Public Hearings - PUBLIC HEARING- Agricultural Land Preservation

July 29, 2008

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 voluntary application to sell an agricultural preservation easement for the following:

Angelica Nurseries, Inc. on its 246.13 acre farm located on Chesterville Road in the 1st Election District
Thomas J. Kohl, III, on his 130.36 acre farm located on Chesterville Road in the 1st Election District
Floyd Price, Jr. and Terri B. Price on their 142.852 acre farm located on Sassafras-Caldwell Road in the 1st Election District
Carolyn Coleman and Davidson Coleman, Jr., Trustees, on their 216.39 acre farm located on Golts Road in the 1st Election District
Davidson Coleman, Jr. and Ellen D. Coleman on their 148.18 acre farm located on Golts Road in the 1st Election District
William M. Chance, Jr. and Dorothy E. Chance on their 176 acre farm located on Peacock Corner Road in the 1st Election District
Charles and Eva Mae Wiest on their 294.78 acre farm located on Cypress Road in the 1st Election District
Bryan S. and Lewis H. McDonald on their 147.03 acre farm located on Still Pond Road and on their 213 acre farm located on Bloomfield Road, both in the 2nd Election District.
Robert W. and Jane W. Kennedy on their 165.31 acre farm located on Family Lane in the 2nd Election District
John D. Fernwalt, Jr. on his two farms, 240 acres and 139.4 acres both located on Morgnec Road in the 2nd Election District
Leonard P. and Donna Lee Fletcher for 137.95 acres of their 208 acre farm located on Morgnec Road and for their 107.64 acre farm located on River Road, both in the 2nd Election District
John W. Kimble for his 140 acre farm located on Stockton Startt Road in the 4th Election District
Mary Rose Kimble for her 213 acre farm located on Stockton Startt road in the 6th Election District
Mary Anna Welch, Ind. And Trustee, and Melissa W. Horsey, Trustees, for their 242.94 acre farm located on Earl Nicholson Road in the 6th Election District
Joyce Redman for her 270.22 acre farm located on Bakers Lane in the 6th Election District
John A. Chase, Jr. and Taryn L. Chase on their 113.38 acre farm located on Pomona Road in the 7th Election District
Michael D. and Virginia Lynn Foster for their 181.05 acre farm located on Tolchester Road in the 5th Election District
Jeffrey K. and Margaret P. Hill for their 245.84 acre farm located on Tolchester Road in the 5th Election District

County Commissioners Roy Crow, Ronald Fithian, and William Pickrum, were in attendance as well as Susanne Hayman, County Administrator, Carla Gerber, Community Planner, and two members of the media and the following applicants: Mary Ann Welch and Melissa Horsey, Leonard Fletcher, Ron Jayne, John Kimble, Davidson Coleman and Theodore Redman.


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

Ms. Gerber informed that these are the 21 farms that were not located in a MALPF district and have applied to sell an easement. She noted that this will be done for this year only. The state law requires that approvals be received from the Planning Commission and the local governing body as to whether or not the locations are appropriate for permanent easements. The property will next be ranked and submitted to the State for review. The purpose of the public hearing is to comment whether the properties are appropriate locations for easements. The public hearing will give no indication as to whether an easement offer will be made. Ms. Gerber informed that all of the properties have qualifying soils and many of them are adjacent to other protected lands.

Correspondence was received from the Planning Office dated July 3 recommending the Commissioners’ approval on the above applications.

There was no one in attendance who wished to speak for or against the applications submitted.

A motion was made by Commissioner Pickrum, seconded by Commissioner Fithian and made unanimous by Commissioner Crow to approve all 21 properties as appropriate locations for permanent easements.

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