PLAN BACKGROUND

HISTORICAL SETTING

In order to understand what comprises present-day Easton and contemplate what the Easton of the future might be, it is important to understand the Easton of the past. As might be expected of a Town nicknamed the "Colonial Capital of the Eastern Shore," Easton has quite an extensive history. Easton is, in fact, approaching 300 years as a Town.

The Town of Easton seems to have received its official beginning from an Act of the Assembly of the Province of Maryland dated November 4, 1710. The Act was entitled, "An Act for the Building of a Court House for Talbot County, at Armstrong's Old Field near Pitt's Bridge". Pitt's Bridge crossed a stream forming the headwaters of the Tred Avon or Third Haven River. It was located at a point where North Washington Street crosses this stream, now enclosed in culverts, north of the Talbottown Shopping Center, and passes under the Electric Plant property.

Prior to this date, the Court had met at York, a small settlement located on Skipton Creek. The Court decided that this location was not convenient to all sections of the County and, in order to change the location, the above Act of the Assembly was passed.

As a result of this Act, two acres of land were purchased from Philemon Armstrong, at a cost of 5,000 pounds of tobacco, the currency of the times. Upon this tract, the same plot upon which the present Talbot County Court House now stands, the Court House, a brick building 20 x 30 feet, was erected at a cost of 115,000 pounds of tobacco. The Courts of the County were held in this building from 1712 until 1794. A Tavern to accommodate those who attended Court was one of the first buildings erected; stores and dwellings followed. The village was then known as Talbot Court House.

These were not the first buildings in the area. The frame meeting house of the Society of Friends was built between 1682 and 1684. Undoubtedly some homes were built nearby.

This Court House building continued to be used until the State Legislature, at its first Session after the adoption of the State Constitution in 1777, authorized the General Court, the forerunner of the present Court of Appeals, to sit alternately on the Western Shore and on the Eastern Shore at "Talbot Court House in Talbot County". To care for the needs of the General Court, the Legislature in 1789 enacted "An Act for the building of a Court House in Talbot County for the Accommodation of the General Court for the Eastern Shore and the County of Talbot". The building thus provided, built at a cost of 3,000 pounds sterling, paid by the State and County, was completed in 1794, and still serves as the seat of the County Courts. Its use by the General Court and the Court of Appeals has long since been discontinued. It is, however, after many remodelings, the last being in 1958, still used by the United States District Court which customarily sits in Baltimore.

On March 12, 1785, the Legislature passed an Act to erect the Town in Talbot County, and a Commission headed by Jeremiah Banning, was appointed to purchase land and "Lay it Out in the Best and most convenient manner into lots not exceeding one-half acre each". This Act also authorized the Commission to survey the land and lay out the streets as well as name them. The name of the Town was to be known as "Talbot". In 1788 another Act of the Legislature changed the name to "Easton". It is not definitely known why this change was made. Some writers believe that the Town was first known as "East Town" or "East Capital", as it was the seat of State Government of the Eastern Shore, and from this later became Easton.

In 1790 the Legislature provided for the election of five Commissioners to whom was entrusted the administration of the Town. The Commission was charged with the preservation of order, the maintenance of the roadways in passable condition, keeping open the drainage ditches, providing plank footwalks where necessary and making and enforcing such regulations as were needed for the preservation of the peace and welfare of the Community.

The powers of the Commission were rather limited and it appears that at times it almost ceased to function. This may account for the fact that some of the streets of the Town as originally laid out have been encroached upon to such an extent by the abutting property owners. Dover Street, which was laid out at a uniform width, is one example. Magazine Alley originally provided vehicular passage but has now become a narrow pedestrian walkway.

Prior to 1906, Easton was a village with unpaved streets, which had to be crossed at the corners where plank crossings were provided. Electricity for streets and homes has been provided since 1887. The electric service, however, was discontinued at midnight, causing late visitors to scurry home before the old carbon globes gradually died out as the Town Clock struck the hour of midnight. After midnight, the only lights about the Town were half a dozen gas jet lamps encased in square glass lanterns set on top of wooden poles.

