Without a doubt the citizens of Kent County, and for that matter of Maryland, are in favor of any plan that provides potential improvements in education that allows for students: 1) to be fully prepared for the ‘real world’ after their education; and 2) to be ‘work-force competitive’ regionally, nationally, and globally.

That being said, taxpaying citizens want that plan to be within a reasonable and affordable financial budget.

High regard and appreciation is expressed to the Kirwan Commission for their valued effort in this multi-year, multi-million-dollar study, its final report and recommendations: The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, aka Kirwan.

The Kirwan Commission missed the point about being financially reasonable and affordable. Kirwan is turning out to be a very expensive unfunded mandate Legislated into being by the Maryland General Assembly in 2021.

Originally, back in late 2019, the announced price tag for The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future/Kirwan was just under an overwhelming $40Billion spread out over a 10-year implementation period. As a reference point only, with approximately 2.2 million Maryland households, that calculates to over $18,000/MD household.

Most are not familiar with the forecasted costs of Kirwan for Kent County; they were published in a January 2022 Fiscal Impact document by the Department of Legislative Services [DLS], link below.
https://dls.maryland.gov/pubs/prod/Educ/LocalFiscalImpactofImplementingtheBlueprintforMarylandsFuture.pdf

Throughout this document Kent County, one of the least wealthy counties in MD, consistently last or next to last is most wealth metrics, is specifically and frequently pointed out as a jurisdiction that would see significant financial impact implementing and funding Kirwan. Furthermore, reams of costly administrative red tape and compliance burdens are also generated by Kirwan’s Accountability and Implementation Plan reporting requirements.

The initial Department of Legislative Services [DLS] estimated funding forecast for Kent County, adding up on a By-Year basis the estimated ‘additional’ funding required for Kirwan from FY24 to FY34, is $43.7Million more than the amount of funding required without Kirwan. $43.7Million may not sound like much, but this is just for Kirwan. The County has a lot of other ever-increasing expenditures Kent County taxpayers have to pay for.

* For every $300,000 our Kent County requires in revenue to fund expenses and projects, the County needs $0.01 / $100 assessment in real estate tax rate.

* Taking literary license I round up that $43.7Million funding estimate to $45Million to make the math easy. Albeit, with significant realization, the DLS funding estimates are grossly underestimated, with real actual funding being anywhere from 3-to-6 times the DLS Jan 2022 estimates, across the state on a by-county basis. The DLS acknowledges funding estimates for Kirwan are a constantly moving target, affirming Kirwan will cost more, much more than originally forecasted.

* $45,000,000 / $300,000 = a real estate tax rate of $1.50 just to fund Kirwan implementation; albeit, to reiterate, which we now know is a gross underestimation.

* Add the above real estate tax rate of $1.50 just to fund Kirwan implementation to the current County real estate tax rate shown on your recently received real estate tax bill, $1.022, and the Kent County real estate tax rate for all expenses, including funding Kirwan implementation, goes up to $2.522 / $100 assessment.

* Financial impact of funding Kirwan implementation example #1; if your current 2024 r/e tax bill is, say, around $2,400/yr, and your family budgets $200/mo to pay it, in order for the County to fund Kirwan and all the other expenses the County needs money for, your r/e tax dollar amount will increase to around $6,000/yr, requiring your family to budget around $500/mo to pay it, a $300/mo increase.

* Financial impact of funding Kirwan implementation example #2; if your current 2024 r/e tax bill is, say, around $3,600/yr, and your family budgets $300/mo to pay it, in order for the County to fund Kirwan and all the other expenses the County needs money for, your r/e tax dollar amount will increase to around $9,000/yr, requiring your family to budget around $750/mo to pay it, a $450/mo increase.

* Financial impact of funding Kirwan implementation example #3; if your current 2024 r/e tax bill is, say, around $4,800/yr, and your family budgets $400/mo to pay it, in order for the County to fund Kirwan and all the other expenses the County needs money for, your r/e tax dollar amount will increase to around $12,000/yr, requiring your family to budget around $1,000/mo to pay it, a $600/mo increase.

And so on.

Kent County taxpayers are about to be financially blindsided.

Kent County continually discusses the need for affordable housing. Real estate taxes are part of a family’s budget plan; we are trying to entice young families to move-here, stay-here. Real estate tax increases to fund Kirwan will also bring crushing financial stress to not only the 12% of Kent County’s population that is under the poverty level, but also to the significant number of families living paycheck-to-paycheck.

