzgerald@mdlcv.org

Live Blog Feed: ESLC Annual Planning Conference

2010-02-26T07:51:00.000-08:00

Panel Discussion: "Getting Good Growth"

Overcoming Barriers to Infill, Compact Growth and Complete Streets

Please remember to refresh your browser to see new content on our live feed. Also, if you have comments or questions for the panelists please leave a comment and we will get your question to the floor.

10:53a.m.-Welcome to our next segment at ESLC's 11th Annual Planning Conference. We are getting ready to start our next panel discussion in the next couple minutes. Stay tuned.

11:00a.m.-The panelists are:

Richard E. Hall, AICP, Secretary, Maryland Department of Planning

Joann Genova, Developer

Nicole Lacoste Folks, Esq, AICP, Black Dog Law LLC

Margo Bailey, Mayor, Town of Chestertown

Jon Arason, AICP, Director, City of Annapolis Planning & Zoning Dept.

11:06a.m.-Ok, we are underway again here at the conference. Secretary Richard Hall is introducing the panelists right now.

11:10a.m.-Jon Arason is taking the floor now to talk about community and character in infill design. Most cities and towns are experiencing new development on land annexed and infill development. It is important that all development is representative of the core values of the city. Jon will talk mainly on context-sensitive infill.

Annapolis Comp Plan quote: "The city's growth and economic vitality does not depend on the outward expansion of its borders." Arason says he always tried to annex as much as possible to allow for Annapolis growth, but now he must accept that Annapolis will not annex further. Now the focus turns to infill. Annapolis has had traditional neighborhoods from traditional rigid zoning for too long, now the need is for flexible zoning. The majority of the zoning in Annapolis is currently R2.

Rigid zoning ordinances with mandatory setbacks, etc. limit the success of infill projects.

11:16a.m.-Infill Development Example: A bank wanted to build in a residential neighborhood. Arason told the architect that if the bank wanted to preserve the existing building on site to make it a bank they could all meet the next day, if the plan was to tear down the existing building and build a new big box building--Arason would meet with them in 6 months.

Arason and the Annapolis Planning Department has asked developers to do context studies with regard to infill projects to take into account community character. They were able to preserve a 1907 hospital building in downtown Annapolis.

The pendulum seems to be swinging back toward 'streamlined' development. Political support lagging for good design. It is important to understand those elements that distinguish your jurisdiction, not sacrifice quality for the sake of development.

11:21a.m.-Arason continues. . . .

Someday the economy will improve and you want to ensure tha you remain competitive based on your unique assets. Don't sell out character in the long-term for short-term goals.

11:23a.m.-Richard Hall now takes the podium again commenting on an Annapolis project that was incredibly walkable in its site design. Hall commends Arason and Annapolis for such a project.

11:24a.m.-Nicole Folks is at the podium now to speak. This is her 3rd year at ESLC's APC. Nicole comments on how we need to have developers in the audience to hear the good things we are talking about. Folks is a land use attorney working in the MD area. Folks' clients are small business owners, land developers, lenders, charter schools, and homebuilders. Nicole says that in the past everything was focused on greenfields development: find new land, make a plan, get it passed. But now things are changing. . . . . . thus the topic of her lecture today--promoting infill development.

11:28a.m.-Folks comments,

If attractive financing and incentives are made available developers will come--but make sure your comprehensive plan is current first.

She offers the 'carrot and stick approach' to promoting infill development from the private sector perspective.

What are some factors developers look at while shopping for land?

-land values

-population base

-employment and/or academic centers

-energy & gas prices

-public transportation options

11:31a.m.-Nicole says, "Show me the Money!" Banks are not lending like they did in the past right now. Developers must have in hand: 1) strong and balanced pro forma, 2) good relationships with lenders, 3) forward looking market studies, and 4) doesn't hurt to have lots of cash in hand. Market studies are very important during this economic climate. Banks are looking at market studies a lot more given the economy.

HUD is the biggest lender right now for developers given the fact that banks are not lending.

Time is money. Expedited permit and plan approval processes are great tools to use to incentivize the right kinds of development projects. Waivers are also useful especially with regard to parking. Baltimore City code allows long-term lease agreements with other parking providers within 300 yards of the site. Parking is not required on-site in Baltimore City.

11:36a.m.-Carsharing is being used by a developer to try to provide an adequate alternative parking arrangement for an infill development in Baltimore City. Nicole's client is actually purchasing cars to provide carsharing for his site.

Arts and Entertainment Districts are big in Baltimore City as well. If development will encourage arts and entertainment in the district, developers are given carrots. Incentives are also in place for TOD. Baltimore also has recently implemented one of the most restrictive 'Green Building' laws in the country. Baltimore City put in place fast-track approval incentives for developers who choose to 'build green.' Nicole has a client now who has chosen that route.

Another big issue with regard to supporting more infill development is stormwater management regulations. At times such regulations can serve as huge hurdles to infill proposals.

11:41a.m.-Joann Genova is now at the podium. She is a local developer and will talk a little bit about some of her recent projects. Talking about what a development is and what it isn't. Genova says, "It is about the people who use it and its surrounding community." Joann mentions an adaptive use project on North Harrison Street in Easton, Md. The land owners wanted to do a retrofit of an old, historic downtown house. They met various hurdles throughout the process that make the project somewhat of a "budget buster," but the project did succeed and will soon be featured as one of Easton's historic restoration houses.

11:50a.m.-Joann is now talking about an Easton project on Aurora Street. This was an infill project with double density requested. It is a residential strip that would have fit well with the downtown feel of Easton. The project had approval from the Easton Planning department and the variance committee. The density application was denied after a neighborhood association complained that the project would be blocking view of adjacent property. The association was also opposed to higher density. They feared establishing a poor precedent (allowing higher density). So the project died. The key question is how do we garner public support for downtown infill projects? How can public engagement and education be improved?

11:55a.m.-Joann is offering practical advice from a development point of view.

- Know what you are getting into, don't assume you are being told everything. Ask the tough questions.

- Hire architects and builders that are familiar with local codes currently being used. Plans/specifications should address ADA and Fire Codes clearly. Assumptions cause problems and delays.

- Hire your own contractors to do soft testing, building inspections, etc. They work for you. Never use reports from previous owners.

-These simple common sense steps will help keep costs down, keep delays to a minimum, etc.

12:09p.m.-Margo Bailey is speaking now about her town's experience with development. They as well as many other on the Eastern Shore are not afraid to say no when a development proposal is not up to par.

Margo ends with: "We have a chance in Chestertown to do something that reflects us now and we want it done now!"

And a quote from Ed McMahon, a well known smart growth advocate "You get what you ask for!"

12:14 p.m.-Richard Hall is now facilitating discussion on questions from attendees.

12:22 p.m.-Margo Bailey is emphasizing the importance of joint planning with county government. As mayor in Chestertown she feels that the town and county are on the same page in terms of growth objectives, smart growth, vision, long-term plans, etc.

Live Blog Feed: ESLC Annual Planning Conference

2010-02-26T05:48:00.000-08:00

Introductions, MDP Sec. Richard Hall Speech, and Jess Zimbabwe Lecture

Welcome! Please watch this post for updates on the conference throughout the day. We will be starting the conference within the next 10 minutes!

Be sure to reload this blog website periodically to get new posts and additions to this post at the end!

9:11a.m.-We haven't started yet, but everyone is filing into the auditorium. We have approximately 100 people here currently.

