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11.29.05

By KATE GREGORY

EASTON, Md. — Spit flew, brows furrowed and hackles stood up on some attendees’ backs as the seventh annual Eastern Shore Land Conservancy planning conference wrapped up with an open forum.
More than 150 people attended the Nov. 18 conference entitled, “More Better, Less Bigger: Taking on the Growth Machine,” held at the Tidewater Inn.
Eileen McLellan, ESLC’s policy director, prodded the crowd for their ideas at the open forum.
“The Eastern Shore has been growing, and it is going to continue to grow, but with community dialogue, proper planning and effective management, we can ensure that communities will control growth, rather than growth controlling the communities,” McLellan said.
“I really want to know what some of you think.”
McLellan asked the group to show, by raise of hands, which growth theory they supported — the, “deal with it, growth is inevitable,” school of thought, or the “take charge and shape the growth,” way of thinking.
The majority of the group raised their hands high to support taking charge to shape and control the growth, though there were three or four hands raised for the inevitable growth theory.
Many in the forum agreed that the most important steps for growth management in the mid and upper shore will be shaping public opinion and getting political backing.
“I think that the most important issue would be campaign reform, and to give everyone just one vote, not to who can give the most money,” said Jennifer Dindinger, a research assistant for the Maryland Center for Agro-Ecology, Inc.
“Obviously, the challenge is to get more community voices,” McLellan said. “My question is, who are these voices?”
Elizabeth Watson, a contributing author of “Saving America’s Countryside,” showed concern for tactics that would limit growth on the Shore.
She said she wanted to make sure that everyone isn’t back in the same room in five years replanning sprawl.
“Growth should make our community better, but I think we must get down to some standards,” she said.
“If we don’t sustain our forests and farms it will be even harder to retain our working landscape … we’ve met it (growth goal), and are funneling 50 percent of designated growth to growth areas. I agree with the five year assessment, but where are we gonna be in five years?”
Barb Pivec, business chairman for Queen Anne’s County, said when it comes to issues of growth, everyone involved is going to have to swallow a little humble pie.
She said that she doesn’t want to pave over Queen Anne’s, but moderate sustainable growth over a period of time is just what the county needs.
Pivec said she supports the workers of Queen Anne’s where 40 percent are in the trades, and new roads wouldn’t be a bad thing.
“One party says this, and the other says this — where are the hard facts?” Pivec demanded.
“Show me where you get the data. If you’re gonna say that growth costs the county money, show me.”
As the forum came to an abrupt close, McLellan urged the assembly to leave thinking about the direction they would like to see their community move toward in the future.