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LNG letter MontBiCoCommtee DelDavisbill 2-06

Coalition for Smarter Growth
  Choices for our communities
  Choices for our region

 

Dear members of the Montgomery County Bi-County Committee
 
On behalf of the Coalition for Smarter Growth and our members, I am writing to urge your support for PG/MC 111-06, a bill that would ensure local control over utility location decisions.  The Coalition for Smarter Growth works to preserve our built and natural heritage, promote fairness for people of all backgrounds, fight for high-quality neighborhoods, expand choices in housing and transportation and improve poorly conceived development projects in the Metropolitan Washington Region.

Prince George’s County has proposed a bill that would require a supermajority vote to approve any special exceptions for utility locations. The Coalition for Smarter Growth supports this bill, PG/MC 111-06, recently passed by the Prince George’s County delegation.  We strongly urge -----------you the members of the Montgomery County Bi-County Committee to support and vote yes on PG/MC 111-06. 

Rubble landfills and liquefied natural gas storage facilities have significant impacts on nearby neighborhoods and the surrounding area where such facilities are located.  Due to this fact, it is important to carefully consider the location of these types of facilities. PG/MC 111-06 begins to addresses this issue by requiring a three-fourths vote to approve the locations of such facilities.  The Montgomery County standard of review for utility special exceptions is that a supermajority vote (4 of 5) is required from your Board of Appeals (who have the same role as the Prince George’s County District Council) to provide for the passage of a special exception.  In fact, any special exception, except a farm related one, requires a supermajority in Montgomery County. This bill would ensure that Prince George’s County officials have the same local control over land use decisions as exists in Montgomery County and provide Prince George’s residents with the same safeguards as Montgomery residents currently enjoy.

Again we urge you to vote yes for PG/MC 111-06.

Sincerely,
 

Laura Olsen
Assistant Director


 
   
   
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