9:14a.m.-Rob Etgen is giving introductory comments right now. He notes that this is ESLC's 20th anniversary. "This is going to be a big year for Eastern Shore Land Conservancy," says Rob Etgen. Rob thanks the sponsors of the event that many such as the Maryland Department of Planning, WILMAPCO, Shared Earth, AIA, and many others. Rob is talking about the theme of the conference today "About Town" and how that integrates with the multifaceted approach ESLC has regarding land conservation. ESLC supports downtown development in and around our towns.

9:21a.m.-Jake Day takes the stage now, thanking everyone for coming given the bad weather. Jake is thanking the staff at ESLC and sponsors for their work on this event. Jake explains that Jess Zimbabwe will lead off the conference and how later a panel will talk about "Getting Growth Good." The panel will include a mayor, local planner, and Secretary of the Maryland Department of Planning, Richard Hall, AICP.

9:30a.m.-MDP Secretary Richard Hall, AICP, is speaking now about LEED work and how we need to continue to develop that in Maryland. He mentions an NPR story on LEED scoring systems in California. Hall and MDP are proposing two bills this session in Annapolis: 1) creation of a Sustainable Growth Commission and 2) Sustainable Communities Tax Credit legislation. The tax credit legislation is to expand the program to assist in MD transit-oriented development, BRAC development, etc. Secretary Hall points out at least 8 state planners in attendance who came to the conference today.

9:36a.m.-Hall is commenting on HB 1141 currently and its importance to the state of Maryland and the Eastern Shore. The Secretary is now introducing Jess Zimbabwe. Here is a YouTube video of Jess:

9:45a.m.-Jess is talking about "The Role of Public Officials in Preserving Community Character." Jess mentions an article on planning and politics. The article proposes that politics should be taken out of planning, but Jess says political planning is natural. It's ok. One cannot necessarily separate politics from planning even if one wanted to, but the solution is better politics.

9:48a.m.-Jess mentions Joseph P. Riley, Mayor of Charleston, South Carolina as a kind of public official who gets it. Downtown Charleston was not always the beautiful place we see it as today. Jess explains that Riley found political, community, and financial will to spearhead redevelopment projects in Charleston.

9:50a.m.-Jess is talking about the Mayor's Institute on City Design and her experience working with cities around the country on redevelopment programs as well as transit-oriented development projects.

9:55a.m.-She does workshops for public officials to implement stable development in communities. Jess highlights national trends that apply to the Eastern Shore:

-There is little planning assistance available to most small communities.
-The natural resources and beauty of prime rural areas continue to drive development pressures from retirees, second home buyers, and long-distance commuters.
-Municipal revenue structures make communities overly reliant upon sales taxes and increased residential growth to deliver services.

9:59a.m.-Jess is talking about leadership. She explains adaptive leadership as leadership that is not influencing a community to follow your lead, but influencing a community to face their adaptive challenges.

10:01a.m.-Jess's 5 Expected Behaviors for Public Officials

1) Be choosy about development

Take a long-term approach to development, not a short-term approach. Don't be afraid to say no, but take the lead when you have a great opportunity.

2) Sweat the Small Stuff

Mayor Riley in Charleston, SC, in his travels across the country, took gravel samples from different places when thinking about what his city would use when putting in a water front gravel walk for residents as part of a community redevelopment project.

3) Work across boundaries

Work with towns and regional bodies because what happens next to you--impacts you.

4) Engage the Community

Make it clear that growth is going to occur in the community, but that it can happen in a way where everybody wins. Don't take a no-growth mentality, engage in the community planning effort to do the hard work necessary to make a better future for your town.

5) Insist upon a high quality public realm

10:08a.m.-Jess on the role of organizers in preserving community character. She has two tools here. Organizers are leading without natural authority, so how do they make up the gap? MLK in the civil rights movement specifically chose Selma for demonstration because of its potential for receiving national media attention.

Tool #1 Example: Transit Alliance Citizens' Academy (TACA)

Denver went full-steam ahead on TOD and transit investment and citizens were to some extent blindsided. TACA was formed to address regional-scale concerns about new TOD. Renters, homeowners, and small, local businesses had concerns about how gentrification and construction would impact their life in the area.

Tool #2 Example: Greenbelt Alliance (GA)

This group started much like the ESLC did. In 1987, GA changed focus to affordable housing as a way to prevent sprawl. People were moving out of the San Francisco Bay area for cheaper housing in the suburbs. They worked on infill, compact development programs. They do development endorsements and send people to attend hearings to speak on development proposals. They have Compact Development Endorsemnt Guidelines that include compactness, affordability, pedestrian facilities, transportation choice, green building, environmental considerations, community input, land preservation, sustainable parking, etc.

The GA has endorsed various developments in their area over the years creating a database of community development information useful to citizens.

10:10a.m.-Jess Zimbabwe finishes and asks for questions. Contact Jess at jess.zimbabwe@uli.org or via phone at 202-624-7038.

Audience asks about how to work with local government officials and multiple jurisdictions. What success strategies ought we use? Jess says in Minneapolis-St. Paul region has a revenue sharing model for new development where municipalities share revenues from new development and work together on project management. She says regional governmental cooperation is very important.

MAPP ACTION CENTER PHOTO CLARIFICATION

2009-11-23T13:17:00.000-08:00

It has been brought to our attention that the main masthead image on our MAPP Action center site is not an accurate depiction of what the proposed towers would like there if they are built in Dorchester County. While ESLC recognizes that the transmission tower that is currently on our website is not representative of the structures that PHI and Delmarva will be using in Dorchester County, we do not feel that the renderings that PHI and Delmarva have represented (please click here for a PDF of the photos that PHI have released publicly) are true to the nature of the height and scale of the structures. While the renderings show the type of transmission tower that will be built, the environment in the renderings do not represent the impacts of these towers on the landscape of the Eastern Shore.

We want to know what you think - and please use this blog as an area to talk about the project, the towers, our photos or PHI's photos.

Celebrating a Major Victory this Week

2009-04-21T06:16:00.000-07:00

Later this week, ESLC staff and other partners will celebrate a major land protection victory - the protection of a very special place in Dorchester County. On April 24, 2009 at 3 p.m., ESLC will host a ribbon cutting at a property it recently protected on Marshyhope Creek. ESLC's partners in the preservation of this property will be present, including representatives from ESLC, The Nature Conservancy, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Dorchester County, and the DelMarVa Council of Boy Scouts of America. According to The Nature Conservancy, the property which is located the confluence of the Marshyhope and Nanticoke Rivers in Dorchester County, is one of the State’s “Last Great Places.”

The 392-acre property includes approximately 332 acres of wet and upland forest, The remaining acreage is meadow and wetlands. It is the site of the globally rare Wades Savanna wetland, the only wetland of its kind in Maryland, Wetlands of Special State Concern, as well as ancient sand dunes. The property is also known to contain habitat for a lengthy list of rare, threatened and endangered species.

Despite long-time efforts by conservation groups to protect the land, the property was purchased in 2005 for the purpose of mining sand and gravel. In August 2008, using Federal money through the Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program (CELCP) and private funds from The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and ESLC The property was purchased in order to protect it forever.

ESLC transferred the property to Dorchester County last September. The County conveyed a conservation easement to ESLC and MET in December, which allows only natural, environmental, educational, scenic, cultural, open space, historic, and rural uses of the property. The property is now leased by Boy Scouts of America, which operates the Richard A. Henson Scout Reservation on an adjacent property.

The ribbon cutting ceremony, which is open to the public, will include a blessing of the land by Chief Winterhawk, remarks by locak officials, as well as tours of the property and refreshments. The property is located at 5603 Sharptown Road in Rhodesdale, MD. For directions and further information, visit www.eslc.org or call 410-827-9756.