In 1906 the Legislature authorized a new Charter setting up the Mayor and Council form of government. Martin M. Higgins was elected as the first Mayor and served for six years, or a total of three terms.

Under Mayor Higgins, Easton developed rapidly into a modern municipality. In 1911, Easton was a pioneer in Maryland in constructing a complete municipal sewerage system. In 1912 the main residential and business streets were paved. In 1914 the Town purchased and began operation of a municipal water system, and in the same year commenced the operation of a municipal electric plant. In 1922 the Town purchased and commenced operating a local gas plant. Since that time, it has been one of the few municipalities in the United States which owns and operates all of the public utilities: electric, gas, water and sewer, and more recently, cable television.

Planning in the Town of Easton has a relatively long history for a community of its size. The first meeting of the Easton Planning and Zoning Commission was held October 18, 1946. The purpose of this meeting was to hear from members of the Maryland Department of State Planning and the St. Mary's County Planning and Zoning Commission about the steps necessary to establish and empower a Planning and Zoning Commission in Easton. This was later done by Charter Ordinance approved December 17, 1946. The original members of the Easton Planning and Zoning Commission were Louis S. Welty, Chairman, Calvin Skinner, Vice-Chairman, Robert Johnston, William C. Meintzer, and W. H. Corkoran, Jr.

The first Subdivision Regulations were adopted in 1947; the first part of the first Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 1950, and the original Easton Zoning Ordinance was adopted in 1953. More recently the Town has been much more active in land use planning, both in terms of long-range comprehensive planning and day-to-day planning activities. This is evidenced by the hiring of a professional Planner in 1988, recent revisions to the Town's Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Regulations, and the adoption of a Critical Areas Program and Forest Conservation Ordinance. This current update of the Comprehensive Development Plan is the latest undertaking in what has become a nearly continuous effort to assess and revise the Town's development-related regulations.

When planning for Easton's future, the location of the Town and the interdependence of the Town with other geographic and economic regions is of prime importance. The future population and economic vitality of Easton is determined, not only by local activities, but also by activities in the larger region of which Easton is a part. To this extent, it is essential to relate the Town of Easton to Talbot County, the Eastern Shore, the Delmarva Peninsula, and larger metropolitan areas within close proximity.

Easton, the County seat, is situated in the central portion of Talbot County. The Town is located near the headwaters of the Tred Avon River, which provides access to the Chesapeake Bay. In 1990, the Town was the third largest municipality on the Eastern Shore with a population of 9,372 inhabitants. 1996 population is estimated to be 10,612 (1/1/96 estimate). In 1990 the Town contained 30.7% of the County's population. Easton remains the market and service center of the central portion of Maryland's Eastern Shore. Easton is located adjacent to U.S. Route 50 which provides excellent access to many other major highways. U.S. Route 50 is a major route connecting the Baltimore/Washington metropolitan area to the coastal resort of Ocean City on Maryland's lower shore. The Town is home to a regional municipal airport.

Talbot County, in the central portion of the Eastern Shore, is characterized by gently rolling land areas virtually surrounded by the Chesapeake Bay and four of its major tributaries. Talbot County contains over 600 miles of waterfront. Its land and adjacent waters support agriculture and seafood processing activities which have historically formed a substantial portion of the County's economic base. Development in recent years reflects diversification of this base economy to include a broader manufacturing, service, and tourism economy. Over 75% of the 279 square miles of County land is arable. In 1990, 30,549 people lived in the County, an increase of 19% over 1980. This was a substantial increase in the rate of growth of the 70's when the population expanded by 8%.

The Eastern Shore of Maryland contains nine counties with a 1990 population of 343,769. This represents an increase of 16% over the 1980 population. An abundance of fresh water and favorable soil characteristics enhance the Eastern Shore's value for agricultural purposes. Industrial activity in the region has historically been related primarily to agricultural activities and processing of seafood taken from the numerous waterways. However, since 1970, several industries have located on the Shore which are not reliant upon food products. These include manufacturing, electronics assembly and commercial services, resulting in significant industrial diversification.

