As someone concerned with the responsible development of Cecil County, I would like to voice my concerns about the proposed Chesapeake Club/Fairway Village development. While I understand that growth in our area is inevitable, I believe that the proposed concept plat, as is, will negatively impact our community. I would urge you to please consider the points before approving such a project. 

1. Traffic (a major contributor to overall concern) 

On the proposed plat, within a half-mile section of route 272 there are multiple access points that have or will contribute to major congestion and/or safety issues. A plan needs to be offered for Irishtown Road and Shady Beach Road that will promote safer access to 272. 
The purchase of 22 acres by the County for new schools on Irishtown Road is also a contributing issue as is the number of new houses built since the original subdivision was recorded. The infilling of homes in older subdivisions has added to traffic that historically was not present. Elk Neck State Park has also expanded over the years and is heavily used. Not only will there be an influx of new residents, but from staff and students for Cecil County Public School’s largest campus. Additionally, the Elementary school that services this area is currently over capacity with no immediate expansion plan.  
The Town of North East is a popular tourist destination due to its abundance of locally owned retail shops, restaurants, and marinas.  The only access point to our communities is often inundated with tourist traffic. The traffic is especially congested around the marina as both county residents and visitors alike haul their boats in and out of town, not even a mile away, from where these proposed developments will be.  This influx of housing units will most definitely negatively impact the traffic on Main Street North East and Mauldin Avenue, especially during peak seasons.
Adding the national average of 2.5 vehicles per household will add an estimated 1800 permanent vehicles to the existing traffic.
To date, there has been no traffic study for this development project, and the plat is based on the density survey data from the original creation date, 1987.
 

2. Infrastructure Concerns

There is great concern that our area’s infrastructure cannot handle such an influx of residents and development. 
Can our town waterworks handle this many new units and if expansion is needed what types of increases in fees will there be for existing residents?
Are the new schools being built going to be able to handle an even larger student body or will they quickly exceed capacity again? 
This proposed construction adds to an already growing Public Health Emergency in Cecil County.
Union Hospital is over capacity as the state of Maryland combats long Emergency Department wait times. Cecil County’s only hospital is already redirecting EMS services to Newark, Delaware, because it cannot sustain the capacity that Cecil County requires as it is. Adding 700 new homes that will most likely result in out of county residents moving in will only add to the issue.
Can our emergency services handle the extra residents safely? Currently the only fire station on the peninsula is not permanently staffed, which lowers the emergency response times in these neighborhoods.
 

3. Storm Water Management

There are major concerns about the storm water management during and after construction because our neighborhood already has sinkholes and major damage caused by runoff. **Our neighborhood recently had to contact the county because a sewer line had been exposed due to so much runoff, and some HOA organizations have had to call the State of Maryland to address these sinkhole concerns. 
Runoff from the construction has historically been ignored and has resulted in the degradation of the local creeks, streams, rivers, and other wetlands that ultimately feed into the Chesapeake Bay.

4. Home Values

The proposed 228 apartment units were not in the original plan and to place them in the middle of a single family area could impact values of adjacent homes and visually negate the scenic nature of Route 272 south of North East. Perhaps there is a better location in the overall site or should single-family uses be looked at.
 

As I mentioned previously, I am fully aware that expansion is inevitable, but I urge you to consider the concerns of the community. Our community is not wholly against development from occurring, as new development is often a sign of economic growth and provides a new tax base for the County. I also realize which has the potential to provide new amenities and services to the residents of Cecil County; however, I believe this concept plan is incomplete and it has a lot of issues that need to be addressed before it can move forward. This is a plan that was devised without any public input from the residents, who will be greatly impacted, and seemingly without any due diligence from the development company to ensure this project would negatively impact our community in the future. It is up to our elected officials to ensure that any new development that occurs in Cecil County is done for the benefit of County Residents, who live, work, and raise families in this community. North East is a gem and is valued for its quaintness by residents and tourists alike, please help us make this plan work for everyone.