The problems associated with the “boom and bust” residential overbuilding in Frederick County have affected the lives of every school child and every motorist in Frederick County. 

Read the Truth about Residential Development, Our Taxes and Our Future.

Read the Truth about the Effects of Residential Development on our Schools.

Read the Truth about the Effects of Residential Development on our Roads.

VENUE CHANGE for THIS Month!

Carlos Fernandez, owner of Potomac Wind Energy located in Dickerson, MD will be here to discuss the potential for wind energy in Frederick County. Dr. Fernandez has sold and installed over 30 SKYSTREAM small wind energy systems.

Also, after Green Drinks there will be a free film about how we grow and develop our community shown at the MET. The film is the final showing of the Spring film series on sustainability. It is part of the OurCommonWEalth film series. For more information go towww.ourcommonwealth.us.
Brewer’s Alley upstairs “Booking Room” (5 to 7p.m.)
124 North Market Street
Frederick, MD 21701

Every month people who work in the sustainability field meet up at informal sessions known as Green Drinks.

These events are very simple and unstructured, but many people have found employment, made friends, developed new ideas, done deals and had moments of serendipity. It can be a force for good in our community.

The spirit of green drinks is that anyone can come, and this makes for interesting interactions. If you are interested in green, ecological, environmental, organic, renewable, and sustainability issues, you are welcome to attend.

RSVP is not required, but it would be helpful to get a head cou

We have just a few days to stop the United States government from preventing the world from properly labeling genetically modified foods (GMOs).

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have adopted a pro-corporate position that laughably claims labeling GM/GE foods creates the “false” impression that “that the labeled food is in some way different from other foods.”

And next week, at the United Nations meeting in Canada, they will tell the world to adopt the same position, preventing other countries from rightly labeling GMOs as different from fresh, natural food. The implications of this position could further undermine organic food standards all over the world, especially organic labeling.

We know that GMO food created by the likes of Monsanto is not only “different” but unhealthy and unsustainable. Can you help us tell the USDA and FDA to wake up and drop this ridiculous position?

Click here to tell the USDA and FDA: the world should be free to label GMO foods as such.

While the rest of the world wants to be able to label unnatural GMOs, Barack Obama’s USDA and FDA have adopted pro-corporate food positions GMOs. Unless we act now, the United States will go to this meeting telling the world that GMO foods are not different and should not be labeled.

GMO foods, by definition, are genetically different. By altering nature’s design in order to withstand a barrage of chemicals and other poisons, humans are without question creating a new, different kind of food.

We need to tell the USDA and FDA to abandon its wrongheaded, corporate food position that GMOs are the same as non-GMO foods. Sign our petition now before the deadline on Monday.

Thank you for your support on this urgent petition – please share this with anyone you know who cares about their food.

Best,

Lisa Madison
Distribution & Outreach Coordinator
FRESH

http://www.yesmagazine.org/new-economy/local-economies-close-the-distance-between-us

Sustainable Communities (SB 285/HB 475) Continues the highly successful Historic Tax Credit program and extends the program to key non-historic properties for revitalization. This bill also improves coordination between a number of important revitalization programs including Community Legacy, Maryland Main Streets and Maple Street. This important Smart Growth program was funded at $10 million.

Agricultural Estate Tax Bill (SB 396/HB 1571) The primary purpose is to:  (1) provide farm families with adequate time to make good decisions about the future of their property; (2) provide farm families with an estate tax payment option that better reflects the challenges of the farming community and the current economic climate; and (3) allows the state of Maryland to gauge the need of farm families for estate tax relief and to monitor the fiscal impact of providing that relief.

Transportation Funding Criteria Bill HB 1155/SB 760 ensures that state transportation funding will now be aligned with state goals including climate change and smart growth.

In addition, three bills were passed to improve bicycle – pedestrian issues in Maryland

• SB624 – Shoulder Rule bill:  cyclists no longer have to ride on road shoulders even when unsafe
• SB51 – 3-Foot bill:  a safe distance must be left when passing a cyclist
• HB 282 – Funding for Bike/Ped Access bill:  Funding must be equitable

State Budget:

A big part of our effort this year was to protect key programs from budget cuts. We were successful in demonstrating that these programs were critical to the state economically and environmentally.

• Program Open Space funding was not diverted,
• Maryland Agriculture Land Preservation Funds were preserved,
• Funds for Maryland Department of Planning staff were not cut

Stormwater:

1000 Friends is a strong supporter of improving stormwater controls for new and existing development.  There was a serious attempt by some in the development community to roll back the regulations passed in 2007. 1000 Friends successfully negotiated to keep changes to the regulations modest and reflecting real concerns.  These changes included:

• Clearly defining which projects must comply with the new regulation and which few can follow the 2000 regulations
• Setting strict time frames for these developments to keep, or they must meet the new standards
• Setting a date by which all grandfathering ends
• Clarifying redevelopment project standards and ensuring improved water quality.

This material was copied from the  1000 Friends of Maryland newsletter sent 4/16/2010.

Mandatory Adoption

Every municipality in Maryland is required to adopt a “municipal growth element” as part of its comprehensive plan.  The initial deadline for meeting this requirement was October 1, 2009.  For good cause shown, the Maryland Department of Planning may grant up to two six month extensions of this deadline — to either April 1, 2010 or October 1, 2010.

The Maryland Legislature has provided for the suspension of zoning authority in any municipality that fails to adopt a municipal growth element within the prescribed time limits.  By establishing this extraordinary penalty, the Legislature has underscored its commitment to sound planning at the municipal level.

Download the Municipal Growth Element Fact Sheet here.

Purpose

In developing its growth element, a municipality must, among other things, evaluate and disclose the potential impacts of its planned growth on county-wide services and facilities (e.g. roads; schools; water and sewer; parks; fire and emergency services etc.).  This information, in turn, will enable the county to project the likely costs of accommodating proposed municipal growth plans.

Mandatory Consultation

A municipal corporation is required to consult with the county in developing a municipal growth element.  In the course of this consultation, the county may provide the municipality with information related to the cost to the county of accommodating proposed municipal growth.

Mandatory Period of Review and Comment

A municipal corporation is also required to provide a copy of its proposed municipal growth element to the county and, for a period of 30 days thereafter, to accept comments from the county.  In its comments on the municipal growth element, the county may request additional information on the impacts of planned growth on county-wide services and facilities.  The county may also request that the municipality decrease the size of its planned growth area where (i) county-wide services and facilities are not sufficient to accommodate municipal growth plans; and (ii) the county will not in the foreseeable future have the resources to expand its infrastructure to accommodate this planned municipal growth.

Mandatory Meeting of County and Municipal Officials

Within 30 days following the close of the comment period, the county and the municipal corporation “shall meet and confer regarding the municipal growth element.”

This meeting provides the county and municipality an opportunity to resolve differences of opinion regarding (i) the likely costs to the county of municipal growth, as proposed; and (ii) the appropriate size of the planned growth area.  According to the Maryland Department of Planning, “HB 1141 mandates that jurisdictions meet and confer on this subject before the municipal growth element can be adopted.”

Mediation by the Maryland Department of Planning

Following this meeting, “on the request of either party”, the county and the municipality shall employ the mediation and conflict resolution office of the Maryland Department of Planning to resolve any remaining differences of opinion.  The Maryland Department of Planning has stated that:

Good planning dictates that the municipality and county agree on those land areas that will someday become part of the municipality.