KENT COUNTY, MARYLAND
COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S

PUBLIC HEARING - 2/15/2005

Public Hearing
Comprehensive Plan Amendment:
The Stories of the Chesapeake Heritage Area Management Plan

A Public Hearing was held on Tuesday, February 15, 2005, at 9:30 a.m., in the County Commissioners’ Hearing Room, County Government Center, Chestertown, Maryland for the purpose to receive comments on the proposed adoption of the Stories of the Chesapeake Heritage Area Management Plan as an appendix to the Comprehensive Plan.

County Commissioners Roy W. Crow, Scott D. Livie, and William W. Pickrum were in attendance as well as Susanne Hayman, County Administrator, Gail Owings, Director of Planning and Zoning, and approximately 3 interested persons and a member of the media.

This hearing was pursuant to Section 3.05, 3.06, 3.07, and 3.08 of Article 66-B of the Annotated Code of Maryland which enables the preparation and adoption of this amendment to the Comprehensive Plan of Kent County.

Notice of the public hearing was read into the record by Commissioner Pickrum.

At its January 6, 2005 meeting, the Planning Commission recommended amending the Kent County Comprehensive Plan by adding Appendix H, “Stories of the Chesapeake Heritage Area Plan”which is as follows:

The “Heritage Area and Tourism Areas” Act of 1996, Chapter 601 of the Laws of 1996 requires that each jurisdiction included in a certified heritage area amend its Comprehensive Plan to include by reference the management plan for the heritage area. The Maryland Heritage Area Authority certified with conditions the Stories of the Chesapeake Heritage Area, thereby recognizing heritage areas in Kent, Queen Anne’s, Talbot, and Caroline Counties and offering a mechanism for coordinated and enhanced heritage tourism in these counties. Therefore, Kent County recognizes and references The Stories of the Chesapeake Heritage Area Management Plan as a means for further opportunities for heritage tourism and economic development.

Commissioner Pickrum invited anyone to testify for or against the proposed amendment.

Alice McDowell, of South Kent Street, Chestertown, inquired as to a description of some of the projects of the Management Plan to which Mrs. Owings cited the following examples: tourism marketing brochures and cd’s; establishing good Gateways into the incorporated towns; mills in Kent County, Eastern Neck Island, an oral history and interpretation of Rock Hall heritage, and many others.

This hearing was taped for reference and adjourned at 9:55 a.m.

THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
OF KENT COUNTY, MARYLAND

Janice F. Fletcher
Executive Assistant

Approved:
William W. Pickrum, President