The Montgomery County Council delayed a Feb. 25th vote after completing a series of committee work sessions which led to a current proposal on the Ten Mile Creek Area Limited Master Plan Amendment that has mixed reviews from environmentalists, civic and business leaders. The plan scales back development to a 6% cap on impervious surfaces for a sensitive portion of the project, while allowing for 15% rates on other sections. Conservation Montgomery sent this letter to the County Council on Feb. 27th, which explains the need for full protection beyond the current Council proposal and the importance of robust mitigation measures.
"There is still time for residents of the county who care about clean drinking water,protecting the environment and sustaining livable communities in Montgomery County to contact elected officials with their concerns," said Diane Cameron, Audubon Naturalist Society Conservation Director and coordinator of the Save Ten Mile Creek Coalition.
Cameron noted that Save Ten Mile Creek Coalition leaders sincerely appreciate the hard work of the joint committee, which passed a compromise plan containing only about one-half the total pavement and asphalt recommended last October by the Planning Board. "We know they've put in a lot of time and effort on this as the single most important environmental issue they'll have in front of them this year."
Still, "the Council's work is not done," said Cameron, adding, "the journey to protect Ten Mile Creek is long, and there is more to do to protect this watershed. We've made that clear to the Council and the Administration. Along with imperviousness caps, the next step in this journey is to establish and enforce stringent criteria, to mitigate damage from the construction and development the Council is allowing in Ten Mile Creek: requirements to protect the smallest headwater streams and springs through mandatory forested buffers based on the science. The County must also protect steep slopes, enforce stormwater requirements that go beyond minimum standards, and require more acres in Ten Mile Creek to be reforested. Forests are the best filters for clean drinking water."
A list of the latest media coverage are linked below. To read Conservation Montgomery Vice Chair Ginny Barnes' op/ed column on the issue, read here.
The Council's schedule for this coming Tuesday, March 4th, regarding the Ten Mile Creek plan, is for two sessions, one in the morning at 9:45 am, and another session in the afternoon at 2 pm. The morning session is anticipated to be a work session to cover key details of the current proposal voted out of the Transportation, Environment and Infrastructure Committee and Committee on, while the afternoon session is the "straw vote" to see where Council members are with respect to the joint committee's recommended plan.
The 1994 Clarksburg Master Plan vision recognized the unique nature of Ten Mile Creek and provided a pause after Stages 1-3 triggers were met to revisit the Plan before finalizing it, and before allowing any further development to encroach on the pristine Ten Mile Creek watershed. The Save Ten Mile Creek Coalition, consisting of 30 environmental, civic and faith-based groups -- has garnered wide support for protecting Ten Mile Creek as the cleanest source of water to Little Seneca Reservoir, the region's close-by emergency drinking water supply in times of drought.
Before Tuesday, click here to find out how to contact Council Members and weigh in on this issue. Or simply e-mail them at County.Council@montgomerycountymd.gov
