Essentially the dispute is between the County Commissioners, who want to see this project happen, and environmentalists who claim the risk of damage to the Mattawoman Creek Watershed is too great.

The importance of this road cannot be understated.  Charles County is in a state of growth due to it’s proximity to Washington, D.C..  As Charles County grows, roadways become more congested, and alternative routes of transportation are necessary to support the residents of the county.  Adding the connector will also reduce traffic across Billingsley Road, which is quite possibly the deadliest road in the area!  From a safety standpoint, I find the road to be very important, but there’s much more than just road safety along a back road in Charles County.

Population will Continue to Grow

In addition, complaints have been made that the road is not “necessary” as congestion along Rt. 228 is not particularly heavy during rush hour.  The concern is that regardless of the final decision on the connector, long term plans in Charles County clearly show plans for further development that will go through whether this road is approved or not.  If the connector is denied, population will continue to grow, and accessibility to D.C. from Charles County will suffer.

Light Rail Isn’t Realistic

The common rebuttal to this is the option putting in some sort of light rail or commuter trains in from here to D.C.  Unfortunately, what nobody mentions when this idea is brought up is that Light Rail averaged $70 million PER MILE as of 2000.  Figure 18 miles of rail from DC to Waldorf, and you’re looking at $1.26 billion, for a total county population of less than 150,000 people.  I would dare anyone to prove that light rail to Southern Maryland would be at all economical.  It’s not, period.

Protecting The Watershed

Detractors also decry the future growth and development that would happen along the road if it were to be put in.  The fact is, much of the area surrounding the proposed path of this road is in a critical watershed area. Why in pete’s name would the county allow people to build homes in the watershed.  The solution sounds simple to me. Take the state maps of the Mattawoman Creek critical area, and prevent residential building permits from being approved there.  Oh, wait, that’s already happening!

Why This NEEDS To Be Built!

In my opinion, the County has no option in order to keep D.C. accessable to it’s residents.  Mass transit cannot be supported by the current population.  Roads are needed in order to ensure people can continue to make it to work on time.

The County has bent over backwards to minimize watershed impact, to the point where the traverse over the creek itself would actually REPLACE that section of Billingsley Road, and other green building methods have been discussed and agreed to in order to reduce impact on the watershed.  At what point are people finally going to accept that this project CAN be done in a way that is financially AND ecologically sound?

~Jonathan Benya- Realtor
Century 21 New Millennium
9405-A Chesapeake St
La Plata, MD 20646
301-609-9000 – office
301-653-8116 – cell

Charles County Real Estate Blog
SOMD Home Search
Southern Maryland Custom Homes & Land

Sensitive Subject

    Supporters claim it is a necessary project to support the growing region, mentioning concerns about safety on Billingsley Road (I agree, it’s unsafe), The need to relieve congestion (I agree, congestion is a problem in the area), and the necessity to support local growth.

    The opponents of the highway claim that it is going to be too damaging to the Mattawoman Creek Watershed (an environmental impact study, or EIS is needed), too expensive ($60 Million), and too frivolous (Is another road connecting 301 and 210 needed with 228 already built?).

    Both sides have valid points and concerns, and I went to this evenings meeting hoping to hear what everyone had to say and see the proposals in person. 

    Once the meeting was underway (an hour late due to the overwhelming turnout), speakers were limited to 3 minutes each, which is typical.  What wasn’t typical was the 350+ people in attendance and the 163 people that signed up to speak! 

Time To Go

    I mentioned that I walked out early, and here’s why:  While I understand that there are a lot of concerns on both sides of the debate, I felt as though the same arguments were simply being repeated over and over again.  I don’t want to minimize the importance of what people say and feel about the project, but attending the meeting made very apparent how the majority of those in attendance felt about the project.

Wrapping Up

    If you’re wondering where I stand on the highway, let me say this:  I don’t believe the case for the highway has been sufficiently proven.  At the same time, I do feel like there is a legitimate reason for the road to be built.

The question for me is this:  Do the costs and risks of building this road outweigh the benefits?  I think there needs to be more work done in order to establish that the road is the risk that people are making it out to be.

For me, I see it as a huge economic benefit to the county, particularly the western side of CC.

    It seemed clear the road is not yet acceptable to local residents.  In the next few days I will work to bring forward more of the details on what the good and bad points are on the possible Cross County Connector.

Link to More Photos:  Cross County Connector Meeting Photos

~Jonathan Benya
Century 21 New Millennium
9405-A Chesapeake St.
La Plata, MD 20646
301-653-8116
301-609-9000
http://www.teambenya.com