Commissioners Deplore Rape of Wildewood
Wettengel Family not Involved, Says Raley

By Ahmar Khan
ST. MARY’S TODAY

WILDEWOOD — Commissioner Dan Raley (D. Great Mills) has said he as no truck with delinquent Duball LLC as the company’s president feigned as if nothing went wrong at their development site in Challenger Common subdivision, off Wildewood Parkway
Stop work orders were issued at the site as grading was in process without any permits and eight acres of 50-year-old trees were pulled off the ground in a scorched earth manner. A visit to the site Monday, adjacent to the Wildewood swimming pool, showed the red-colored “Stop Work” orders posted there.
“As far as campaign contributions I have got nothing to do with them. It’s incorrect they are helping my campaign finance,” Raley said.
For each dollar developers spend on keeping mud on a construction site, taxpayers save $83 in damages avoided, according to a report of the Community and Environment Defense Services survey done on behalf of the Potomac River Association way back in 1990.
A picture is more powerful than words is what Duball LLC president Marc Dubick seems to have forgotten when he spoke with ST. MARY’S TODAY. He said last week his company’s effort at the site was geared towards sediment control, though pictures of the site gave a different story.
As rumors rocked Leonardtown Raley was caught between a rock and a hard place, the commissioner made it clear he stands with his constituents and citizens of St. Mary’s on the issue.
“I am really concerned about the clear cutting that is taking place,” Raley said.
He said Mr. Ed Wettengel had to his credit creating a development that saved as many trees as possible and as a result developed a very attractive, a very environmental friendly development at Wildewood. He deplored the new company Duball LLC chose to tread a reckless path, detrimental to the local communities.
“The Wettengel family has got nothing to do with Duball LLC on the whole. Only one of the offspring, Mike Wettengel, has gone to work for them after they sold the land,” he said. Raley acknowledged the family was among his campaign contributors.
“Unfortunately, the new owners have developed a different procedure whereby they clear cut and bring down every tree simply because it is cheaper to do it that way,” Raley said.
He said the commissioners are currently looking at what was happening in Wildewood and all of them were very concerned. “We are currently exploring options available to the county to address the concerns of not the neighbors but also of the board of county commissioners,” he said
George Erichsen, director of the Public Works and Transportation, said his office issued the grading permit Tuesday, four days after the stop work orders were issued. He called grading a land disturbing activity.
Commissioner Larry Jarboe (R Golden Beach) was delighted the delinquent company got a taste of the law.
“The area is called Wildewood, not clear cut wood,” an angry Jarboe said.
St. Mary’s residents have historically looked upon developers as carpet-beggars only interested in making a fast buck at the expense of their scenic county.
Local resident Mary Broadhurst said she was shocked at the Duball LLC’s violation. “It presents enough reason for the Board of County Commissioners to re-evaluate the Wildewood Planned Unit Development. Broadhurst, has been active in bringing violators of civic laws to justice in the past.
Local conservationists maintain increase in the impervious surfaces at the Wildewood PUD were not sustainable as the area groaning under developers pressure.
At Wildewood, Dahlia Park where construction is underway has 150 units in Phase One, with 43 acres disturbed, resulting in 13.4 impervious acres.  The Phase Two of Dahlia Park envisages 75 units, with 13 acres of disturbance and 4.9 impervious acres.
In addition, the Primrose Park has 212 units, with 52.4 acres disturbed and 22.6 acres of impervious surfaces.
A scion of the Wettengel family Michael Wettengel is now vice president of Duball LLC. “He has extensive knowledge of St. Mary’s County and specifically the Wildewood Planned Unit Development. Mr. Wettengel, the former senior vice president for the original developer of Wildewood, now leads the Duball team through the full range of development and construction management services,” the delinquent company’s website states.
Despite repeated efforts, Wettengel was not available for comments.
Since all of this is happening in the 8th district which Raley represents, Broadhurst expressed hope he would be performing for the citizens. “If he is seriously concerned about the issue I would commend him, but actions speaks louder than words,” she said.