Whew! We’re almost to the end of 2020! While this year has been a massive challenge, it’s also allowed so many of us to appreciate the beautiful area we live in even more, and here at SGCPC, we’ve kept very busy helping to preserve and protect just that. We thought it was well time to give you an update on what we’ve been doing this year and ask for your kind support of these efforts!
CZMP
In February we held a meeting with landowners seeking re-zoning classification and to discuss their reasoning. After the four-year cycle ended this past Fall, overall we’re pleased with Councilman Wade Kach’s decisions to help our neighbors and keep our countryside healthy at the same time.
Royal Farms
Even though Royal Farms won their case last month at the Court of Special Appeals based on what we believe was a dubious premise of ‘properly vesting’, this case is still in litigation. We’ll know more next year about the outcome of this hotly contested development — know we’re fighting hard!
Solar Sitings
We continued our multi-year march working with other north county groups on the solar siting issue. A recent study authored by the Chesapeake Conservancy and Valley Planning Council determined that there’s excess acreage in the county for 2-MW solar installations that would not interfere with farming on prime and productive fields. Using findings like these are critical to keep our fields available for growing crops locally for a growing population.
Belfast Road Lights
We’ve been involved with the SHA and the County to re-examine the need for overhead lighting on I-83 at the Belfast Rd exit. So far we have not seen a safety need for these lights (originally 46 40-foot high poles). We also feel it would disturb the rural environment at night in this historic district, along with potentially creating more dangerous driving situations — not to mention encouraging large trucks looking for a rest stop to end up having to turn around on neighborhood roads.
Inverness Brewery
We’re in litigation along with many neighbors of the Inverness Brewery on Monkton Rd. We feel that having 2 to 4 events per week (for oftentimes over 600 people) along with many hundreds of cars and loud music is not what the County imagined or agreed to in this historic rural area.
Ongoing Projects
We’re consistently attending virtual meetings concerning unnecessary and over-development in our area. Just because COVID 19 restrictions have limited our lives, this hasn’t stopped the desire for development, and our desire to keep it in check!
And did you know?
We’re an all-volunteer non-profit organization whose members have been fighting to protect our area for four decades. We need your help in protecting the rural character and health of our North County. We kindly accept donations for legal and educational expenses.
Join and Volunteer!
We’d like to hear from you if you’d be interested in volunteering with us! You’d be doing this to protect not only your neighborhood but that of future generations who may wish to live here.
Wishing you and your family a happy and safe — if surely subdued — Holiday Season and what we hope is a brighter and better New Year ahead
Lynne Jones
President
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