Public Hearings - Agricultural Land Preservation Districts - Watson,

PUBLIC HEARING
AGRICULTURAL LAND PRESERVATION DISTRICTS


June 5, 2007

A public hearing was held today at 9:15 a.m. in the County Commissioners’ Hearing Room, County Government Center, Chestertown, Maryland for the purpose of discussing the voluntary creation of an Agricultural Land Preservation District for the following:

Robert and Kathleen Watson on their 99 acre farm located on Bay Shore Road in the Sixth Election District.

Carrel and Randy Heim on their 134.8 acre farm located on Clark Road in the Third Election District.

John F. Coleman Trust on his 157.57 acre farm located on Lambs Meadow Road in the Third Election District.

Mill Pond Station on its 280.4 acre farm located on Speer Road in the First Election District.

County Commissioners Roy Crow, Ronald Fithian, and William Pickrum, were in attendance as well as Susanne Hayman, County Administrator, Gail Owings, Director of Planning, Carla Martin, Community Planner, several interested citizens, and one member of the media. The applicants were not in attendance.

Commissioner Crow read the Notice of Public Hearing into the record.

Ms. Martin reviewed the applications as follows:

The property owned by Robert and Kathleen Watson is adjacent to other protected properties. She stated that it contained 57 acres of cropland and 38 acres of woodland. Aprroximately 69.5 % of the soils are considered Class II or III and 22.2% are considered Woodland Group 2. The property is outside of the 10-year water and sewer plan.

The property owned by Carrell and Randy Heim is adjacent to another protected property. She stated that the farm consists of 43 acres of cropland and 90 acres of woodland. Approximately 50.1% of the soils are considered Class II or III and 5.3% are considered Woodland Group 2. The property is outside of the 10 year water and sewer plan.

The John Coleman Trust contains 155 acres of crop land and 2.75 acres of Woodland. Approximately 98.8% of the soils are considered Class I, II, or III. The property is outside of the 10 year water and sewer plan and is adjacent to over 1,000 acres of other protected properties.

The Mill Pond Station, LLC. consists of 218 acres of crop land and 60 acres of woodland. Approximately 83.7% of the soils are considered Class I, II, or III and 9.9% are considered 9.9%. The property is outside of the 10 year water and sewer plan. It is adjacent to a 237 acre MALPF easement.

There was no one in attendance who wished to speak for or against this application.

A motion was made by Commissioner Pickrum, seconded by Commissioner Fithian and made unanimous by Commissioner Crow to recommend approval of the applications submitted by Robert and Kathleen Watson, Carrell and Randy Heim, John F. Coleman Trust, and Mill Pond Station.

A letter of recommendation will go forth to the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation.

This hearing was taped for reference and adjourned at 9:20 a.m.

THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
OF KENT COUNTY, MARYLAND


Janice F. Fletcher
Executive Assistant
Approved:
Roy W. Crow, President