Middletown, Del. is a mess, dominated by strip shopping centers, housing developments, medical facilities—and monstrous warehouses and distribution centers owned, for example, by Amazon. Once rich farmland is covered by impervious structures.
Progress? We consumers benefit from next-day delivery. We are happy. We care little about the impact of these highly visible buildings on the environment. We want what we buy online as soon as possible.
Kent County, Md., a lovely agricultural jurisdiction, may be the next victim of this peculiar form of commercial growth. Height and setback restrictions might suffer from the rush to feed the beast and deface the environment.
As a 44-year resident of Easton and Talbot County, I often marveled at Kent County ‘s uncanny ability to oppose successfully big box stores and huge wind turbines. Its fruitful stubbornness characterized this rural county, the least populated in Maryland. It refused to scar its beauty despite financial temptation.
Criticism of its anti-development isolation has seemed irrelevant to its outspoken residents.
Pressure will build quickly for county leaders and planners to approve huge distribution centers and warehouses. Accusations of blatant parochialism will abound. Loss of potential tax income and employment will mark the proponents’ arguments during public hearings.
Last summer, my wife and I visited the scenic Poconos in Pennsylvania. The rural ambience was infectious. Tree cover, pristine streams and clean air characterized the landscape. Then, we saw extremely large structures that served one purpose: logistical aids in the form of distribution centers and warehouses. Trucks and traffic would follow, as would a preponderance of impervious surfaces.
The future seemed settled in the popular Poconos.
Depressed areas, such as Hazelton, Pa., once dependent on coal, might benefit from increased employment opportunities. The implied bargain between progress and economic development and environmental sustainability would likely and regrettably tilt toward financial gain.
In adjacent Lehigh Valley, recent years have seen the construction of 29 million square feet and addition of 30,000 jobs. Discontent over the loss of farmland, impact on lakes and rivers and general appearance of huge warehouses for local manufacturers and monstrous distribution centers has proved powerless.
Its proximity to New York City and the growth of e-commerce have enhanced economic development in the Lehigh Valley cities of Bethlehem, Allentown and Easton. A pro-business culture contributes to the growth of warehouses and distribution centers.
My concern is simple: where is the balance between economic development and farmland preservation?
Where is the breaking point? I trust that question is foremost in the minds of Kent County decision-makers.
I support the opponents of the monstrous structures that will destroy the agricultural beauty of Kent County with its rich, fertile land. Discussion must be vibrant. Industry representatives must understand—perhaps counterintuitively—the inherent damage that surely will occur and try to minimize it with structures that fit the scale of a lovely county that has escaped so far woeful urbanization.
Kent County residents are well aware of the uncontrolled growth so prevalent in Middleton, Del. Its ugliness is inescapable. It is a role model for chaotic development and a distressing quality of life.
Columnist Howard Freedlander retired in 2011 as Deputy State Treasurer of the State of Maryland. Previously, he was the executive officer of the Maryland National Guard. He also served as community editor for Chesapeake Publishing, lastly at the Queen Anne’s Record-Observer. After 44 years in Easton, Howard and his wife, Liz, moved in November 2020 to Annapolis, where they live with Toby, a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel who has no regal bearing, just a mellow, enticing disposition.
Diane Shields says
I am a retired Soil Scientist from USDA/Natural Resources Conservation Service. I spent many years on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, and the counties of Delaware.
I saw these soils very close up and personal – in 6 foot deep soil pits, deep auger examinations. I can tell you that they are some of the most productive and Prime Farmland Class soils in the US (with the possible exclusion of the Midwest soils).
It breaks my heart every time I travel past Middletown, DE – to visit my daughter and grandchildren in Wilmington, DE, when I see the destruction of these soils – never to be recovered!
I am sorry to say but I am crying as I write these words! This is the future of my grandchildren.
I think I need to write some letters!!
Barry Dirkin says
Mmmm…. where to begin.
I agree and disagree with you.
Like you I enjoy the mostly rural, if not idyllic, landscape of Kent County. But I don’t marvel at Kent County’s seemingly uncanny ability to successfully oppose big box store, warehouse, etc. development. I seriously doubt that Kent County has had to defend itself against swarms of developers piled up at its doorstep. Yes, the County successfully defeated the wind turbine initiative. As for other types of large scale development, while they may have been proposed from time to time, you need only to look at the County’s demographics and, as important, geography to understand why developers don’t aggressively pursue them with deep pockets lined with armies of attorneys and engineering consultants. The county has but a few towns with concentrated development- Chestertown, Rock Hall and to a lesser extent Betterton, Fairlee, Worton and Galena. Separating these towns are miles and miles of beautiful agricultural lands. And here’s where geography comes into play… Kent County is effectively a peninsula and none of these towns (with the possible exception of Galena) are located on, or adjacent to, a major commuter corridor. Essentially visitors that travel into Kent County aren’t coming here because these towns look like nice places to stop as they travel on their way to other destinations. Visitors/tourists coming into Kent County have to go out of their way to travel into Kent County. They have to actually want to visit the county.
