Council approves amended reclassification to add immediate sewer priority for property at 3965 Ocean Gateway after corrective amendment

Talbot County Council approved Resolution 377 to amend the county comprehensive water and sewer plan by reclassifying property at 3965 Ocean Gateway (Trapp), tax map 55 parcel 501, from unprogrammed to S‑1 immediate priority status. The resolution was amended to add a recital acknowledging that the property had already been connected and that the reclassification corrects a mapping error.

Ray Clark, county engineer, explained the action corrects a mapping error related to a property that had already been provided sewer service in 2021. The Public Works Advisory Board requested the clarifying recital, and staff explained the Planning Commission had considered the resolution and did not forward the added recital as a condition of its consistency recommendation but was not opposed.

One council member said they were not yet ready to support the resolution because the town attorney for Trapp had previously declined to certify whether an industrial discharge at the property was related to violations at a separate Trapp facility; that council member asked for a response from Trapp. A motion to table the resolution pending that response failed; the council then proceeded to vote on the resolution as amended and approved it by recorded vote.

The council’s action relabels the property to S‑1/W‑1 so sewer service availability is properly reflected in the county plan. The amendment does not change the substantive classification beyond adding the clarifying recital.