Question: Who among us would decide to fully upgrade our homes without first and foremost, being prudent and practical people, establish a budget for how much we can afford, and how we are going to pay for it? No one! But that is exactly what the Kirwan Commission did.

Put succinctly The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future/Kirwan, while a great education program, is a monetary monstrosity that is prohibitively expensive and unsustainable not only for Kent County but Statewide.

Asking our Annapolis leadership, Governor Moore, Senate President Ferguson, and Speaker of the House Delegate Jones, to temporarily pause the implementation of Kirwan to review its costs and financial impact, and adjust accordingly to make it affordable to fund, is a reasonable request.

Mike Waal
Chestertown

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R, AL) has made a mockery of the U.S. Senate’s role to advise and consent. He is single-handedly blocking the approval of the promotion of approximately 250 officers, including the appointment of the first woman to be superintendent of the Naval Academy.

A former college football coach, he left his common sense on the gridiron.

Tuberville is seeking deletion in the Defense Department funding bill of language granting commanding officers authority to provide transportation and leave for those seeking an abortion, particularly if they are based in a state that prohibits or restricts abortions.

So much for humanity.

So much for protecting the military from the detrimental impact of the culture wars.

So much for intruding on our nation’s military prerogatives.

Am I angry? Damn right I am.

Is Tuberville abusing his ability to create a logjam? Again the answer is a yes.

I have written before of my respect for our Armed Forces. My concern for the appropriate use of our defense forces is unshakeable. My disdain for political interference is unquestionable.

If Tuberville is making political points at home at the sacrifice of our people in uniform, shame on him. Family plans for new schools and housing are in limbo. Spouses might advocate for retirement or resignation.

 Uncertain leadership changes can affect readiness.

Tuberville is exercising power because he can, not because he should. His actions are reckless and “dangerous,” as characterized by President Biden. The former coach seems oblivious.

Many declaim the lack of public respect for once-revered institutions. Ill-advised actions by irresponsible federal legislators add to disenchantment.

Wake up, Coach Tuberville, and sense the need to support, not suppress the promotion of key officers.

Howard Freedlander
Annapolis

Kent County’s elected officials are betting on growth to solve the monumental financial obligations they face. However, upon examining the circumstances that have led to the convergence of numerous neglected infrastructure projects – schools, roads, detention center, and courthouse – it becomes evident that the development of warehousing and other projects along the 301 corridor is a continuation of a Ponzi Scheme.

The county is banking on new revenues from the Everton Distribution Project as well as other 301 corridor developments to offset current obligations and Kirwin. However, the Cost of Community Services Study (COCS) conducted by the American Farmland Trust shows that for every dollar received from industrial/commercial developments, $0.64 is needed to maintain county services. This amounts to only about one-third of expected property tax revenues being free of encumbrance. However, the county will allocate all revenue from these new development to existing obligations without considering the long-term costs of the deferred maintenance and COCS they have just obligated themselves to.

Ironically, any future development, such as restaurants, convenience stores, or gas stations, would be delayed due to the lack of necessary sewer allocations, Equivalent Dwelling Units (EDU), from Millington’s wastewater treatment plant. The proposed warehouse project is likely to utilize any remaining capacity. Consequently, new development would have to be postponed until a new proposed wastewater treatment facility is constructed, along with the necessary water and sewer delivery infrastructure. This new plant will create debt and future maintenance liabilities.

Unfortunately, we do not know the actual financial impacts of mega-sized projects or how they compare to the benefits of other types of development because our officials have not undertaken any thorough economic analysis.

Lest we forget, there have been no thoughtful discussions at the governance level of the cost associated with environmental harms, specifically addressed in our Comprehensive Plan, associated with the proliferation of steel, concrete, and asphalt, as well as the pollution from exhaust fumes emitted by trucks and cars. These have costs that are being ignored despite their negative impacts on the quality of life in Kent County.

It is easy for those residents and their governing bodies in Rock Hall, Galena, and Chestertown to voice support since they will not be impacted by the activity, traffic, and pollution that would degrade their quality of life. It is Millington’s Town Council that understands that the text amendment being enacted to increase the height of industrial buildings by Kent County, on property that has already been agreed upon to be annexed, usurps their ability to guide development with building standards they believe best complement Millington’s residents. This is why they oppose the height text amendment. Furthermore, it is those who live in this sacrifice zone, masquerading as economic development for the county, who will lose.

