Kudos to Sherry Greenfield for writing this text and the Carroll County Occasions for printing it.
What was not talked about, was the variety of involved residents from Carroll County who attended the assembly. The commissioners’ room was crammed to overflowing with residents who objected to the event of a “Neighborhood Photo voltaic Vitality Producing System,” which would seem of their backyards and on viable, invaluable and at the moment farmed land.
Kudos additionally to the newly elected commissioners who listened to their constituents, learn their passionate emails and letters that shared their emotions and tales. There are too many residents of Carroll County who stay in agricultural and residential neighborhoods; they have been born right here and can by no means depart. I usually meet individuals who say “I fished in your pond after I was little,” and now their youngsters are doing the identical. There are additionally many like me who moved right here 20 years in the past or so, seeking the agricultural ambiance and nation attraction. There is a motive why No. 1 business in Carroll County is agriculture. Do you know that fifty% of the county’s land is agricultural in use, with 708 farms? Do you know that Carroll County is the No. 1 in Maryland for Farmland Preservation acres?
On January 6, 2021, earlier than county commissioners adopted the modification to permit photo voltaic growth as much as 20 acres (Could 15, 2021), the Carroll County Farm Bureau wrote a letter to reinstate its coverage suggestions. This coverage was adopted by the farm bureau membership on the annul enterprise assembly in October 2020 and states that “After reviewing all the knowledge and after a lot dialogue, the legislative committee determined to submit a coverage advice towards any implementation of the group’s photo voltaic Ag soil, whether or not it is a residual Ag or not.” Take into consideration that for a minute, the group representing farmers and agriculture in Carroll County has opposed photo voltaic growth in communities zoned agricultural … and commissioners have beforehand ignored these suggestions.
Most residents and communities in Carroll County will not be against photo voltaic power era efforts. They oppose ground-mounted photo voltaic panels, institutional fencing, months of building of their yards. There are various legitimate causes. Place it on roofs, barn roofs, farmlands, industrial zones and industrial zones that don’t contact residential areas. So now it’s as much as the brand new commissioners to repair the errors of the previous commissioners. Please full “due diligence” in your analysis and outreach. Search for educated and skilled professionals within the subject of photo voltaic power who’re unbiased of their strategy.
Do not get caught by exterior forces from state mandates and stress from photo voltaic power firms to attain “inexperienced power” targets and initiatives. Search enter from communities and residents in your respective districts. They understand how they really feel and why. Talk with communities and social teams. Get feedback and emotions from everybody in Carroll County. Be clear in relating your plans, motives and proposals, earlier than subjecting them to additional modifications. Educate residents and teams. Use native newspapers, social media and civic teams. Carroll County residents are eager about what is going on of their neighborhood, particularly one thing that’s essential to them. Hopefully this may enhance their high quality of life.
On a private be aware, my life utterly modified when an indication appeared within the subject throughout from my 50-acre farm inviting me to attend a TRC assembly to debate Spring Valley Photo voltaic, on Could 23, 2022, eight months in the past. What sort of assembly? About what? Who Opinions Progress? None of us within the neighborhood knew something about photo voltaic. Please do not let this occur to any Carroll County resident once more.
“Neighborhood Photo voltaic Vitality Producing Techniques” doesn’t belong to residential areas or agricultural land.
Annette Fleishell, Sykesville
My spouse and I just lately moved to the county, and revel in your newspaper. Generally, I fear, although, concerning the manipulation and distortion of the information. The January 23 article titled “Home panel on China Stoking worry” is an efficient instance.
About 80% of the article objectively experiences on the Home Republican majority’s efforts to analyze China’s troubling financial competitors. The vast majority of Congress voted in favor of this newly created committee, by a vote of 365 to 65, however the adverse and alarming feedback of the Democratic opponents dominated the opening of the article and the important thing areas inside Rachel’s article. Oswald – together with the title, talked about above.
Hidden throughout the article was an announcement by the panel’s chairman, Mike Gallegher, a Marine veteran, who stated “[W]We should ensure that we’ve a distinction between the get together and the Chinese language individuals, who will not be at odds with us and who are sometimes the primary victims of the CCP’s aggression and repression.” No critical citizen would query or dispute the considerations of Democratic Reps. Grace Meng and Andy Kim, each Asian Individuals, however their statements didn’t say or indicate that any such vituperation was proposed by the committee – though the article definitely left that impression.
One wonders whether or not the reporter framed his article on this perverse manner, or whether or not the native editorials did it. Both manner, such distortions could cause the result the committee seeks to keep away from – and in addition trigger critical residents to query the accuracy and dedication to the reality that newspapers declare to champion.
I recognize the chance to voice my concern.
David Sampselle
