Today, Senate Minority Whip Steve Hershey (R-36-Upper Shore) testified before the Maryland Senate Finance committee as sponsor of Senate Bill 938. The proposed legislation would require formal approval by the Kent County Commissioners in order to locate a utility grade wind power project in the county. Hershey said, “When you sit down at the committee table and testify with the full Kent Commission, former Congressman Gilchrest, and the President of Washington College, it sends a powerful message to the committee. In addition, the committee noticed the presence of the close to 100 Kent residents in the gallery.”
Commenting on the impact citizen testimony had on the panel, the Upper Shore Senator said, “It was obvious the committee members empathized with Kent residents and their desire to keep the county both pristine and rural. Such testimony gave senators a better understanding of how Kent residents value the county’s landscape, and why they’d oppose such a project.”
Recognizing the typical public response to such projects, the Minority Whip emphasized, “Whenever a wind project, like Mills Branch, is announced there has been strong public opposition. An approval process that does not take more consideration of the local interest in the project must be flawed. These projects may be appropriate in the wide open spaces of Midwest states, but it clearly doesn’t fit in Kent County and certainly not with the approval of the local officials.”
As the session nears adjournment on Monday, April 13, Hershey charted the bill’s next challenge, “The next step is committee approval. I’ll continue to discuss the issue with committee members to ensure we have enough support to get it out of committee and onto the Senate floor.”
Among those testifying in favor of the bill were County Commissioners William Pickrum, Ron Fithian and William Short. In addition, former congressman Wayne Gilchrest, interim Washington College President Jay Griswold, former Maryland Farm Bureau President Pat Langenfelder, former Kent planning director Gail Owings, Kent Tourism Director Bernadette Bowman, Kent farmers Janet Christenson and Elizabeth Beckley offered support for the legislation.
From the offices of:
Steve Hershey
Maryland State Senate
Stephen Fisher says
It was brought to my attention this evening that Angelica Nurseries on Rt 444 south has applied for a building permit for their share of the proposed wind turbines. Is there a process in place to be able to protest this permit or does the counties height restriction precluded a need to protest?
joe diamond says
As I understand it the Planning & Zoning department examines the plans and makes a summary report to the appointed planning & zoning commission members. They hold a public meeting where input from interested parties is heard. Then they pass on their findings to the county commissioners for action.
The P&Z office is very professional and helpful with access to public records. Good luck with a protest of a building permit. You have to show there is some technical violation of existing code. That is the exact thing the Planning & Zoning office examines. Beyond that, consider legal advice or read the local code yourself.