From: Cathy J. Clark Sent: Monday, November 01, 1999 7:51 PM To: robert.karge@eastonmd.com Subject: re:Town of Easton and the moratorium
Monday, November 01, 1999
Atten:Easton Planning and Zoning,
I have been following the issue on big box stores for some time now.
Recently I read where Petri & Co. want to now build west of Rt. 50. If a
home-improvement 130,000 sq. ft. plus store is built on the west side, will
the by-pass become another Rt. 50?
A survey should be done by Easton and Talbot County on new home constuction.
The main growth for Easton will be to the north and east of the town and Rt.
50. The worst possible building area for big box stores would be west of town.
Traffic flow would be horrendous. The traffic would be coming from Rt.322, Rt.
309. Rt. 328, and Rt. 331. All this traffic would have to cross Rt. 50 and then
to the by-pass or go thru town via Goldsborough, Dover , Dutchman’s Ln.
or Chapel Rds. These roads already have major problems with traffic at certain
times. Imagine , what would happen around here , if all of a sudden all the
roads have to be made larger to accommodate more traffic.If Easton has to have
box stores, why not build larger stores further north and east for more accessibility
to other towns and counties. Nearer the Rt. 404 area.
Big box stores will close down if there are not enough people to support
them or there is a recession. They have way to much overhead. Even in good times
some of these stores will close down. A good example is the Metro in Cambridge.
Nothing nicer than having a large empty store in a town. Finely, the beautiful
building that was McCrory’s is starting to be filled. Before box stores
they close down, they will dramatically effect our small local businesses. If
we lose our local businesses we will lose our tourist trade. Tourist contribute
quite a bit of income for Talbot County.
Talbot County has a lot to offer for the residents and the tourist
trade. Easton for it’s hospitality and the rest of the county for it’s
beauty. If box stores focus on building in Easton, the town will just become
another mass of conjestion, traffic, and confusion. Would we end up like some
of the towns on the western shore? For example, take a look at what Ellicott
City (Howard County) is like now. One side of my family has lived in that area
for over 200 years. So I know only to well what happens to all the farm land
and it’s beauty, and how it can be destroyed so quickly.My other side of
the family has been in Talbot and then Dorchester for about the same amount
of time. I would hate to see what happen to my father's farm land, also happen
to my Mother's heritage. Why would new residents and tourist want to come to
another area just like the one they left?
Growth and the quality of life are important for the town and it’s
people. Does this all have to hinge on more and bigger commercialism. What’s
wrong with being the 8th
best town or even an unknown town. Is it not all about community,
that makes a town a great place to live, and not the making of a just another
large city.
Cathy J. Clark