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Developers Deal to Dump Water Fees on Mohawk Residents Defeated |
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ST. MARY'S TODAY LEONARDTOWN --- St. Mary's Land Use and Growth Management Director Denis Canavan faced his first major setback after the elections Monday evening as the Planning Commission unanimously threw out his proposal that would have led to imposing costly water connections on the residents of Mohawk Drive. The meeting chaired by Stephen Reeves, was attended by vice chair James Howard Thompson, Susan McNeill, Republican Shelby Guazzo, defeated county commissioner president Merl Evans Jr., Lawrence Chase, and Brandon Hayden. Had Canavan's original proposals been okayed residents who would have been forced to pay on an average $18,000 for the water that they already getting from the same source. "This is a victory for the community," said Linda Reno, a resident of Mohawk Drive, who at an earlier meeting said she might have driven more than half million miles to her work in D.C. for three decades, but had her home on Mohawk Drive to stay away from the maddening crowds. Incredibly, sensing the changed political climate and angry mood of the residents, Canavan came up with a hastily cooked hotchpotch proposal that called for partial amendment to the water connection categories for two properties identified as Pueblo Estates and North Indian Creek Estates. Like usual Canavan let his Senior Planner Jeff Jackman face the music, instead of taking the hot seat himself when it came to highly controversial proposals. Residents of Mohawk Drive were joyous over winning their first battle against the LUGM, but were heard talking among themselves they have to prepare for the long war ahead to have the Mohawk Drive out of the Town Center category. "I came to know about the town center designation two years ago but most other residents got to know about it just before the last planning commission meeting," said Reno. The population density of St. Mary's county has shot up from 210 people per square mile in 1990 to nearly 305 people per square mile today, but Canavan seems oblivious to the concerns of the local community and most plans of the former Baltimore-based official seem geared towards denser and rapid development. "We want to be left alone," said April Davis. Canavan's proposal had asked for installing water distribution facilities to these properties; change the category to "no planned service" (NPS) for all other properties that would abut the installed facilities; leave the remaining listed properties in a W-6 category; leave the remaining listed properties in a W-6 category and do not proceed with installing water distribution facilities beyond the properties being subdivided. Canavan's proposal read in italics, "While an NPS category is not conducive to comprehensive plan objectives to support development, it would be appropriate at this time to accommodate new subdivisions while avoiding economic impacts to the owners of abutting properties who have no plans to subdivide and who enjoy adequate service from their wells. "Note also that there are no reports of wells failing in this vicinity. At such times these plans change, an appropriate amendment to the CWSP could be pursued. Installation costs borne by the developers could be recovered in part as customers are added to the facility. Staff prefers this alternative." |