Now let’s say that you’re the CEO of a big box store or warehouse corporation. Ask yourself, given the demographics and geography of Kent County would you lean towards investing millions in developing in an area that that will ultimately cost more for engineering, development, transportation, etc. and in the long term adversely impacting your profit margin? While your heart may say yes, your accountant and wallet will say no. The County Commissioners won’t have much to say or do when there’s less development potential. This said, I, for one, am very happy that there is significantly less development pressure in Kent County than in the surrounding counties.
As for farmland preservation, it is indeed a great way to deed restrict farmland in perpetuity against development pressure but it also provides farmers a financial boost. Farmers put much of their annual earnings straight back into their farms for upkeep, maintenance and improvements. Their farms are their retirement nest eggs. Farmland preservation is a way to supplement farmer’s in a way that IRA’s and pensions supplement other people. But, Farmland Preservation programs require funding from a dedicated tax which may be a hard sell in areas where there is less development pressure.
And this brings me to Middletown, Delaware. Do I like what has happened there in the last twenty-odd years? In a word… no. But I completely disagree with you that what has happened there is both “uncontrolled” and “chaotic.”
Middletown is aptly named. It lays smack dab in the epicenter of two major commuter routes – Rtes. 1 and 301. Middletown has a town engineer and planner and they are following their master plan adopted by resolution. They are developing commercial/retail along their major roadway corridors with their industrial located on the outskirts of town. Their residential development (both moderate and low income) is tucked just behind their commercial district with easy access to Rtes. 1 and 301. Again, it’s not terribly aesthetically pleasing, but it’s functional…. and quite far from uncontrolled and/or chaotic.
Mike Waal says
Mr. Freedlander writes a compelling narrative. But he lives in Annapolis. While I appreciate his point of view he doesn’t live here, and I presume he and his wife are not looking at a very minimum of a tripling, maybe a quintupling, of their real estate taxes in Anne Arundel County.
Oh. Wait. There’s lots of shopping in Annapolis, you can see it from Route 50. Those big box stores certainly help carry the load of revenue requirements for AA County!
Just to shed some light on what Kent Countians are looking at to fund JUST the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, better known as Kirwan, and expressing my own personal opinion and calculations; at the very minimum, because the forecasts for funding Kirwan have been grossly under estimated, based on a January 2022 Department of Legislative Services Fiscal Analysis, Kent County will need to generate at a minimum $43,700,000 in additional revenue JUST to fund Kirwan during its 10 year implementation period.
One cent of real estate tax equals just over $300,000 of revenue generation for KC.
Dividing $43,700,000 by $300,000 and we’re looking at an approximate real estate tax increase of $1.45/ $100 Assessment to generate the revenue required JUST to cover the cost Kirwan.
KC’s current r/e tax rate is $1.012.
$2.46 / $100 Assessment is what Kent Countians are looking at if the cost of Kirwan comes in at the January 2022 forecasted funding requirement, which it is not.
We already know for FY24 KCPS exceeded the DLS FY24 funding forecast by a factor of 2.7; $600,000 vs $1,600,000. If that 2.7 factor continues for the full 10 year implementation of Kirwan, KC will need to generate $118,000,000 of revenue JUST to fund Kirwan.
$118,000,000 / $300,000 = a real estate tax of $3.93 / $100 Assessment to generate JUST the revenue required to fund Kirwan. Now Kent Countians are looking at a potential r/e tax rate of almost $5 / $100 Assessment to fund everything within the KC budget.
KC has been behind the economic development 8-ball for decades. The need for ‘some’ economic development initiatives outweighs the need to conserve everything. The route 301 corridor is the perfect place for a little economic development that KC certainly requires. It will certainly not destroy the entirety of the agricultural beauty of KC.
Alan Boisvert says
What you say may be true but I bet Middletown residents can easily find medical care much more easily then those in Kent and Talbot. In addition, how many pounds of carbon are spewed into the air by Kent county residents making runs to Middletown for the basics given the lack of adequate grocery stores and big box stores in Kent. One needs to look at the issues from all sides. So tired of the anti-growth crowd on the shore. The same bitch about the lack of local medical care, a huge issue on the shore.
Chris Gordon says
Your comment about the shortage of health care here puzzles me. My wife and I had no trouble finding health care providers when we moved here five years ago. We’ve been completely satisfied with the health care, medical and dental, that we’ve received. When I did need an operation for which the hospital in Chestertown was not equipped, I went to Easton and received excellent care. I can’t imagine what would provoke me to drive to Middletown for health care.
And we do have adequate grocery stores here. Perhaps you could find lower prices in Middletown but not likely low enough to justify the drive.
As I said, your comments baffle me.
KD Spicer says
Thank you for pointing out this eyesore on the land . We have a beautiful piece of land known as the eastern shore. And yes , Middletown or better yet all of delaware is now a great example of what happens when development runs free . There isn’t much open space left in delaware. Let’s not destroy our beautiful eastern shore counties the same way.
terri smith says
I think it’s too late to stop things in Kent County, MD With the new warehouses & such that are being sold/leased on both sides of 301 in the Millington area. Having grown up in the Middletown area, I am always sad when I head to Middletown on 301. Once all farm land is now concrete & asphalt. And it just keeps on growing.
Gerry_levin says
I love Middletown!