"Delmarva" is a term which describes the 6,057 square mile peninsula encompassing nine Maryland counties, most of the State of Delaware and two Virginia Counties. Fifty-five percent of the land area and roughly 1/3 of the population of the Delmarva Peninsula is in Maryland. The peninsula is bounded by the Chesapeake Bay on the west and south, and the Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean on the east. The peninsula lies almost entirely within the Atlantic coastal Plain region. According to the 1980 Census, Delmarva had a population of 849,000 people with a population density of 140 persons per square mile. Easton is located northwest of the geographical center of the peninsula.

Table 1 below lists the population of Easton, Talbot County, and the Eastern Shore since 1950. This table indicates Easton's continued significance as a population center in both Talbot County and the Eastern Shore.

Enjoying relative proximity to surrounding states, Easton is located approximately 20 miles from Delaware, 80 miles from Pennsylvania and 85 miles from Virginia. The Town enjoys excellent access to major metropolitan areas. From Easton, it is 59 miles to Baltimore, 62 miles to Washington, 85 miles to Wilmington and 114 miles to Philadelphia (See Map 1). The Capital's of five states are also located nearby. Easton lies only 37 miles (via highway) from Annapolis, 46 miles from Dover, Delaware, 174 from Richmond, Virginia, 127 miles from Trenton New Jersey, and 133 miles from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Thus five State Capitals and the nation's Capital are located within three hours driving time of Easton.

With today's modern highway facilities, distance ceases to be as important a consideration as travel time. Easton is within 1 1/2 hours of the sixth largest consumer market in the United States, the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area. Philadelphia and New York, two larger consumer markets, are 2-3 hours travel time from Easton, Within 350 miles of Easton live approximately 34% of the U.S. population and 40% of the U.S. industrial market. Thus, Easton is within three hours of the six largest consumer markets in the U.S.

Because of the natural attractiveness of its living and working environments, Easton will increasingly be considered as a possible relocation site for people and industries. As other areas become less attractive, the Easton area will be encouraged by outside influences to grow and develop. However, this is no guarantee that these people and jobs will ultimately locate in Easton. For example, a lack of adequately sized, sited, and zoned land can keep away potential new business or industries. It is the purpose of the Comprehensive Plan to provide the Town with a guide to organize its growth in a pattern and at a rate which can be accommodated within the human and fiscal resources of the Town.

POPULATION

Easton has experienced moderate but consistent population growth since its founding. In recent years the rate of growth has increased substantially. The major departure from this trend was in the decade from 1950-1960 when annexation accounted for an increase of 1,501 people. The following table reflects increases in population within the incorporated Town by number and percent from 1950 -1990.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Census

From the 1940's to the 1960's Easton attracted people from outlying Talbot County areas. Historically in Talbot County, Easton has grown while bayside towns and surrounding agricultural areas have lost population. In the latter 60's and 70's, however, the Town's growth slowed in relation to neighboring sections. In 1960, the Town of Easton comprised 62.6% of all residents of Talbot County Election District #1 but by 1970, decreased slightly to 61.0% of the district. In 1980 the Town comprised 61.9% of all residents in the first election district. By 1990 the figure was 60.6%. These figures, coupled with those previously mentioned concerning Easton's growth as a percentage of Talbot County's total population, indicate that both Easton and it's immediate environs continue to serve as the County's major growth center.

The racial composition of the Town's population appears to be stabilizing. The non-white population represented 28% of the total population in 1980. This represented a 4.1% increase during the 1970 - 1980 period. However, during the 1980's this figure stabilized as the 1990 Census indicated that once again the non-white population comprised 28% of Easton's total.

