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Saint Mary’s County commissioner opposes property-use moratoriums, urges private recreation investment in north county
Summary
At a recent Saint Mary’s County commissioners meeting, a commissioner said they opposed moratoriums on property use and urged the county to encourage private businesses to bring more recreational options to the northern part of the county, while saying the county should not itself operate those facilities.
At a recent meeting of the Saint Mary’s County commissioners, a commissioner said they oppose moratoriums that would restrict how property owners use their land and urged the county to encourage private businesses to open recreational facilities in the northern part of the county.
“I too am … very sensitive when it comes to anybody telling me or anyone else what you can or can't do with your property,” the commissioner said. “I think people have the innate right to, if you want a piece of property and somebody wants to buy it or you want to sell it or you want to build something on it, you should be allowed to do so.”
The commissioner said they had discussed moratoriums and borrowed a phrase from Commissioner Hewitt, adding, “I am gonna steal that phrase from you, Commissioner Hewitt, to build a better mousetrap.” The remarks framed the county’s role as one of enabling private investment rather than restricting property transactions.
Turning to recreation, the commissioner said the county needs “more recreational activities in the northern part of the county” but cautioned that it is not the county government’s job to build and run such facilities. “We do need to find ways to encourage people to want to open a bowling alley or a miniature golf or whatever that is up there so people can have more recreational activities,” the commissioner said, and added agreement with Commissioner Alderson's earlier remarks.
The speaker also referenced local development projects when discussing private investment, saying they were “glad to see that we’re gonna be moving forward or not hindering the Shannon Farms development.” The comment indicates the speaker supports allowing that private development to proceed; the meeting transcript does not record any formal vote or directive tied to that remark.
The discussion consisted of statements of position and encouragement for private actors; the transcript does not record motions, votes, or formal staff directions on moratoriums or recreation policy. The commissioner closed by urging public participation in county events and forums so officials can learn about community needs: “If we don't know it's broken we can't help fix it,” they said.
No statutes, ordinances, motions, or formal actions were cited or adopted during the remarks recorded in the transcript.
