Letters: Planning Board failing to protect Lawyers Hill in Elkridge

Planning Board failing to protect Lawyers Hill

On Sept. 19, the sound of jaws dropping, fists slamming and, yes, hearts breaking could be heard over the door slamming on the future of historic preservation in Howard County. The Planning Board’s lack of will to preserve and protect the Lawyers Hill historic district’s legacy, environmental sensitivity and unique setting is unforgivable.

Lawyers Hill is one of just three nationally recognized and one of just two county-recognized historic districts here. The developer’s plan calls for 17 modern houses on 8 acres arrayed on a long, modern streetscape ending in a cul-de-sac — nothing like the marvelous mixture of architecture shielded from direct view by thoughtful placement of the extensively landscaped homes nestled in the hillside.

Once again, the Planning Board fell for the arguments that the property owner is entitled to the maximum density permitted; each new development should be considered in isolation without regard to its effect on surrounding properties or neighborhoods; and stormwater management issues in this threatened watershed are not the concern of the Planning Board.

The only vote against came from the Planning Board chair, the one member with any professional background in the subject matter. The strong push to approve came from the member involved in real estate, who assured that any reappearance before the Historic Preservation Commission could only be advisory and not interfere with the plan proceeding. (The HPC had recommended disapproval unless the number of units was decreased by about half so that the extensive deforestation and grading would be unnecessary.)

The only hope to stop this degradation would appear to be for the Department of Planning and Zoning to refuse to approve the waiver requested by the developer to remove numerous specimen trees. Given the revelation of a recent letter from the state that Howard County has been in violation of deforestation regulations for some time, this would be a wise move.

I’d love to see those who value preservation encourage our executive, a strong supporter of the county’s environmental and historic resources, guide his staff to do the right thing — and to also speed up the process of making critical revisions to our zoning and development regulations.

In the meantime, I’ll continue to hum “Another One Bites the Dust.”

Susan Garber

North Laurel