Check out ESLC's Spring Newsletter

2009-04-17T06:12:00.000-07:00

It is here and hot off the presses for your viewing pleasure...ESLC's Spring newsletter! Want to have it delivered direcly to your door (or save some carbon and have it delivered to your in-box?) Sign up for an ESLC membership - for the first time, we are offering an online membership for only $15! You get all the benefits of an ESLC membership, plus the knowledge that you are helping protect the rich rural heritage of the Eastern Shore - for less than it costs to fill up a tank of gas! Please wander over to the ESLC website at www.eslc.org to sign up or contact our Membership Coordinator, Robin Telepchak at rtelepchak@eslc.org to sign up now!

An Opportunity to make your voice heard about a LOST opportunity

2009-04-17T06:09:00.000-07:00

Please join us this Tuesday, April 14 to show your support for protecting the viewshed of the Leaverton House in Caroline County. The Board of Zoning Appeals will make a ruling on the proposal to construct a new cell tower on the Harriet Tubman Underground Byway Corridor in Caroline County. This proposal should be denied by the Caroline County Board of Zoning Appeals because its construction would adversely affect an important cultural and historical resource in the county. This tower, which is proposed for 4321 Langrell Road, would have a tremendous adverse impact on the viewshed of and to the Leaverton house, one of the main stopping houses along the Underground Railroad in Maryland. It is the last standing such “station,” and it is a critical component of future interpretation of the Underground Railroad and pending National Historical Park.
In 2005 ESLC identified the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway corridor as one of our highest priority conservation areas due to its tremendous importance to the culture and heritage of this region. In an effort to save this important resource, ESLC is working with several of the landowners along the corridor on voluntary preservation options, are active with several other government and private protection efforts, and we nominated the Corridor as one of Maryland’s “Last Chance Landscapes” in 2007 - a designation which was awarded by Scenic Maryland.
Based on the obvious impact of a cell tower at the proposed location on the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway corridor, and because of the critical importance of this historic area to telling one of America’s greatest freedom stories and celebrating its hero Harriet Tubman, ESLC is strongly opposed to this proposed cell tower.

We encourage the Caroline residents to show their opposition to the Board of Appeals to help protect one of the County’s most important cultural resources.
Please show your support for the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway by attending Tuesday's meeting. It will be held at 7:30 pm at the Health & Public Service Building, 403 S. 7th Street, Room 110, Denton, Maryland 21629.

New Report Highlights Sprawl Issues: ESLC's take

2009-04-02T06:16:00.000-07:00

The recent Environment Maryland report brings up several important issues about the direction of growth on the Eastern Shore and the tools and resource our local governments need to effectively manage that growth. While the report highlights good examples of comprehensive plan inconsistencies in the state, it is important to recognize the efforts our local governments are taking to follow smart growth principles. . Our Eastern Shore counties and towns are working hard against development proposals that go against their comprehensive planning and to their credit, are doing the best in the state to reverse sprawl trends and direct growth where it should be – in and around designated growth areas.

The Eastern Shore is unique in its number of small towns and small-sized priority funding areas, making the challenges our local towns, counties and municipalities a unique and especially challenging one. Eastern Shore 2010, Eastern Shore Land Conservancy’s (ESLC) regional agreement aimed at strengthening land protection efforts on the Eastern Shore, is one of the ways our local counties have stepped up to take control of growth and avoid making land use planning decisions that are not in line with their long-term needs and goals. One of the key goals of Eastern Shore 2010 –directing 80 percent of all new development to villages and towns – will help our towns and villages grow in way that is consistent with their comprehensive planning process and we are proud of the counties who have signed on to strive toward the goals of Eastern Shore 2010.. More work is needed - in terms of education, resources and legislation to support municipalities in their efforts – as local leaders must make the important decisions needed to manage growth effectively.

In just the next 25 years, the Eastern Shore is expected to grow by 160,000 people – growth that could forever alter the landscape we love so much. Our local leaders must take strong steps to manage growth more effectively before it is too late; before the Eastern Shore we know and love is forever altered.

Help Save Program Open Space!

2009-03-27T11:27:00.000-07:00

FUNDING FOR PROGRAM OPEN SPACE IS ONCE AGAIN AT RISK!

The Senate is considering taking ALL land conservation funding for FY10.

Please contact Senate President Mike Miller immediately and urge him to fully fund Program Open Space!

Call: 301-970-3700

Email: mailto:thomas.v.mike.miller@senate.state.md.us thomas.v.mike.miller@senate.state.md.us

Fax: 301-970-3910

Program Open Space is a vital part of land conservation efforts in the state of Maryland. It is funded through the state real estate transfer tax, which is recognized as one of the first and most successful dedicated funding sources for land conservation in the country. This 0.5% tax on real estate sales is the source of funding for many of Maryland's land conservation programs. This tax revenue provides funding for these critical conservation programs including county parks programs, state land acquisition and development (state parks, forests, and wildlife management areas), the Rural Legacy Program, which protects important agricultural, historical and ecological landscapes, and Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation (MALPF), which buys easements to protect productive farmland.

The loss of funding will severe impacted land conservation programs and the future of these programs is at a critical point. In addition to valuable farmland and forests, we stand to lose safe and healthy places for our children to play, clean waters and streams and vital wildlife habitat.

Won't you take a minute to call or write Senator Miller TODAY and urge him to fully fund Program Open Space? Thanks for your help!

The results are in: Kids Love the Eastern Shore too!

2008-11-19T13:24:00.000-08:00

Well, the results are in and when it was all said and done, we received over 300 entries to our first ever Kids Essay and Art Contests! Check out the winner list below and then head over to our online web album for a sneak peek at some of the amazing artwork that came in!
The Contest was open to all students in grades kindergarten through eight in the six Upper and Mid-Shore Counties including Cecil, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Caroline, Talbot and Dorchester.

In both the essay and the poster, students were asked to tell, via the written word or via their artwork, why they love the Eastern Shore and what people, places and memories make the Eastern Shore so special to them. Over 300 entries were received from schools throughout the Upper and Mid-Shore. Because some categories did not receive entries, the art contest entries were placed in an Upper and Mid-Shore division.
Winners include the following:

Kids Art Contest Winners: Mid-Shore (Caroline, Dorchester and Talbot)
K-2 Division
Winner: Dakota Gunter, Greensboro Elementary School
2nd Place: Arianna Cintron, Ridgely Elementary School

3-5 Division
Winner: Samuel Newmier, White Marsh Elementary School
2nd: Quinn Jennings, St. Michaels Elementary School
Honorable Mention: Sequoia Chupek, SMES

6-8 Division
Winner: Alecia Hall, St. Michaels Elementary School
2nd Place: Alee Micheli, Chesapeake Christian School
Honorable Mention: Caroline Camper, SMES and Cheyenne Cowell, St. Michaels Elementary School

Kids Art Contest Winners: Upper Shore (Cecil, Kent, Queen Anne’s)
K-2: No Entries
3-5 Division
1st place: Sky Ulsprach, Kent School
2nd place: Brooke, Kent School
Honorable Mentions: Cameron Wick, Noah Kullman, Radcliffe Creek

6-8 Divison
1st place: Jimmy Johnson, Jr., Radcliffe Creek
2nd place: Kelsey Griffin, Radcliffe Creek
Honorable Mentions: Leanna Taylor, Augie Callahan, Radcliffe Creek

Kids Essay Contest Winners: Kent
1sr place:Jake Schengber, Radcliffe Creek
2nd place: Zekiel Whitlock, Radcliffe Creek
Honorable Mention:Claire Lawrence, Kent School
Kids Essay Contest Winners: Queen Anne’s County
1st place Morgan Starr, Sudlersville Middle School
2nd place: hayden Rhodes: Sudlersville Middle School
Honorable Mention: Taylor Douglas, Sudlersville Middle School
Kids Essay Contest Winners: Talbot
1st Place: Samuel Newmier, White Marsh Elementary School
2nd Place: Caroline Camper, St. Michaels Elementary School
HM: Alecia Hall. St. Michaels Elementary School

“The artwork and essay entries we received from kids on the Shore were so thoughtful and well-done. Seeing and hearing what makes the Eastern Shore special through the art and words of our future leaders was so enlightening,” said Kristine George, ESLC’s Director of Communications. “It is apparent from these entries how much our local youth love and respect the Eastern Shore – and how committed they are at such a young age to preserving the things that make the Shore so special. That is so exciting and inspiring at the same time.”

