Editorial

Winchester Star
May 17, 2006

On Monday, the Middletown Town Council made a strong stand against the O-N Minerals (Chemstone) application to rezone 639 acres from Rural Agricultural to Extractive Manufacturing. The resolution that was approved addresses the fact that the mining expansion is incompatible with Middletown’s comprehensive plan and would create an atmosphere that’s detrimental to the residents and business of the area.

I would like to commend the members of the Town Council for unanimously passing the resolution. After hearing the comments of the Town Council, it was clear that the facts had not been presented to them in the past. In fact, it was clear that Frederick County has approached members of the Town Council and expressed that they “want this.” That put the Town Council in an awkward position. Speaking to the fact that she believes that Frederick County will pass the rezoning request despite the opposition of the Town Council, Marty Ingram expressed her opinion that asking Frederick County to completely deny the application was futile.

The question that I raise is why would Frederick County want something that would arguably destroy a historic town, put a National Historic Park in jeopardy, and have such a negative effect on so many county residents and businesses? Could the members of the Frederick County Board of Supervisors already have their minds made up? Would they be willing to put the Town of Middletown and the residents of Frederick County at risk to allow for a quarrying operation (which offers little economic benefit to the county) to expand? Could the Frederick County Sanitation Authority’s interest in the water rights on the property be part of a makeshift plan or “Band-Aid” that would temporarily relieve some of the pressure regarding the county’s water supply issues that seem borderline catastrophic? I certainly hope not.

The miniscule amount of economic growth the quarry expansion will bring to the county will not outweigh the negative effects it would have on other businesses and tax paying citizens. And, by disguising a venture to secure a more plentiful water supply as a strip mining operation, elected officials are not being up front with the people who put them in office in the first place. This “Band-Aid” is not the right way to go about securing more water.

Hopefully, the answers to these questions will be a resounding “NO.” The application conflicts with Frederick County’s comprehensive plan as much as it does with Middletown’s. Hopefully the Frederick County Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors will follow the lead of the Middletown Town Council and stand up for the overall well being of the members of this community.

Jennifer Koller
Middletown