The age composition of the population is changing. Table 3, located on the following page, Age Distribution shows the patterns of age distribution from 1960 to 1990. Both the number and percentage of children under 5 declined from 1960 to 1980, while the number and percentage of young adults, especially those between 15 and 24 years of age, increased. During the 1980's, this trend reversed. Adults between 30 and 44 declined in both number and percentage from 1960 to 1980, however, this age group increased during the 1980's. The increase during the 1980's in the under 9 age groups and the 25 to 44 age groups seems to suggest that much of the growth during the decade was fueled by young adults, with their families, moving into the area.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Census

Changes in the general age distribution for local residents results in a complex series of demands on the level of local services. The increase in the number of adults reflects a larger number of people available for the labor market. When older populations increase, medical facilities and convenience services normally reflect a corresponding increase, as evidenced by the Hospital expansion and development of related services along Dutchman's Lane and Idlewilde Avenue in the recent decade. As the characteristics of the population change, so must the direction of community services.

POPULATION PROJECTIONS

The 1989 Comprehensive Development Plan offered three alternate population projections through the year 2010. These are shown in the table below.

¹ Low: 1.7% average annual increase

² Medium: 4.4% average increase in growth per decade

³ High: 3% average annual increase

Source: Redman/Johnston Associates from 1989 Comprehensive Development Plan

As we now know, the actual 1990 population was close to, but slightly greater than, the High Projection from the 1989 Plan. Thus some adjustments to these projections are necessary. The following projections are presented as possible scenarios of future population.

¹Low: Component Method

²Medium: Regression Method

             ³High:   3% average annual increase

Table 5 illustrates the comparison between the low, medium and high population projections for the Town of Easton. While actual population growth is anticipated to fall within the range of projections presented, it is impractical to make a single accurate projection for any given year. The Plan recognizes that many factors outside of the Town's influence will affect Easton's rate of growth, including national and regional economic growth, population migration, and the growth policies of neighboring jurisdictions. The Town will, to a large extent, have substantial influence over the level of population growth through the policies adopted in this Plan. Major forces currently driving the Town's growth are continually increasing in-migration patterns and a higher birth rate caused by a larger component of the Town population falling within the child bearing ages.

The low projection in Table 5 above is based on population projections for the County. It assumes that Easton's population will increase as a percentage of the total Talbot County population at a rate of 2.5% per decade. This seems appropriate considering (1) that the average increase in this percentage over the past four decades has been 1.9% and (2) the new State-level emphasis on channeling growth to Towns and away from rural areas. The medium projection is based on linear regression using the Town's population since 1930 to determine the trend line. Finally, the high projection is based on 3% annual average growth as was the high projection in the 1989 Plan. This projection is based on recent data from the Easton Utilities Commission.

INCOME

Income statistics present an overall view of the community's economic health. Without a suitable distribution of income, many facets of the Town's economy are restricted because local residents can not provide for their own needs in the private market.

Extreme income groups, upper and lower, demand different and sometimes conflicting types of housing, retailing needs and community services. The high income groups demand a more expensive life style than the low income groups are able to afford. Lower income groups are less able to provide for their own needs and in turn look to governmental agencies for community services. Both categories are significantly large in Easton indicating that the diverse needs of each group will need to be considered.

The 1990 Census indicates that incomes rose significantly in Easton during the 1980's. According to the 1980 Census, there were 437 households, or 13.8% of total households within the Town, with incomes less than $5,000 in 1979 and another 19.3% with incomes between $5,000 and $9,999. By 1989, the corresponding figures were 8.7% making less than $5,000 and another 9.2% making between $5,000 and $9,999. Similarly the number of households with incomes above $50,000 exploded from 2.1% in 1979 to 19.3% in 1989 (See Table 6).

Still, while incomes continue to rise, inflation and adjustments to the definition of poverty, established by the Bureau of the Census, result in a large number and percentage of households within the Town which can be considered low and moderate income. Housing affordability continues to be a problem for families in these income groups. Other Census results describe an Easton that is not nearly as affluent as Talbot County or even the State as a whole. The 1990 Census indicates that per capita income in Maryland in 1989 was $17,730. Talbot County was actually wealthier than the State as a whole with a per capita income of $18,755. Easton’s 1989 per capita income was $14,517. Similarly, Easton displayed a much higher percentage of persons with income below the poverty level (12.5 %) then Talbot County (8.5%) or the State (8.3%).

Source: U.S. Bureau of Census