All private, public and home-schooled students were invited to participate. Participating schools were the Chesapeake Christian School. Colonel Richardson Middle School, the Country School, Easton Elementary School, Greensboro Elementary School, Kennard Elementary School, The Kent School, Lockerman Middle School. Radcliffe Creek, Ridgely Elementary School, St. Michaels Elementary School, Sudlersville Middle School, White Marsh Elementary School and Worton Elementary School.

ESLC Welcomes New Staffer!

2008-11-19T13:13:00.000-08:00

ESLC Announces Expanded Work with Towns; Welcomes Salisbury Native to Staff

ESLC is pleased to announce the addition of Jacob Day to its staff.

Day, who is originally from Wicomico County, joins the staff as a Town Planning Manager, to offer assistance to the Eastern Shore’s towns on growth and planning issues.

He will be responsible for launching a small town planning initiative that aims to make available the most applicable and effective town planning tools, techniques, services, and models of how healthy, strong communities grow sustainably. As a primary part of this, Day will also provide immediate support to local governments who are addressing the new comprehensive plan elements of MD House Bill 1141, namely the water resource element and the municipal growth element.

“We are so pleased to add Jake to our staff to fill this critical need here on the Shore ,” said Amy Owsley, ESLC’s Director of Land Use Planning. “Jake’s background and expertise are ideally suited to help understand the land use planning needs of Eastern Shore small towns and villages and create important partnerships to help build the capacity of local government planning.”

This planner position is not intended to replicate or replace the services of the MD Department of Planning circuit riders, or the direct technical services provided by consultants that some towns are hiring to write the 1141 comp plan elements.

“Our Eastern Shore towns are at the heart of sound land use planning—the growth towns select today will define our region for generations,” said Owsley. It’s going to take all hands on deck to give towns the resources they need, and this position is one piece of that help.”

A Salisbury native, Jake has focused much of his previous work on sustainable economic, energy, and land development on the Delmarva Peninsula. He previously served as President and Chairman of the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS). Jake has also served as National Student Director on the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Board of Directors and in other capacities within AIA, the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, and the National Architectural Accrediting Board. Presently, he is Editor-in-Chief of the architecture and design journal Crit. Jake graduated from the University of Oxford with a Master’s in Environmental Policy. He also holds a Master of Urban Design from Carnegie Mellon University and a Bachelor’s in Architecture from the University of Maryland. He currently resides in Salisbury with his wife, Alison and their dog, Baxter.

For more information about ESLC, please visit www.eslc.org.

ESLC Honors 2008 Eastern Shore 2010 Winners!

2008-11-07T18:03:00.000-08:00

Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC), a private, nonprofit land conservation organization dedicated to the preservation of farmland and habitat on the Eastern Shore, today announced the recipients of this year’s Eastern Shore 2010 Achievement Awards. The 2008 Eastern Shore 2010 Achievement Awards, inspired by the regional land use planning agreement that sets the highest expectations for the care of the Eastern Shore landscape, distinguish outstanding leadership in the field of land use planning and land development on the Eastern Shore. The purpose of these awards is to honor the projects, people and places that best define growth befitting the Eastern Shore. This year’s awards are focused on the Eastern Shore 2010’s Goal 4, “Develop a regional transportation plan by 2010 that provides alternatives to a new Bay crossing and emphasizes the use of alternative as well as public transportation within and among communities

“This awards program was inspired by the amazing work our local governments and groups were out there doing to reach the Eastern Shore 2010 agreement’s goals,” said Rob Etgen, ESLC’s Executive Director. “With so many issues facing the Eastern Shore when it comes to transportation, it is so exciting to be able to honor the folks who are working to get out in front of these tough issue to help protect our Eastern Shore quality of life from being diminished as a result of these challenges.”

This year’s Eastern Shore 2010 award recipients are:

Regional Leadership:MUST Bus
This nationally recognized model for how best to implement a rural bus system is a collaborative effort between Delmarva Community Transit, Delmarva Community Services and Queen Anne’s County Rides. The MUST which provided free transportation for conference attendees at today’s event, gives the region a wide range of public transit choices, both fixed-rout and on-demand services.
County Leadership: Queen Anne’s County Cool Climates: Growing Cooler
Queen Anne’s County has taken a momentous step, and shown leadership by signing onto the Counties Climate Stabilization Declaration, a major national initiative to combat global warming. This pledge is to reduce global warming emissions by 80 percent by 2050. The county has begun to move forward with proactive solutions to this impending environmental issue on the Eastern Shore.
Local Leadership: St. Michael’s Nature Trail Project
The Trail is a joint project by the Town of St. Michael’s, the St. Michael’s Rotary Foundation, Environmental Concern, and Elm Street Development Co. This environmentally sensitive project will link diverse neighborhoods with a healthy alternative to auto travel. It will provide a peaceful setting and safe passage for pedestrians and cyclists from one end of Town to the other.

The updated Eastern Shore 2010 agreement, signed last year by Caroline, Cecil, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot Counties calls for; reaching regional goals in land protection, strengthening the farming, fishing, and forestry industries, managing the amount and type of new development, and creating a regional transportation plan, by 2010.

Winners were honored at ESLC’s annual Land Use Planning Conference, held today at Chesapeake College in Wye Mills. Presneting the awards was Harry Hughes, former Governor of Maryland. For more information about the awards, ESLC’s current transportation campaign or about Eastern Shore 20100, please visit www.eslc.org.

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Latest QAC Ordinance is the Right Things for Queen Anne's County

2008-11-06T18:14:00.000-08:00

The following is a statement issued by ESLC to several local media outlets in support of County Ordinance No 8-25.

Dear Editor,
We are writing to express our support for the recently introduced County Ordinance No. 8-25, which represents the biggest conservation step forward for the County in the lifetime of our organization. This legislation is a crucially important measure to protect farmland and build strong, vibrant towns in Queen Anne’s County for several reasons:
It creates a strong rural conservation tool: This legislation offers a springboard for the county’s current transfer of development rights (TDR) program. It complements the current conservation toolbox and diversifies it, as the TDRs are market-based rather than public funding-based.
It gives farmers another option: The TDR portion of this legislation boosts equity for farmers by giving them an opportunity to realize land development value without actually developing their farmland. The subdivision restriction portion ensures the critical mass of agricultural land remains intact to fuel the county economy and honor our heritage.
It stops rural sprawl and supports thriving towns: This legislation creates a marriage between protecting farmland and supporting vibrant towns. Towns build off development potential transferred away from farmland. Rural land is thereby protected while growth areas can channel development interest to realize their communities’ plans for the future.
It prevents spending for unnecessary new infrastructure: This legislation helps ensure new growth will occur where the services/infrastructure exist to support it.
It exhibits regional leadership: Queen Anne’s County has been making steady progress toward the goals of Eastern Shore 2010. This legislation gets at the heart of the regional agreement, Eastern Shore 2010, by advancing land protection and directing growth toward towns.
It implements the community vision for the County: The 2002 County Comprehensive Plan is underpinned by two major themes: direct growth to existing communities and keeping rural areas rural. This legislation addresses both these points.

