Hughesville, MD Real Estate

Plan to attend the Hughesville 10k Festival, September 6, 2008, presented by the Hughesville Running Club, a Road Runners Club of America affiliated, 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization.

We will have a 10k/5k and a kids 1k fun run. The kids fun run starts at 8:15am and the 10k/5k starts at 8:30am or immediately after the kids run. During the races and awards ceremony local radio personalities Heather and T-Bone from WSMD Star 98.3 FM will broadcast live 8-11am.

After the awards ceremony, the festival will kick into high gear. The cost of admission to the festival is a non-perishable, canned good to be donated to the Southern Maryland Food Bank.

The purpose of the event is to raise awareness of the Hughesville Revitalization Plan, showcase Hughesville businesses, and have county planning staff and small business development representatives on hand to discuss development and infill possibilities within the village core.

We'll have local businesses, crafters, artists, produce, Charles County planning staff and Commissioners, Maryland Delegates and special guests. Vendor and sponsor opportunities are available and can be requested by clicking here.

Austin Cody, a local up and coming music star, performs live from 12-3pm and interim music and announcements by D.J. Chris Productions.

This will be a great opportunity to bring the community together for a day to meet and enjoy the day with fellow neighbors and businesses. Any proceeds from the event will be donated to the Hughesville Volunteer Fire Department and the Hughesville Baseball Association.

There are two ways to register for the races. You can register and pay online at active.com (please note active.com has a processing fee) or offline by downloading and mailing in the registration form and payment. Each participant, regardless of the event selected, must complete a registration form and sign the waiver.

Click here to register and pay online.

Click here to download the registration form to mail-in form and payment.

Please note there is no online registration for the Kids Fun Run. You must download and mail in registration form.

Water stops and first aid stations are roughly every 2 miles or so. The 5k turn around is just past the entrance to Lake Jameson subdivision. The 10k turn around is just before Oliver's Shop Rd. Both routes are an out and back are scenic, rural and mostly flat.

Plan to come! We're looking forward to seeing you!

*Note the distance is in kilometers.*

While driving down Route 123 in McLean, VA this afternoon, I recognized a license plate I hadn't seen in awhile. It was none other than Cindy Jones, REBLOGER.

If I hadn't attended Pat Kennedy's little get together earlier this spring I never would have met Pat Kennedy, Cindy Jones, Brian Block, and others.

Yes Cindy, it was me beeping my horn and waving wildly. Not some road raged lunatic like you probably imagined!

In reference to the proposed rezoning request of 149+- acres known as the Jenkins Property, Public Hearing: Bill #2008-11 ZMA – Jenkins Property (Chaney), it is my opinion, the proposed rezoning will adversely influence living conditions and or property values at least within a 5 mile radius of the parcel; the proposed change will excessively increase traffic congestion or otherwise negatively affect public safety; the proposed change is speculative and does not have a valid and specific intent and purpose; there are substantial reasons why the property can be used in accordance with its existing zoning; there is convincing demonstration that all uses allowed under the current zoning would be appropriate in the neighborhood and that the character of the neighborhood will not be materially and adversely effected by denying the rezone.

However, the proposed rezoning will have a negative effect on the nature of the community, transitioning it from a residential support district; and inviting industrial operations in to what the County's Comprehensive Plan has previously seen fit to plan for the long range as residential support commercial.

The opinion of rezoning for mistake in original zoning and change in neighborhood character should be further backed by a demonstrated public need and documentation justifying the reason for rezoning. The examples should be clear and the evidence convincing. I agree with the Maryland Department of Planning and the general opinion the rezoned parcel would be unrelated and incompatible with adjacent parcels.

I don't think the case by Mr. Chaney has been made and I further believe if the rezone is approved, the decision by you will be capricious and arbitrary. "Change in neighborhood character" is not demonstrated by the introduction of a motorcycle dealership, as suggested by Mr. Chaney. That property was appropriately zoned and not an affront to the character of the neighborhood or the Hughesville Revitalization Plan that residents have come to rely on.

I am also concerned about unintended consequences. Considering Mr. Chaney's stated desires of subdividing and reselling parcels to fund "dreams" is commendable, but speculative at best. No one can control the Heavy Industrial market or any market for that matter or alter market forces. What if Mr. Chaney's stated desire and "dreams" aren't feasible? Short-sided decisions may cause unintended consequences of broad applications for specific solutions and will require the mitigation of environmental and social impact of the Heavy Industrial uses.

When considering and applying Maryland's four straightforward Smart Growth Goals in your decision making process the answer to Mr. Chaney is a reverberating No:

• Support existing communities by targeting resources to support development in areas where infrastructure exists.
• Save our most valuable natural resources before they are forever lost.
• Save taxpayers from the high cost of building infrastructure to serve development that has spread far from our traditional population centers.
• Provide Marylanders with a high quality of life, whether they choose to live in a rural community, suburb, small town, or city.

Applying the same four goals and considering the Heavy Industrial business cluster that already exists in the Billingsley Road Industrial corridor and your answer is clearly yes.

The rezoning is unsupported by any rational basis related to promotion of public health, safety, morals, or general welfare. Should the "dreams" of numerous residents to live in a peaceable community be pushed aside for gravel washing plants, aggregate plants, cement plants, machine repair shops, welding shops, bulk storage of petroleum and their byproducts, warehouses, operations involving manufacturing, processing, assembly, transportation and storage of heavy industrial materials and or equipment and the increased dust, pollutants and negative impact on traffic that they bring?

Furthermore, approval would single the parcel out for special or privileged treatment and may even be spot zoning. The approval would not be in the publics best interest and subjectively benefits Mr. Chaney. Additionally, the rezoning would carve an unrelated and incompatible island and would be inconsistent with the Hughesville Revitalization Plan, Charles County's Comprehensive Plan, the State's Smart Growth Initiative and sound planning principles.