It is important to recognize that Ponzi Schemes are inherently precarious, challenging to sustain, and ultimately will impact everyone in some way or another.

Janet Christensen-Lewis
Kent County

No one is questioning the need to replace the White Marsh Elementary School roof.  However, the timing and execution of this summer’s replacement project destroyed a colony of Least Terns, a migratory species designated as Threatened by Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources and protected by the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1916.

Least Terns have nested on the school’s roof in recent years.  The school’s flat roof, covered with gravel and small rock, is perfect habitat for the species.  Least Terns normally select open sandy or shell-covered beaches and islands on coastlines or rivers to build its nests.  Most of these sites have disappeared during the last century due to coastal development and the construction of dams on interior rivers.  As a result, the Least Tern population has declined significantly over the last 50 years – the North America Breeding Bird Survey estimates an 87 percent decline in their numbers since 1966.  This makes the protection of colonies even more important as a means of conserving this species.

The rooftop colony of Least Terns would be a great story on how development, done right, can incorporate conservation to help offset the many other threats leading to species decline, with many scientists estimating that over 1 million plant and animal species are on track to go extinct during the next century unless we take action to reverse this trend.  Unfortunately, that story is on hold due to missteps by the Talbot County School District in replacing the roof.

In early June, shortly after the last day of school, the School District initiated the roof replacement project.  Apparently, no one at the school nor the facilities manager for the School District bothered to check the roof ahead of time, nor noticed the dozens of Least Terns flying back and forth onto the roof, so they were unaware of the nesting colony of Least Terns.  They were also unaware that the species, like over one thousand other bird species, were protected by the Migratory Birds Treaty Act of 1918.  This act, among other things, prohibits destroying nests, taking eggs, or killing birds without appropriate permits or licenses.

Two DNR wildlife biologists became aware of the project on June 13 and visited the site the following day.  When they arrived, they met with a school administrator and the roofing contract manager, who claimed not to be aware of the Least Terns, the nests, or the Federal law protecting them.  At that time, most of the old roof had been removed and discarded.  While several workers had found eggs on the roof and placed them in a box in a well-intentioned but futile attempt to keep them out of harm’s way.  Of course, since the adults were not able to continue incubating the eggs, they would not be able to develop and hatch.  The biologists estimated that between 20 to 30 nests were lost because of the project.  They also found a few chicks that recently hatched.  The biologists asked that the work near these chicks be suspended for a couple of weeks to allow them to fledge from the roof.  Whether and how the school complied with this request is unclear, as is the question of whether any of the chicks survived.

It is important to note that migratory species protections would not have prevented the roof replacement.  Instead, these protections, if followed, would have required the school to work with the appropriate wildlife authorities to implement the project in a way that would have protected the Least Tern nests, such as altering the timing of the work or taking other steps to mitigate any impacts.  Unfortunately, once DNR became aware, the damage was already done.

Now two questions remain.  First, will the Least Terns return next year?  Fortunately, the new roof will look a lot like the old, with gravel and rock strata on a flat surface.  So maybe this be enough to attract the terns to return next year or so and continue nesting there.  Or will this human disturbance cause them to abandon the site.  We will have to wait and see.

Second, what will the school district and those involved in the project do next?  The best thing they can do is demonstrate leadership by publicizing this experience as a way of teaching others about the importance of environmental education, and encouraging all to value nature and make the natural world a priority in everyday actions and decisions.  We can all take steps to help conserve, protect, and restore our natural resources, but only through greater awareness.  In the words of Baba Dioum, “In the end we will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we are taught.”

Hopefully the Least Terns will return next year, and we can welcome them back to our community after their long flight back from their South American wintering grounds.  If so, I’m hoping those from the school district will be among the first and loudest voices welcoming them, inspiring others to understand that the natural world is all around us.  Sometimes only a few feet above us.  All we need to do is look around and find ways to embrace conservation to make a meaningful difference.

Ron Ketter
Easton

Kent County has long been a model in planning and land use and our landscape and quality of life reflects those wise and educated decisions. On Tuesday, June 13 at 10 am, the County Commissioners will hold a hearing on a Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) to raise the height of buildings in the 301 corridor that could flush all that good work down the drain.