We commend Commissioner Eric Wargotz for his leadership on this important issue and look forward to the successful passage of this important legislation.

Rob Etgen and Amy Owsley,
Queenstown
Rob Etgen is the Executvie Director of the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy. Amy Owsley is the Director of Land Use Planning for ESLC.

Latest Eastern Shore Poll Shows Residents More Concerned than Ever about Growth!

2008-10-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC), a private, nonprofit land conservation organization dedicated to the preservation of farmland and habitat on the Eastern Shore today announced the results of a poll indicating growth, development and sprawl continue to be a top concern for Eastern Shore residents.

The land use poll, conducted by Susquehanna Polling & Research, Inc. late this summer, surveyed 1,500 Eastern Shore residents regarding growth and development, local funding priorities, transportation, conservation needs and factors affecting their quality of life.

The poll indicates that residents feel the single most important problem facing the Eastern Shore is growth, development and sprawl. This is followed by a 2:1 margin by a tie between jobs/economy and the environment/community. This number of residents most concerned about growth and development issues is highest in Queen Anne’s and Talbot.

"This poll tells us that growth issues continue to be a top concern of Eastern Shore residents and that the public is looking to local elected officials for solutions ," said Amy Owsley, ESLC’s Director of Land Use Planning.

Earlier this year ESLC engaged Susquehanna Polling and Research to survey registered voters in six counties of the Eastern Shore: Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot. A total of 1,200 registered voters (plus an additional over sampling in Caroline, Dorchester and Kent ) were interviewed by telephone, from August 25 – September 2. The margin of error for the regional poll is +/- 2.8 percent.

ESLC conducted a similar poll in 2004 and the results from the most recent poll iterate many of the same findings.

The top headlines from the 2008 survey are:

o Pace of Growth: Due to the rapid rate of development and its impact on the loss of farmland and habitat, people are feeling anxious about growth on the Eastern Shore. Growth, development and sprawl were cited as the single most important issue facing respondents’ local area.

o Quality of Life: More residents than ever believe things are going in the wrong direction in the Eastern Shore today, some 43 percent compared to 35 percent in 2004 - which means voters are not happy with the status quo; and although most voters believe their quality of life is excellent or good and has not worsened during the last several years, an overwhelming majority (62 percent) are very concerned about the loss and farmland and habitat on the Eastern Shore.

o Elected Officials: Eastern Shore residents reaffirm the role that both local and county governments play in open space preservation including the protection of wildlife and habitat areas – including the continued use of public funding for open space preservation. By a 71/4 margin, residents believe local officials should increase their efforts to preserve open space. This is a slight increase from 65 percent in 2004.

o Funding Priorities: Residents also support their county’s use of public funds for open space preservation, recreation and the protection of natural wildlife habitats in towns, villages and rural areas at a margin of 5:1 - up from 3:1 in the 2004 poll. Among those that support county funding, more than a third (38 percent) would pay up to fifty dollars.

o Towns and Villages: By a 65/27 margin (or better than 2:1) residents support policies designed to encourage new development in and around existing towns and villages and discourage development in the countryside.

"Both our 2004 and this recent poll tell us quite clearly that the Eastern Shore public wants more land protection, better managed growth, and for our important farming tradition to be protected," said Rob Etgen, ESLC’s Executive Director. "It is obvious that we must do more to protect the Eastern Shore way of life and rural heritage that we all love."

For more information about the 2008 survey and to obtain a copy of the survey report, please visit www.eslc.org.

Kudos to our local media for their commendation of our leader!

2008-10-23T18:20:00.000-07:00

The following is a letter to the editor that appeared in the Star Democrat. It was written to thank the newspaper for their October 17 editorial commending Rob for the award and for his long career working to protect our Eastern Shore!

October 23, 2008
Dear Editor

I am writing on behalf of the staff and Board of Directors at the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy to thank you so much for your recent editorial commending Rob Etgen for recent Conservationist of the Year award from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. All of us at ESLC were so pleased to read this wonderful tribute to Rob for his tireless hard work to preserve and protect the Eastern Shore. This salute – both by your newspaper and CBF, reiterates what we enjoy so much about working with such a pioneer in land protection and conservation. Rob’s leadership and vision has lifted our communities and has inspired us all to work harder in our daily lives to preserve the quality of life and precious places we all enjoy on the Eastern Shore. That inspiration is significant now more than ever as we face unprecedented growth pressures coupled with the financial difficulties that your editorial cites will impact the ability to protect the character of our rural countryside and our towns and villages that make up the true heartbeat of the Eastern Shore.

Rob’s leadership throughout the past 20 years has helped make the Eastern Shore a better place to be sure. Each of the Board members and staffers who have had the honor of working with him have learned a tremendous amount from him over the years. We thank you for this truly deserved recognition of our leader and for your continued coverage of land preservation and land use planning issues facing our beloved Eastern Shore. Keep up your great work!

Alex Rasin,
Chestertown, Maryland

Alex Rasin is the President of the Board of Directors for the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy. He writes on behalf of the staff and Board of Directors for ESLC.

Rob Etgen wins Conservationist of the Year Award!

2008-10-16T18:17:00.000-07:00

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) has awarded it annual Maryland Conservationist of the Year Award to Rob Etgen, the founding executive director of the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC).

“Rob’s passion for conservation has ensured that our children and grandchildren will be able to appreciate the natural beauty of the Eastern Shore, and the entire Chesapeake Bay watershed,” said Kim Coble, CBF’s Maryland Executive Director.

In a ceremony Wednesday in Queenstown, CBF lauded Etgen for his pioneering efforts. ESLC is one of the most successful conservancy groups in the country, having preserved more than 45,000 acres of natural areas and prime farmland – just in the six Maryland counties his organization serves. That group is only one of a multitude that Etgen, a Galena resident, helped start.

"I am honored, surprised and so humbled to be recognized with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation conservation award. CBF has always impressed me with the incredible focus of its work, and the high integrity of its leadership. Thank you CBF for this award, and for all you do for the Bay, " Etgen said. "I also am grateful to everyone else on the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy team - our board, staff and supporters - in the past 20 years we have accomplished much together and the Eastern Shore is truly a better place for our efforts.”

Etgen is a native Marylander. Previous to working at ESLC, Etgen worked in the Attorney General’s office in the Department of Natural Resources. Etgen’s last post was with Maryland Environmental Trust, where he helped create eighteen private land conservation organizations. The Eastern Shore Land Conservancy was one of those. Currently, there are over fifty land trusts in operation throughout the state.

Etgen was one of the architects of Maryland’s successful Rural Legacy program, which helped foster innovative state-local partnerships that have led to the protection of 60,000 acres in the state from sprawl development. He also created Eastern Shore 2010, a regional land use agreement that has catalyzed citizens, decision-makers, and planning professionals to help make Maryland’s Eastern Shore a better place to live.

Coble noted Etgen’s vision for land conservancy, seeing the effort as more than land acquisition, but helping people see the value of their natural environment. As evidence of that vision, Coble noted a recent ESLC initiative – a donation of a half-acre community garden to the Town of Easton.

