Charles County’s Comprehensive Plan revision is rushing ahead. On October 19, an Open House was held where ERM, the county’s consultant, unveiled their analysis of two land-use Scenarios. The public was invited to weigh-in until October 28th, which was then extended until November 4.
ERM’s analysis immediately generated controversy, as it contrasted environmental protection against economic development. In fact, Smart Growth recognizes that a healthy economy is dependent on a healthy environment, and sets out to ensure both.
How this works can be understood from independent analyses of the Comp Plan draft scenarios by people familiar with on-the-ground implementations of Smart Growth, and studies examining the costs of various land-use approaches.
From this independent expertise, it becomes clear that Scenario 1 has all the advantages for long-term prosperity, including housing choice, maintenance of home and land values, and protection of our natural and cultural resources.
Read the analysis by the Coalition for Smarter Growth here.
Read the analysis by the Smarter Growth Alliance for Charles County here. This alliance includes Smart Growth expertise through members such as 1000 Friends of Maryland.
