From: Brad and Allison Hill
Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 1999 7:17 PM
To: robert.karge@eastonmd.com
Subject: Moratorium

The Town of Easton seems to be undecided on what direction it should embark. More specifically the small group of people that are the Easton Town Council seem to be undecided on what direction that the thousands of town residents will be sent.

The confusion may come from a misunderstanding of or an inability to interpret the town's long range plan. This Easton resident is under the impression that the purpose of the moratorium is to analyze this document and amend it if the Easton Town Council determines it's objectives to be undesirable. Since this document was completed within the past couple of years and since there are members of the town council who were involved in the long range plan's development one wonders just what will be accomplished by a moratorium. If the council members have been unable to make decisions based on the current plan which they have had ample opportunity to review and in some cases have been involved in drafting, then why would they be able to make decisions after this plan has been altered.

It should now be evident to the Town Council that those who are interested in bringing a variety of goods and services to the residents of the Town of Easton can certainly go elsewhere if the town is unreasonable. In fact if the county becomes unreasonable commercial developers can erect their projects in Caroline, Queen Anne or Dorchester without the cost or the hassle that they would have in Talbot. Should a major shopping center be built on Rt. 50 just north of the county line Easton would receive none of the benefits and all of the perceived costs. The "costs" include increased traffic, an erosion of retail presence downtown and increased competition to Easton/Talbot businesses. The benefit that the Town/County Council would give up would be the tax revenues (income and property) that would then flow to the county who held the development.

In the twenty seven years since I was born in this town the bypass has gone from three to six stoplights, Marlboro Ave has gone from two strip malls to four and no stoplights to three, Dover Road east of Rt 50 has gone from traversing a field to splitting an industrial park and a Wal-Mart/Giant combo. Route 50 has gone from Stefano's and McDonalds to a who's who of fast food restaurants. A few new residential developments have come along (Easton Club, Matthewstown Run, Golton, Thread Haven, and Cooke's Hope to name a few). I haven't mentioned office space and industrial developments. Easton was a great place to grow up in, but it is an even better place to live in. It is better because the residents have ease of access to more goods and services than they did twenty seven years ago while still enjoying a rural, small town environment.

A trip to Wal-Mart on a Saturday should quell any fears that there is not demand for the big box concept in Easton. It is here already and downtown has not folded, in fact, the retailers that have been able to find a niche that satisfies consumer demand have flourished, those that have not have closed their doors. This process would occur whether Wal-Mart is here or not.

As a young professional who was born and raised in Talbot County, who is an Easton homeowner and who is part of a small, but growing family my interests would be served by a better choice of retail and commercial options in the Town of Easton or in Talbot County. More of our family's retail dollars travel across the bridge than end up here. It would benefit my family to have better choices and the better competition that accompanies that choice here in Easton rather than elsewhere.

Brad Hill