“This small public space does not boast the most pristine of wildlife habitats, nor does it filter vast quantities of polluted runoff flowing to the Bay,” Coble said. “But it is a place where people can see how protecting the environment, including all its critters and important natural systems, is fundamentally about people too. People can connect with nature even through a patchwork of garden soil and the promise of a plentiful harvest that sustain s their family. “

Dorchester County Announces Public Workshops

2008-09-29T13:09:00.000-07:00

The Dorchester County Office of Planning and Zoning will be hosting several public workshops to discuss the Water Resources Element of the Dorchester County Comprehensive Plan. Two workshops with the same content-will be held. Dates and locations for these workshops are as follows:

Cambridge: September 30,2008, at 6:00 pm, 501 Court Lane, Room 110, County Office Building

Vienna: October 2,2008, at 6:00 pm, 104 Race Street, Community Hall, (Old Fire Station)

The Water Resources Element is a new requirement, pursuant to the provisions of Maryland House Bill 1141 (2006).

As part of this element, the County must evaluate the following:

· the adequacy of its public water systems to serve projected growth;

· the impact of growth on aquifers (including residential and non-residential water demand in rural areas) and other drinking water sources; and

· the impact of growth on runoff ("nonpoint source" pollution) to the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.

The County must also coordinate with its municipalities to characterize the adequacy of their public water and wastewater systems to accommodate growth.

Public input is an important component of the Dorchester County Comprehensive Plan, and specifically the Water Resources Element. The Water Resources Workshop will help to refine the County's understanding of existing water resources conditions and concerns, and will also help to shape the Comprehensive Plan's recommendations related to growth and development.

Please make plans to attend one of these workshops and make your voice heard. If you cannot attend the workshops but wish to comment on the Water Resources Element, or if you have questions or need more information, please contact the Office of Planning and Zoning at 410.228.3234 or via email at rbanks@docogonct.

5th Annual Rural Heritage Day THIS Sunday!

2008-09-25T13:04:00.000-07:00

Eastern Shore Land Conservancy and the University of Maryland, Wye Research and Education Center are partnering to bring Delmarva the 5th annual Rural Heritage Day, scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 28, from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Queen Anne's County 4-H Park near Centreville. The cost is $1 for adults and free for children 12 and under – parking is also free. Rural Heritage Day, a farm festival-style event, was created to generate awareness and gain support for Maryland’s Eastern Shore as a rural gem, as well as to celebrate its past, present and, hopefully, bright agricultural future.

Rural Heritage Day is a combination of interactive and educational exhibits; historical displays; children’s activities; demonstrations; show ring entertainment; farm animals; local food; music; a fine art show plus an Eastern Shore quilt exhibit featuring vintage and new quilt making styles.

This year’s educational exhibits, geared toward adults as well as children, will feature many local organizations as well as various programs and research projects of the University of Maryland’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. A number of fun activities for kids include pumpkin painting, straw maze and corn pool, petting zoo, the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s edible insect display, Maryland Grain Producers Growing with Grains and a number of other hands-on activities. Miniature pony, carriage and antique tractor rides will also be part of the day’s offerings.

“We are so excited to be able to once again partner with the University of Maryland Wye Research and Education Center to once again bring this great event to residents of the Eastern Shore,” said Kristine George, ESLC’s Director of Communications. “What a great way to celebrate everything we love about our Eastern Shore’s rural heritage and this year’s event is chock full of fun and educational activities for the entire family to enjoy.”

ESLC Launches Kids Essay and Art Contests!

2008-09-15T13:07:00.000-07:00

ESLC recently announced the launch of its first ever (and hopefully annual!) Kids Essay and Art Contest. Open to all students ages K-8 in Caroline, Cecil,Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne's and Talbot Counties, we want to hear from you about what you love about the Eastern Shore, what makes it special and what place, people and traits should be protected and what you would like done in your community to make sure it remains a special place.

Please click here for more details and rules!

ESLC Seeks Nominations for 2008 Eastern Shore 2010 Awards!

2008-09-12T09:45:00.000-07:00

It is that time of year again! ESLC is calling for nominations for this year’s Eastern Shore 2010 Achievement Awards. The 2008 Eastern Shore 2010 Achievement Awards, inspired by the regional land use planning agreement that sets the highest expectations for the care of the Eastern Shore landscape, distinguish outstanding leadership in the field of land use planning and land development on the Eastern Shore. The purpose of these awards is to honor the projects, people and places that best define growth befitting the Eastern Shore. This year's awards are focused on the Eastern Shore 2010’s Goal 4, “Develop a regional transportation plan by 2010 that provides alternatives to a new Bay crossing and emphasizes the use of alternative and public transportation within and among communities.”

Awards will be given out at ESLC’s annual conference “Where are the Eastern Shore’s Roads Taking Us?’ This year’s conference will focus on regional transportation issues and will pull together national, regional and local leaders to collaborate on potential solutions.

“We are so excited to celebrate the excellent work that is being done toward the Eastern Shore 2010 agreement’s goals,’ said Amy Owsley, ESLC’s Director of Land Use Planning. “Transportation is at a crossroads here on the Shore and we are looking forward to honoring those who are at the forefront of finding viable solutions for these important issues.”

Past Eastern Shore 2010 Achievement Awards winners include the Talbot County Planning Commission for their efforts to protect the important rural areas of Talbot County, Colchester Farm Community Supported Agriculture project for exemplifying how new models for farming can create a sustainable future for agriculture on the Shore and Governor Martin O’Malley for his position against a new auto oriented Bay Bridge that is solid move away from traditional failed policies to build our way out of congestion.

For the 2008 Eastern Shore 2010 Achievement Awards, ESLC is accepting nominations from all angles of land use planning including: climate change initiatives, citizen leadership, transportation, growth management related to redevelopment and infill and others that advance any or a combination of the updated goals outlined in Eastern Shore 2010.

The updated Eastern Shore 2010 agreement, signed last year by Caroline, Cecil, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot Counties calls for; reaching regional goals in land protection, strengthening the farming, fishing, and forestry industries, managing the amount and type of new development, and creating a regional transportation plan, by 2010.

The deadline for nominations is October 3. To submit a nomination, write a one-page letter summarizing the project or effort, how it advances growth consistent with the Eastern Shore and contact information for those responsible. An application form and more detailed award criteria for the awards can be accessed at eslc.org.

Send your nomination to Awards, c/o ESLC, 601 Locust Street, Suite 302, Cambridge, Maryland 21613, email them to, lsanford@eslc.org or fax to 410.901.9986. Winners will be honored at ESLC’s annual Land Use Planning Conference on Nov. 7 at Chesapeake College in Wye Mills.

ESLC Needs your input! Take our 2008 Eastern Shore Poll!

2008-08-28T13:28:00.000-07:00

ESLC is currently conducting an online poll to gather the attitudes and opinions of our members and friends about important land protection and conservation issues facing the Eastern Shore. Please take a few minutes to take this online poll....we will be sending five randomly selected respondents a goody bag filled with some of our favorite ESLC gear as a thank you (just be sure to provide your email at the end of the survey to be included!) Please click here to take the survey or visit our website at www.eslc.org!

