Local control
Wednesday, April 8, 2015, myeasternshoremd.com
Throughout the United States – not just in Kent County, not just in Maryland, but everywhere – regardless of whatever other federal or state agency approvals may also be required for a project, land use matters are decided at the local level.
The reason is a sound one. Members of any county, through their elected and appointed local officials, are in a much better position than federal officials in Washington, D.C. or state officials in Annapolis to decide issues that have a significant impact on the nature and character of their community.
In keeping with this principle, Kent County’s leaders thoughtfully considered and adopted rules applicable to renewable energy projects proposed to be built here, among other reasons, in order to preserve the historic and rural nature of our county for the benefit of all. Those rules, codified in Kent County’s land use ordinance, include requirements applicable to construction projects generally and wind power projects specifically.
And, regardless of your position on renewable energy or wind power projects – whether for, against or undecided – everyone in Kent County, including our county officials, should be able to agree, and should be willing to do everything to ensure, that every project in the county, including the one proposed by Apex Clean Energy, must satisfy the county’s land use ordinance requirements.
Ronald Fisher
Kennedyville
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2015/04/09/local-control/