What has yet to be determined is why the County Commissioners put forth this piecemeal change in the first place. Mr. Fithian proclaimed during his campaign that “good things are coming to Millington that I think you will all like.” However, the town of Millington submitted a letter to the Planning Commission opposing the height increase in the 301 corridor.

There is no actual project that would show what this 60” structure would look like or contain. Also missing is a traffic study because you cannot conduct a traffic study without a site plan and you cannot have a site plan without a project.

The Planning Director determined that the ZTA complied with the Comprehensive Plan because it was Economic Development. However, he neglected to consider the equally important priorities of quality of life of the citizens, protecting the 301 corridor as a gateway to Kent County and ensuring that new development enhances the designated growth area’s character and responsible stewardship of our lands and waters. In fact, the Comprehensive Plan specifically states that “Improvements to US 301 place the County in a perilous position that is detrimental to the County’s Vision.”

The Planning Commission after much discussion about the process of making this change via a text amendment rather than through the ongoing Comprehensive Rezoning process, voted 5 to 1 to give an unfavorable recommendation to the  County Commissioners.

It is clear that special treatment is being given to one individual, Russ Richardson, who owns the only property that could benefit from this height increase. The ZTA will effectively supersede the Comprehensive Plan and any critical oversight of future and as of now, speculative development. It looks like the County has designed a sweetheart deal for Mr. Richardson after he ran into opposition from the town of Millington.

The only chance we have to stop this catastrophic precedent setting and meritless ZTA is to SHOW UP at the hearing on June 13 at 10 am. There is absolutely no reason to supersede our zoning process and open the floodgates to unmitigated development. Rather, we should encourage our County Commissioners to take the time we have and invest in thoroughly researching the impacts warehouse development has had on communities that have allowed their proliferation.  What can be learned from their mistakes and how can we maximize revenue while minimizing long term liabilities such as traffic, pollution, blight and infrastructure costs? Ignorance is no protection from consequences.

Judy Gifford
Kennedyville

On June 13th at 10 AM, the Kent County Commissioners will be holding a hearing on a consequential zoning text amendment (ZTA). The proposed amendment aims to increase the height of industrial buildings in the 301 corridor to 60 feet within specific zoning districts. This will modify the existing land use ordinance to include this change. Text amendments bring about changes to provisions, regulations, or building standards within a zoning districts and they can have unintended consequences and unforeseen implications for the community.

A land use ordinance encompasses various elements of a zoning code, including defining zoning districts with specific regulations and guidelines governing land uses, density, building height, and setbacks. These regulations can either permit certain uses by right or as a special exception or conditional use requiring additional review thereby ensuring the proposal meets specific criteria that protects against negative impacts on neighboring properties or the community.

The proposed ZTA is a piecemeal approach to the land ordinance that calls for the allowed height of warehouses to be increased from 45 feet to 60 feet, by right, in what is being defined as the 301 corridor, an approximately 8.5-mile strip of land, 2 miles wide, 1 mile east and west of 301, from Cecil to Queen Anne’s County- an area of more than 16 sq. miles. This ZTA theoretically applies to all industrial buildings within this corridor on parcels currently zoned Commercial, Employment Center or Industrial.  

All parcels within the corridor that are currently zoned Industrial  or Employment Center, located to the north of the interchange in the Massey area, lack access to public water and sewer service, and there are no plans being considered by Kent County for providing those services.  Consequently, the number of properties capable of taking advantage of this proposed height increase is considerably narrowed. 

Inspection of the existing public facilities makes it evident that only a small number of parcels surrounding the 301 corridor at the 291 interchange can utilize this ZTA in the near term.  These are the properties that have or will have access  to public water and sewer with the current treatment plant in  Millington or the planned Millington wastewater treatment facility, projected to be complete in a 2 or 3-year time period, that is necessary for the development of industrial structures. 

Furthermore, the smaller parcels in the area around the 291 interchange which are not owned by a single landholder are either already developed or lack the development envelopes required for constructing the intended form of distribution-style warehouses. 

Therefore, it is the approximately 400 acres of land owned by Mr. Russ Richardson, through his LLCs in the area surrounding the interchange, that are advantaged by this amendment.  Article III §33 of the Maryland State Constitution prohibits the enactment of such special laws related to “particular persons or things of a class”. The provision was adopted to prevent influential individuals or entities from securing an undue advantage.