ESLC Announces New Planning Position to Assist Towns with HB 1141

2008-08-26T09:57:00.000-07:00

ESLC Announces New Position to Assist Towns with HB1141
New Capacity An Extension of Conservancy’s Land Use Planning Program

ESLC has announced the addition of new planning capability to support towns and municipalities on the Shore with Maryland House Bill 1141 (HB1141) and related issues. This new capability will be an extension of ESLC’s Land Use Planning program, which was launched in 2002 to help provide support to towns and counties on issues related to growth and development in the region.
This effort includes the addition of a two-year position, funded by a grant from the Keith Campbell Foundation, that will provide support for local governments in ESLC’s service area in implementing the two HB 1141-required elements into town and county comprehensive plans. The program will also launch a broad-based education initiative to make widely available the most applicable and effective town annexation tools, techniques, and models of how healthy, strong communities grow.
"We are very excited to be able to add this important service to our organization and believe it will help us provide essential support to our local governments during this very important time for growth and development on the Eastern Shore," said Amy Owsley, ESLC’s Director of Land Use Planning. "Right now we are in the middle of conducting a HB 1141needs assessment of our towns. Once we have a better handle on specific needs, we will hire a talented, energetic planner to lend a hand. "
This new planner position will be coordinated with the Maryland Department of Planning but is not a replication of or replacement for MDP’s recent staffing changes.
"Our goals is helping our local communities realize their goals as quality, attractive, healthy places to live and one of our first solid steps in this critical vein of work centers on HB 1141," said Owsley. "Our plans to provide this support were in place well before the staffing changes at MDP and this effort is not at all a replacement for the important services provided by MDP. It is our hope to provide short-term services in HB1141 services and develop a long-term understanding on how we can effectively support town planning in the years to come."
ESLC is currently in the recruitment phase of the hire process and is providing grant writing support to support to towns eligible for state funding that can be used for HB 1141 work.
For more details about ESLC’s circuit rider program, please visit www.eslc.org.
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ESLC is a private, nonprofit land conservation organization dedicated to the preservation of farmland and habitat on the Eastern Shore. Funded by member contributions, ESLC helps landowners to discover, evaluate and implement any of the voluntary land preservation options available. ESLC works to sustain the Eastern Shore's rich landscapes through strategic land conservation and sound land use planning.Our vision in 2050 is an Eastern Shore where towns are vibrant and well defined; farms, forests, and fisheries are thriving and scenic; historic, natural, and riverine landscapes are maintained. ESLC helps save land and promote sound land use planning from the C&D Canal in Cecil County all the way to the Nanticoke River in Dorchester County. We work in Cecil, Kent, Queen Anne's Caroline, Talbot and Dorchester Counties. Since its inception in 1990, ESLC has helped landowners to protect more than 45,500 acres of farmland and important habitat on 245 Eastern Shore properties.

MDp Announces Smart Growth Listening Sessions!

2008-08-25T10:57:00.000-07:00

MDP and MD’s Growth Task Force Host Public Listening Sessions
Citizens Share Ideas and Concerns on Growth and Development

The Maryland Department of Planning (MDP) and the Task Force on the Future for Growth and Development in Maryland are hosting a series of public forums across the State for residents to share their thoughts and ideas on future growth in the state. Six Smart Growth Listening Sessions, planned for September, will take place in Maryland’s regions (Baltimore Metropolitan, Washington Suburban, Southern Maryland, Lower Eastern Shore, Upper Eastern Shore and Western Maryland) and are open to all citizens.
The Listening Sessions begin at 6:30 p.m. to accommodate diverse public input on a variety of growth-related topics including, smart sustainable growth; growth and a healthy environment; regional development; historic preservation; transportation and growth; and growth and schools. Moderated by community leaders, these sessions are designed like town hall meetings with open discussion on these important matters.
"Protecting our forests and agricultural land and ensuring our existing communities remain places where our citizens want to live, work, and play is a worthy and achievable goal of all stakeholders statewide," said MDP Secretary Richard E. Hall, AICP. His agency and the Task Force on the Future for Growth and Development in Maryland are exploring a wide range of smart growth and land use issues affecting the state.
Task Force Chair and partner at Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP Jon M. Laria said, "These sessions will facilitate understanding citizen and community leaders’ priorities and ideas. The Task Force recognizes a broad audience for the public discussion on future growth. We must know how those affected by development feel and consider their recommended solutions."

Listening Sessions will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. over two weeks in September at the following:
Tuesday, September 16, 2008 – Wicomico County High School in Salisbury
Wednesday, September 17, 2008 – Queen Anne’s County High School in Centreville
Thursday, September 18, 2008 – James Blake High School in Silver Spring
Tuesday, September 23, 2008 – Southern Maryland Electrical Cooperative in Hughesville
Wednesday, September 24, 2008 – Woodlawn High School, Baltimore County
Thursday, September 25, 2008 – Bridge of Life in Hagerstown
For information on the Listening Sessions, visit MDP's website.

The Task Force on the Future for Growth and Development in Maryland was formed under House Bill 773 signed into law during the 2007 session of the Maryland General Assembly. Its 21 members are charged with studying a wide range of growth and land use issues affecting Maryland. Public input will help guide the Task Force’s work. MDP promotes growth that fosters vibrant, livable communities, preserves and protects the environment, safeguards historical and cultural resources and makes efficient use of State resources. The department also provides data, trend analysis, research assistance, and policy development and implementation support for local governments, communities, businesses, and organizations.

ESLC in the Midnight Hour to Save Dorchester Property!

2008-08-15T08:34:00.000-07:00

Photo by Dave Harp

We are still in need of your help to save a property along the Marshyhope River hat is in danger of being turned into a large-scale mining operation...we have just a few days left until closing so we need you now more than ever! Any help you can give is appreciated...forwarding this email to your email list, donations of any size, a signature on our petition...are all greatly appreciated!

The 392-acre property with its location at the confluence of the Marshyhope and Nanticoke Rivers in Dorchester County, is part of the region identified by The Nature Conservancy as one of the State's "Last Great Places." This property stretches along the Marshyhope River for 1.3 miles and is the site of the globally rare Wades Savanna wetland, the only wetland of its kind in the state of Maryland. The property is also known to contain habitat for a lengthy list of rare, threatened and endangered species as well as ancient sand dunes. Over the last 20 years, conservation organizations in partnership with local landowners, Dorchester County, the State, and the Federal government have protected over 10,000 acres in the immediate vicinity.
Despite long-time efforts by various conservation groups to protect the land, the property was purchased in 2006 for the purpose of mining sand and gravel. In February 2008, the owner filed an application for a special use exception and permits for a large-scale sand and gravel mining operation and on March 20, 2008, a hearing was held before the Dorchester County Board of Appeals. Several hundred local residents, community leaders, conservationists, and concerned Boy Scouts who opposed the mining operation attended the hearing. Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC) has secured a contract to purchase the property in order to protect it forever. The purchase price of the property is a bargain sale at $5.2 million dollars, less than the lowest appraised value. A portion of the purchase price will be funded through a Federal grant. The remainder of the purchase price will be funded through private donations. ESLC seeks to raise $375,000 in private funds. The effort to protect this property was supported by a number of key organizations including The Nature Conservancy, Boy Scouts of America and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
Once the property is purchased, ESLC anticipates it will be transferred to a public entity, such as Dorchester County, then leased to the Boy Scouts where it will be used for low-impact water access for canoeing and kayaking and restoration of the small area of agricultural fields for wildlife habitat.

How can YOU help? There are a few ways....

An online petition has been set-up for residents wishing to show their support for saving this property at www.ipetitions.com/petition/Marshyhope/.

A Facebook Causes Page, which allows Facebook members to donate or recruit others to the campaign can be found at http://apps.facebook.com/causes/105860?m=e9565&recruiter_id=12639774.

Share this post with your friends who may want to help!

Concerned citizens who want to learn more about this special property and how they can contribute to the fundraising campaign can contact ESLC's Director of Land Conservation, Meredith Lathbury, at 410.827.9756 ext. 167 or at http://www.blogger.com/.

ESLC Website Has a New Look

2008-08-08T10:24:00.000-07:00

After many months, ESLC's website has a new face! The design was done by Amber Spence of Eastern Sure Web Design, a Talbot-County based business. We will be adding new features and graphics over the coming months but think you will find the new design and navigation will make it much easier to find what you need from the ESLC site! Please let us know if you have suggestions or questions! Check out http://www.eslc.org/!

