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Business and environmental leaders don鈥檛 always find themselves rowing in the same direction. But in Queen Anne鈥檚 County, they are united in opposition to Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr.鈥檚 push for a third Chesapeake Bay crossing.
Hogan鈥檚 stated preference for a new span next to the existing Bay Bridge has stoked fears that traffic 鈥� already life-altering 鈥� will worsen, first-responders will continue to be hampered, pollution will increase, and property values will tumble.
The leaders see little, if any, potential upside to an additional crossing between Anne Arundel County and Queen Anne鈥檚.
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鈥淚 see it as being nothing but a negative,鈥� said Jay Falstad, executive director of the Queen Anne鈥檚 Conservation Association.
鈥淲hen Governor [William Donald] Schaefer鈥檚 鈥楻each the Beach鈥� program occurred, that is when a lot of growth and development occurred on Kent Island and around Easton and going southward,鈥� he added. 鈥淚t鈥檚 had the effect of essentially making residents on Kent Island prisoners in their houses on the weekend, because there鈥檚 just so much traffic coming through.鈥�
Linda Friday, president of the Queen Anne鈥檚 County Chamber of Commerce, said congestion in the region has been 鈥渧ery crippling.鈥�
鈥淔rom Thursday until Sunday, it鈥檚 constant traffic,鈥� she said. 鈥淏usinesses close early or they close on weekends because their staff can鈥檛 get in, or they鈥檙e late.鈥�
Last week the Maryland Transportation Authority announced public hearings and additional study on three potential crossings from Anne Arundel to the Eastern Shore and a fourth option, the federally-mandated 鈥渘o build鈥� alternative.
The next day, Hogan (R) appeared to contradict the authority, announcing in a tweet that only one option 鈥� Corridor 7 on MDTA maps 鈥� is worth pursuing.
鈥淭here is only one option I will ever accept: adding a third span to our existing Bay Bridge,鈥� the governor wrote.
鈥淲hile the federal process requires multiple proposals, the data is indisputable 鈥� this option would maximize congestion relief & minimize environmental impact.鈥�
Falstad pledged a robust fight.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not wall flowers when it comes to this type of proposal and we鈥檙e prepared to use the resources that we have, including a substantial amount of litigation along the way, to make sure that the state and the federal government follow the process to every letter of the law,鈥� he told Maryland Matters in an interview.
Falstad said the 50-year-old Conservation Association has a 鈥渟trong track record of opposing projects,鈥� having fought a proposed nuclear power plant, a large housing project by the mega-developer K. Hovnanian, and a bid by the State Department to erect the Foreign Affairs Security Training Center (FAST-C) near Ruthsburg.
鈥業鈥檓 100 percent for it鈥�
Despite the opposition, James J. Moran, president of the Queen Anne鈥檚 County Board of Commissioners, supports the new bridge enthusiastically. And he applauds Hogan for trying to move the process along.
鈥淚鈥檓 100% for it because the traffic is already here,鈥� Moran, a Republican, said. 鈥淭o move it anywhere else would just be foolish and would not be cost effective.鈥�
He said a third span would 鈥渂ring relief to our weekends so we can move around鈥� 鈥� and that not adding capacity 鈥渨ould kill the county.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e already seeing people wanting to leave,鈥� he said, noting the long backup 鈥� estimated by state transportation officials to be 14 miles 鈥� that occurred on Monday afternoon, Labor Day, the traditional end to beach season.
Moran said the county commissioners will hold town hall meetings to give residents a chance to offer their opinions 鈥� and he will have a message at the ready to those who oppose a third span.
鈥淭o the people who don鈥檛 want it, I will say, 鈥楬ow long do you think you can survive with the traffic getting worse every year?鈥欌��
Moran said a development boom in Sussex County, Del., is responsible for much of the congestion Queen Anne鈥檚 endures.
鈥淒elaware has had out-of-control growth for the last decade. Ever since we came out of the last recession.鈥�
鈥楬ave us at the table鈥�
Friday, the chamber president, echoed concerns expressed by state and local elected officials in Montgomery, Prince George鈥檚 and Frederick counties regarding the proposal to widen Interstate 270 and the Capital Beltway (I-495).
鈥淥ne of the things that the state needs to be mindful of is to have open communication with the communities that this is going to effect,鈥� she said.
鈥淗aving one or two of our county commissioners go to the Maryland Department of Transportation, knocking on their doors to find out what they鈥檙e doing 鈥� that鈥檚 not fair to the people who live on the Eastern Shore,鈥� she added.
Friday and Falstad asserted that the state is sending mixed signals. Hogan鈥檚 tweets came one day after the transportation authority announced statewide public hearings and in-depth study of four potential options for reducing congestion on the Bay Bridge.
鈥淚 thought it was a horribly inappropriate comment to make,鈥� said Falstad.
鈥淎re his departments, which are evaluating these crossings and play a crucial role in the analysis, now going to say, 鈥榃ell, the governor has already made his position known but we鈥檙e still going to continue looking at these other options?鈥欌��
Moran, the board president, said Hogan鈥檚 urge to speed up the action is welcome.
鈥淭his process needs to be pushed along,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think most of the counties on the Eastern Shore would agree that putting [the bridge] here is the right thing to do.鈥�
