St. Leonard residents hear about future of town

Friday, June 13, 2008

But the most welcome piece of news may have been one that was not on the agenda: A promise from St. Leonard Vision Group President Tim Grover that after three years of meeting in the sweltering Chesapeake Marketplace auction house and struggling to be heard over industrial-size fans, the forum would be held in a cooler month next year.

The keynote speaker at the annual public forum hosted June 9 by the Vision Group was Charlie Ross, chairman of the Rural Maryland Council and a member of the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce.

Ross gave a presentation about the ‘‘Mountain Maryland Miracle,” which he said was a development strategy that enabled Garrett County to build its commercial base without sacrificing its rural character.

‘‘When we talk about change, we’re talking about keeping what’s best and adding what’s better,” Ross said. ‘‘I think that is extremely valid and we can think about that in a number of ways.”

Part of that vision, which Ross said could apply to St. Leonard as well, is attracting businesses.

‘‘One aspect we can all strive and work for is greater retail,” he said, adding that having businesses such as shoe stores nearby can make a big difference in the lives of residents. ‘‘These are including things a lot of people take for granted –– but not people in rural Maryland.”

Garrett County helped promote small business by turning a restored B&O Railroad station into a complex housing 50 small vendors, he said.

Ross also suggested that the town promote itself by focusing on its best points. ‘‘Every community has something to be proud of,” he said.

Rural towns can compete with large ones without becoming like them, he said.

‘‘How does a Mexican Chihuahua kill a Great Dane? It got stuck in its throat. No problem is so big that you can’t find a way to solve it,” Ross said.

The audience heard about development from many locals as well.

Jenny Plummer-Welker, rural planner with the county, urged residents to participate in the ongoing review of the St. Leonard Town Center Master Plan. Previous town improvements ‘‘come from the Master Plan, and now we have the roundabout, which has greatly increased traffic safety,” she said.

Currently, judging from survey responses from 24 residents, the concept of a ‘‘town square” including a mixture of commercial and residential use is favored, while the appearance of the town center is generally considered acceptable, she said.

Also, residents said they wanted to have a ‘‘village green” at the site of a derelict Sunoco Station, as well as more public parking, she said.

Planning Commission Administrator David Humphreys gave a brief overview of development projects requested by town center landowners, including a second entrance for the St. Leonard Volunteer Fire Department, the creation of a car wash at the FaStop and the expansion of Grover’s Child Care.

Grover said he had invited several local developers to talk about their plans, but only one, local businessman John Garofalo showed up. Garofalo described plans to create the St. Leonard Business Center, where small businesses could rent modest office space and share amenities like conference rooms.

As for the FaStop car wash being pursued by developer John Gott, Grover said, ‘‘... We want all of our business areas in use. I think we should welcome the car wash.”

At one point, resident Susan Clark piped up to ask if any progress was being made on the old Sunoco station. In response, Grover asked the audience to contact the Calvert County Board of County Commissioners to let its members know the town is united in wanting it for a village green.

‘‘What I’ve heard from the board of commissioners is we need to decide as a community where we want our village green,” he said, adding that the current Master Plan slates the green for the field behind Wemyss Liquors.

Former Vision Group President Andrea Clarke urged listeners to pursue the matter.