Upon review there are several observations about this ZTA that indicate it is problematic and a contravention of Maryland’s Special Law provision: (1) The narrowly focused ZTA permits a type of development at a scale previously not contemplated by our zoning ordinance, (2) The current land use ordinance is adequate to serve the public interest (3) The development zone in question can be developed without the need for this amendment and can be done in a way that protects the public interest more readily than the proposed ZTA (4) The ZTA has been arbitrarily constructed by narrowing the law to only apply to certain properties in one specific geographical location, (5) This has been further constricted by the required access to public water and sewer services, 6) In practice the ZTA advantages goes to the chief proponent of the height increase who will gain the most from the passage, and (7) Kent County is in the process of a comprehensive rezoning where such changes to the land use ordinance could be holistically reviewed.  

The question of industrial building heights should be examined by incorporating it into the Commissioners’ current comprehensive rezoning process where its impacts relative to other zoning changes could be contemplated appropriately, thereby avoiding the legal question of special laws.  It is not just the narrow construction of this ZTA that is problematic, but also its procedural posture that makes it obvious that it was designed to benefit one person’s business pursuits.

The Kent County Planning Commission has provided an unfavorable recommendation for the amendment. A prudent course of action for the Kent County Commissioners would be instruct the Planning Department Staff to  assess the height issue within the framework of the comprehensive rezoning process rather than a single amendment to the current land use ordinance. This would ensure a thorough evaluation of the impacts and prevent any potential violation of Maryland’s Constitution.

Janet Christensen-Lewis is Chair of the Board of Directors of Kent Conservation and Preservation Alliance.  KCPA recently premiered the Documentary Kent County’s Storied Landscape; Place, Past & Present produced by MPT.  Available on demand on PBS.Org

This proposal under review is very concerning to this former Kent County resident. Eighteen years ago I left Chestertown to move to the beautiful Lehigh Valley in Southeastern Pennsylvania. I enjoyed the Valley’s rolling farm fields, historic buildings, sparkling creeks and rivers. I loved driving through the countryside then, but no more.

In the years since, the Valley has been overrun with enormous flat roofed warehouses. In the 1970’s Bethlehem, where we live, was facing economic catastrophe Bethlehem Steel closed its factories leaving thousands unemployed. Through the creativity and dedication of its citizens, the Valley has survived and grown. A few years later, though, when the warehouse developers came calling, the government was easily swayed by the promise of good jobs, a growing tax base that guaranteed increased prosperity and clean energy. Now we can see that none of these promises has really come true.

Instead, highways, the local and connector roads are crawling with trucks; they are now crumbling and dangerous. The jobs don’t provide a living wage and housing becomes unaffordable for these employees. Union protection for those holding “unskilled” jobs is poor. Bad things keep happening. For example, a local newspaper reported recently that an Amazon warehouse saved money on their HVAC systems by leaving out air conditioning. The out-of-state company realized that it was cheaper to negotiate a contract to keep an ambulance on site during the summer. When the overheated workers collapsed, they were simply carted off to the emergency room. Unbelievable.

As is so often the case, development breeds on itself. Even the bad stuff. Now, while new warehouses are going up, newly constructed ones are empty, with enormous signs advertising availability. Warehouses are becoming more and more automated, eliminating those promised good jobs. In the meantime, the Valley is experiencing a shortage of affordable housing. So much for the jobs, the economical development, the support for families. To be fair, something is increasing: pollution from all of those diesel truck, according to a study released last month. Run-off from all of those flat roofs and parking lots is growing too.

So what can Kent County learn from the Lehigh Valley? These facilities have little to offer the local economy or quality of life. In spite of the promises you are hearing, I encourage you to send them down the road and focus on what makes Kent County and its resources thrive. If you decide to accept them, please place strict restrictions on them. Find out what they precisely mean about their L.E.E.D. claims; insist that they power themselves with roof-mounted solar panels; keep the 45 foot height limit.

Marsha Fritz
Bethlehem PA

For those of us who were born here, left here, came back here, come here, still here, please read and get involved.