ESLC Announces Annual Planning Conference!

2008-08-01T10:12:00.000-07:00

ESLC will hold its 10th Annual Planning Conference on Friday, November 7, 2008 at Chesapeake College in Wye Mills. This year's conference "Where are the Eastern Shore's Roads Taking Us? will focus on transportation issues facing the region. Reid Ewing, PhD of the National Center for Smart Growth will be our keynote speaker for this regional transportation summit. Stay tuned for updates and registration details!

ESLC Announces Campaign to Save Dorchester Property- you can help by signing our petition!

2008-07-28T10:17:00.000-07:00

Eastern Shore Land Conservancy announced an aggressive campaign to save a property along the Marshyhope River that is in danger of being turned into a large-scale mining operation.
The 392-acre property with its location at the confluence of the Marshyhope and Nanticoke Rivers in Dorchester County, is part of the region identified by The Nature Conservancy as one of the State’s "Last Great Places." This property stretches along the Marshyhope River for 1.3 miles and is the site of the globally rare Wades Savanna wetland, the only wetland of its kind in the state of Maryland. The property is also known to contain habitat for a lengthy list of rare, threatened and endangered species as well as ancient sand dunes. Over the last 20 years, conservation organizations in partnership with local landowners, Dorchester County, the State, and the Federal government have protected over 10,000 acres in the immediate vicinity.
Despite long-time efforts by various conservation groups to protect the land, the property was purchased in 2006 for the purpose of mining sand and gravel. In February 2008, the owner filed an application for a special use exception and permits for a large-scale sand and gravel mining operation and on March 20, 2008, a hearing was held before the Dorchester County Board of Appeals. Several hundred local residents, community leaders, conservationists, and concerned Boy Scouts who opposed the mining operation attended the hearing. Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC) has secured a contract to purchase the property in order to protect it forever. The purchase price of the property is a bargain sale at $5.2 million dollars, less than the lowest appraised value. A portion of the purchase price will be funded through a Federal grant. The remainder of the purchase price will be funded through private donations. ESLC seeks to raise $375,000 in private funds. The effort to protect this property was supported by a number of key organizations including The Nature Conservancy, Boy Scouts of America and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
Once the property is purchased, ESLC anticipates it will be transferred to a public entity, such as Dorchester County, then leased to the Boy Scouts where it will be used for low-impact water access for canoeing and kayaking and restoration of the small area of agricultural fields for wildlife habitat.
Concerned citizens who want to learn more about this special property and how they can contribute to the fundraising campaign can contact ESLC’s Director of Land Conservation, Meredith Lathbury, at 410.827.9756 ext. 167 or at mlathbury@eslc.org.
An online petition has been set-up for residents wishing to show their support for saving this property at www.ipetitions.com/petition/Marshyhope/.

ESLC Announces 5th Annual Rural Heritage Day!

2008-07-01T09:59:00.000-07:00

Lathbury Honored by State

2008-06-25T10:09:00.000-07:00

Meredith Leftbury, far right received the Aileen Hughes Award for Outstanding Leadership in Land Conservation recently.

Meredith Lathbury, Director of Land Conservation for the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy, recently received the Aileen Hughes Award for Outstanding Leadership in Land Conservation. The award, one of two presented this year, is given by the Maryland Environmental Trust, was created in honor of the late Aileen Hughes, a leader in the conservation movement and honors those that demonstrate exemplary leadership in the land trust community. The award was presented to Lathbury at the Maryland Land Trust Alliance Conference, held earlier this month at the Howard County Conservancy’s Mt. Pleasant Farm in Woodstock
Lathbury was honored with Ann Holmes Jones, President of the Howard Country Conservancy and a member and secretary of the MET board of trustees.

An alumna of the Center for Whole Communities’ "Whole Thinking" Program, Lathbury’s innovative work is reshaping ESLC’s strategic plan in order to integrate conservation, health, justice, spirit and relationships. This past winter she helped plan a "whole communities" retreat for Eastern Shore conservation leaders that focused on partnership building and community-based approaches to land preservation.
Her work is represented in recent successes like the Blackwater community input sessions held in Cambridge last November. This 728-acre tract of farmland, wetland, and forest was preserved by the State of Maryland in 2007, having been previously slated for development. The sessions brought together local, state and federal partners to specifically attend to public input regarding future uses of the preserve and the opportunities for public participation in restoration, education and recreation activities.
"We are so proud of Meredith for this much deserved recognition for her continued efforts to make sure the Eastern Shore remains a special place for all of its residents,"said Rob Etgen, ESLC’s Executive Director. "By ensuring that local interests have a voice as part of the process, Meredith has a unique ability to connect the needs of people with the need for conservation."

ESLC Welcomes Summer Staff!

2008-06-01T09:52:00.000-07:00

Pictured third from left is ESLC's Legal Intern, Lisetta Sylvestri. Also pictured with Lisetta are other members of ESLC's staff including Laura Sanford, Jared Parks and John Seward.

ESLC's staff just got even bigger with the addition of our two summer interns. Lisetta Sylvestri is joining ESLC as a legal intern, assisting the Land Use Planning and Land Conservation staff on land loss issues on the Shore. Also joining ESLC for the summer is recent Washington College grad Laura Human, who will be working as ESLC's Rural Heritage Day Coordinator.

Earth Day Event in Cambridge

2008-04-22T10:07:00.000-07:00

Representatives from Cambridge Main Street, Eastern Shore Land Conservancy and the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Golf Resort, Spa and Marina commemorated the 28th annual Earth Day by planting zelcova trees in parts of Downtown Cambridge. Volunteers included staffers from the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy, a private nonprofit land conservation organization, Cambridge Main Street, an organization made up of local businesses and individuals committed to revitalizing the main downtown commercial district and the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Golf Resort, Spa and Marina’s Families of Responsible and Caring Employees (FORCE) program. TNJ Landscape of Brookeville has provided trees, mulch and other supplies for the planting. Eight zelcova trees were planted on Race Street between Muir and Cemetery Streets in downtown Cambridge as part of a continuing effort by Cambridge Main Street to beautify the area.

Welcome Laura Sanford

2008-04-20T09:45:00.000-07:00

ESLC's staff grew to 13 with the arrival of our new Program Assistant Laura Sanford! Laura will be based in our Southern Office and will be providing direct support to ESLC's land use planning and land protection programs. An Eastern Shore Native whose family has been on the Shore since the early 1600’s, Laura has an Associates Degree from Anne Arundel Community College in Computer Networking, and a Bachelor of Science degree from Salisbury University in Biology Botany track.Before joining ESLC, Laura worked at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Adkins Arboretum. She owns an organic wholesale plant nursery (primarily native plants) and is obsessed with plants and protecting the rural way of life on the Eastern Shore. She resides in Centreville with her husband, son, two cats, and a new puppy.You can reach Laura at 410.901.9988 or lsanford@eslc.org

Opening our Galena Office!

2008-03-05T07:55:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we officially opened up our Northern Office in Galena. It is a very exciting time for the organization, as having a regional office in the Northern part of our service area will really enhance our ability to work hand in hand with the local community on our land protection and land use planning efforts. The warm welcome we have received from our new neighbors has been so gratifying and we especially appreciate all the support we've received from our members and the local business community. We hope all we come by to see us at our new office, located at 100 East Main Street in Galena, across from Dixie Joe's (which we are sad to report is now closed.) For more pictures of our Open House, please visit our homepage at eslc.org.