Thanks to all annexation referendum volunteers!
September 28, 2009 by admin
Filed under Crumland Farm, Frederick City, Frederick, Sign a Petition, Summers Farm, Frederick City, Thatcher Farm, Frederick City, Write a Letter
October 18, 2009
Dear Annexation Referendum Volunteers, Supporters and Friends,
On behalf of Friends and Frederick County, I would like thank everyone who brought their energy, spirit and dedication to this burst of grassroots movement for a petition drive to bring the issue of annexation to a citizen vote. As I write this letter, unpaid volunteers are still out in their neighborhoods trying to collect the 7,289 signatures needed by Monday (10/19) to bring to citizen vote the issue of annexation. Yet, it is with a heavy heart that, despite the best efforts of all the dedicated foot soldiers, we will fall short of our main goal.
Petitions by origin were created in the spirit of democracy. The process offers the opportunity for every Frederick resident to put one voice, one vote, to an issue that can impact their daily lives. A referendum in this case, regardless of the outcome, would assure participation by Frederick voters who are the most impacted by the actions of their elected officials. Yet, sadly, this petition drive has been subverted by a host of factors, not the least of which is a near impossible time frame of 45 days. To be successful volunteers would have to collect over 160 signatures a day. Despite our dedicated army of unpaid volunteers working to gather signatures and educate voters, time was against us. Given that 9 out of 10 people signed the petition once they learned about the annexation, I have little doubt that additional time would have brought about the successful outcome of a referendum — a simple vote. But the time allotment of 45 days to gather signatures for referendum is an outmoded form of democracy in large cities like Frederick, which spans over 20 square miles. Residents interested in signing the petition not only had to find out about us, but learn where our volunteers were located.
As this effort gathered steam, nearly one hundred (100!) of you – unpaid volunteers – took the time out of your very busy lives to hit the streets, talk to your neighbors, and gather signatures. I must thank you for your commitment, energy, and hard work. I also want to thank the Frederick County Board of Commissioners (BOCC), the Maryland State Highway Administration, Frederick County Fire and Rescue Services Division and the Maryland Department of Planning for their thoughtful concerns raised about the annexation development agreements. As we’ve noted previously, these annexations will add millions of square feet of office and commercial space, and over 1500 homes on farm land located near U.S. 15 and Route 40. The BOCC and other state and county officials offered their distinguished voices to educate citizens about the impact of the annexation development on traffic and other public services. Most Frederick residents with whom we met and spoke during our grassroots efforts not only did not understand how annexation would impact them, but also opposed the action and signed the petition so that they could vote. This is the way democracy is supposed to work –through public participation, education, and outreach.
FOFC became involved in this effort to ensure the voices of Frederick voters were heard by their elected officials, the Mayor and the Board of Aldermen. We are independent, nor funded by outside special interest groups. Our members are citizens who have a strong interest in the quality of life in Frederick and the surrounding counties because they either live in the city or in the county. Most importantly, none of us profit financially from the decisions of any elected governing body in Frederick or Frederick County. We are proud of our role in advocating that land use decisions, including annexations, benefit all residents of Frederick – not just a few.
Thank you so very much for your support and enthusiasm. And a special thanks to Malgo who – by far- collected the most signatures, and to Elaine who took a lead role in organizing volunteers. Also special mention of gratitude goes to the Catoctin Sierra Club for lending us their office space that we converted to the Referendum Office, and to E End USA for lending us a copy machine!
We’ll be back in touch soon with final numbers and more updates.
Sincerely,
Janice Wiles, Executive Director 240 529 1655/ 240 626 5209
Looking back:
Friends of Frederick County (FOFC) was a driving force behind the coalition of Frederick County citizens concerned about sprawl. On September 4th 2009 we set out to collect 7,289 signatures by October 18th to bring to citizen vote a move by the Board of Alderman to annex more than 500 acres of farm land targeted for residential and commercial development. The annexations of the Thatcher, Crumland and Summers farms will add millions of square feet of office and commercial space, and over 1500 homes on farm land located near U.S. 15 and Route 40. Annexation is a process used to expand municipal boundaries by adding land. Planners and environmentalists cite annexations as a source of urban sprawl in rural areas because the growth is directed outward from urban centers. FOFC launched the petition drive to educate citizens about the impact of the annexations on the quality of life in Maryland.
“Frederick County citizens need to know the tremendous impact these annexations will have on traffic congestion, schools, and on municipal services,” said Janice Wiles, executive director of FOFC. “There is a world of difference between growing, and growing right. Spreading Frederick City outward to the rural landscape along a stretch of overtaxed highway produces little or no benefit to tax payers living in the city and in Frederick County. They are the ones who will ultimately bear the cost of the infrastructure improvements that will need to be made.” Among those also raising concerns about the annexations are the Maryland State Highway Administration, Maryland State Department of Planning and County officials, including the Board of County Commissioners, who are concerned about the developers’ commitment to major infrastructure improvements to roads, sewer capacity and schools.
Opponents of the recent City of Frederick annexations have 45 days to secure the signatures of at least 7,289 city voters. The law requires 20 percent of municipal voters sign a petition to force the issue to referendum. Volunteers gathering signatures are all over the city knocking on doors and talking to people at public events. ”Over forty concerned citizens have collected about 2000 signatures. We have a long way to go yet thankfully new volunteers are showing up daily offering to help. We can meet our goal if more volunteers offer their support” said Elaine Reinhold who is coordinating volunteers to staff places people can go to and sign the petition (see locations below).
Recent data suggests that sprawl and urbanization are consuming land at an alarming rate. Between 1982 and 1992, 14 million acres of the U.S. became developed land, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In the past, cities were compact and efficient, but over the past 30-50 years, the density of land used per person has declined drastically. Although the U.S. population grew by 17 percent from 1982 to 1997, urbanized land increased by 47 percent during the same 15 year period. The developed acreage per person has nearly doubled in the past 20 years, and housing lots larger than 10 acres have accounted for 55 percent of land developed since 1994, according to the American Farmland Trust.
Where to Sign
- Greenleaf Park – Whittier & Walnut Ridge (near pool and soccer field) 9/26 9:30 – noon
- North End Block Party, 9/26 1-4pm
- IN THE STREETS, 10/3 11-5 Friends of Frederick County table between Church & Second St.
- Referendum Office, 4 E Church St, M 3-5pm, T/R 3:15-4:15, M-F 9-11am, SUnday 10-12noon
- Baker Park gazebo Sunday 3-6 pm
- Monocacy MARC train station – Tuesday evening
- Frederick CIty MARC train station – Friday evening
For additional information
To Contact us
email: frederick.referendum@gmail.com
240 626 5209
240-405-2536