We all have in common our love for this county and its rural, agricultural, and water oriented nature with an abundance of wildlife. Its two rivers and the Chesapeake Bay form almost an island with route 301 on its Northeastern border. Traveling from the Chesapeake Bay through Queen Anne’s county via 301 to Cecil county or Middletown DE, it is the most green, undeveloped, and bucolic stretch of 301.

But that’s about to change.

A developer owns approximately 400 acres, mostly farmland, more with partners’ involvement, bordering route 301 and 291 on both the northeast and the northwest sides of 301.

On the northeast side, it includes a major expansion of Millington with hotels, shops, restaurants, new homes, medical facilities (an elementary school, upgraded water and sewer perhaps?) et cetera. This could be good for Millington, providing services, jobs and amenities to encourage families to come here/stay here.

However, on the northwest side, the FIRST to be developed, there are to be two warehouse distribution centers totaling 500,000 ft, each on separate 20 acre parcels bordering Mills Branch Creek (our back property line, along with 5 acres of wooded wetlands), which flows into the Chester River. The creek is bordered on each side by an important forested wildlife habitat.  Air, water, noise pollution and traffic are significant concerns.

According to the developer, the warehouses will be in full LEED compliance. How does this mesh with great numbers of tractor trailers (possibly 66 bays per warehouse), spewing diesel fumes and particulate matter in a sensitive area?

Currently, warehouse height is limited to 45′. LRK planners in Philadelphia has recommended the height be increased to 60′ “due to state of the art advancements in robotics and vertical storage capacity”. How does this mesh with jobs for people? What is the ratio of people to robots?

There is a meeting on May 4th with the Planning Commission  requesting a text amendment to raise the height of these warehouses from 45′ to 60′. This size and height  is way out of scale for both the size of the property and the nature of Kent County. The 291 overpass and each of the traffic circles and the service road parallel to 301 are not built to accommodate the increased truck traffic, creating significant safety issues. And, if approved, it will become precedent for another distribution center, possibly in the planning stage on the northeast side of 301 in the “mixed use” zoned area which includes warehouses. Once that “precedent” door opens, it will be hard to close it to further development of that type.

I am not opposed to development, but keep it controlled and in scale with the surrounding properties, the people who live here, the nature of Kent County and the environment.

If the above concerns you, please contact your County Commissioners and express your views. The meeting is 1:30 PM at 400 High street in Chestertown on Thursday May 4th and is open to the public.

Melinda Bookwalter
Kent County

On Saturday, March 25, 2023, together with the Board of Directors of the Kent Cultural Alliance, I happily called Leslie Prince Raimond and her family out of the crowd at 101 Spring Avenue so that she could, at long last, cut the ribbon to officially open the Vincent and Leslie Prince Raimond Cultural Center, home to the Kent Cultural Alliance.

So many people made the renovation of this historic, anchor building in Downtown Chestertown, the County Seat of Kent County, happen. From the extraordinary generosity of many individual donors, to the more than $1 million in capital grants from the State of Maryland, Stories of the Chesapeake, and Del. Jay Jacobs and Sen. Steve Hershey’s sponsorship of a General Assembly Bond Bill. We thanked our outstanding contractor, Osprey Custom Carpentry – owned and operated by Pete and Emily Battcock – who delivered a finished product that came in under budget. We thanked all of the artists, in all disciplines and across all ages who gave work/performances to this celebration. And of course, we thanked Leslie Prince Raimond and her late husband Vincent Raimond, for their legacy of support for and encouragement of the arts in Kent County these last 50 plus years.

Any event host’s greatest fear is leaving something or someone out. And I did just that. That person is Bob Ingersoll. Bob has, from my very first phone call to him in 2018, been right here, on site, at my side, guiding me and our team in the renovation of this space. Bob has crawled under, over and through this building countless times. His knowledge and his incredible generosity of time and resources, is truly unmatched. Bob has led the renovation projects not just for the Raimond Center, but also for Sumner Hall, Kent Attainable Housing, Sultana and many more. His contribution to this project was critical, and I must take this moment to share our gratitude with all of you.

Kent County is an amazing place to live, work, and create. KCA is so very excited for this next chapter. We of course look forward to welcoming you, the people of Kent County, into our space, and to coming to see you in your neighborhoods and communities across our area.

Thank you to everyone who helped us bring this dream to fruition. And special thanks to you Bob Ingersoll for all you have done for us and for the people of Kent!

John Schratwieser
Director, Kent Cultural Alliance