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ADCTION NEEDED TODAY: Save the rural tier from mass development
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Joyce Dowling
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Feb 22, 2006 07:41 PST
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On April 1st the moratorium on building in the rural tier will
expire. The bulldozers will roll and the trees will fall once again.
Some measure of protection is needed or sprawl and urbanization of
Prince George's will quickly occur. (We are consuming land at 6000
acres per year including 1400 acres woodland.)
CB-5 (the TDR bill) is an essential first step. Without this bill
there is a real possibility of nothing being done. But four Council
members are wavering under pressure from developers, so there is an
urgent need to ensure that a bill will pass this Council. Thanks to
those of you who have already sent letters!
The fate of the TDR bill will be decided this week. SOA's steering
committee met and decided to support the bill as outlined in this
email. Several of us also attended a meeting with Council Chairman
Tom Dernoga and came away totally convinced of its necessity. We
have also been meeting with the Sierra Club, which is strongly
supporting this bill.
Unfortunately, the bill is in the hands of four Council members, who
are considering killing the bill altogether.
PLEASE WRITE TODAY to these four Council members-- Sam Dean, Doug
Peters, and Marilynn Bland, Camille Exum, with the message:
I support CB-5 with amendments.
See the sample letters below, or visit this website at
http://geocities.com/sprawled_out_accokeek/genericletters for another
option, and to read the letter they sent.
Contact information follows the letters below, and is on the above website.
EXAMPLE LETTER- customize for your circumstance
Prince George's County Council
14741 Governor Oden Bowie Drive, 2nd Floor
Upper Marlboro, MD 20772
[PUT YOUR ADDRESS HERE]
February 22, 2006
Dear [name of your councilperson]:
I am writing to you in support of CB-5-2006. As joint owners of a
working family farm deep in the Rural Tier [--SUBSTITUTE YOUR OWN
PERSONAL TOUCH], and strong supporters of the preservation of the
Rural Tier, our message to you is this:
The Council MUST PASS the TDR Bill to preserve the Rural Tier and
allow development only where adequate public services are provided,
in accordance with the General Plan.
The Council MUST RETAIN MANDATORY DOWN-ZONING as currently provided
in the draft bill.
We look to the Council to fulfil the promise in the General Plan.
This time legislation must be passed to make sure it is implemented.
Do not leave your citizens watching helplessly while the General Plan
and Master Plans are undermined by out-of-control development.
PROTECT and SUPPORT THESE PLANS by passing CB-5-2006, which will
preserve the Rural Tier and limit growth as set out in the Plans.
Your efforts to do this will be greatly appreciated and applauded by
local citizens.
Help to preserve the Rural Tier and uphold the Master Plan and General Plan.
Very truly yours,
EXAMPLE LETTER #2 - customize for your circumstance
Prince George's County Council
14741 Governor Oden Bowie Drive, 2nd Floor
Upper Marlboro, MD 20772
[PUT YOUR ADDRESS HERE]
February 22, 2006
Dear [name of your councilperson],
Please support CB-5-2006, the "TDR bill". The Council must pass
this bill to preserve our rural areas, and to put development only
where public services are available. I applaud the Council's efforts
to fulfill its promises of adopting laws that manage growth, in line
with the county's General Plan.
Because we want a strong and viable "transfer of development rights"
program please amend the bill to include:
(1) A strong clause specifying that density will not exceed
master plans in receiving areas.
(2) Reduce the exceptions for building permits in the downzoned areas.
We support CB-5 with the above amendments. We will appreciate your support.
Sincerely,
CONTACT INFORMATION
FAX THEM AT: (301) 952-3238. EMAIL IS NOT AS GOOD, BUT IS BETTER THAN NOTHING!
Douglas J.J. Peters, (District 4)
EMAIL <djpe-@co.pg.md.us>
Camille Exum (District 7)
EMAIL <cae-@co.pg.md.us>
Marilynn M. Bland (District 9)
EMAIL <mmbl-@co.pg.md.us>
Samuel H. Dean (District 6)
EMAIL <shd-@co.pg.md.us>
Thanks to Kelly Canavan for constructing this initial letter message.
--
Sincerely,
Joyce Dowling
Your Neighborhood Web Host in Brandywine
http://www.BrandywineMD.com
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webs-@brandywinemd.com
301-782-9922
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