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Forum on landfill deal grows heated A recent forum meant to encourage debate over a controversial agreement to bring a landfill to a rural west county community turned hostile toward the officials who brokered the deal. The meeting about the proposed Chesapeake Terrace landfill drew questions from about 50 people, many of whom were from the Forks of Patuxent community where the rubble landfill could be built. At various community meetings about the issue, residents and board members of the Greater Crofton Council and the Greater Odenton Improvement Association have attacked council President Torrey Jacobsen Jr. and association President Harry Sinclair Jr. for signing an agreement with Halle Cos. Vice President Stephen N. Fleischman. Wednesday was no exception. The tension grew as Roger Massey of Gambrills referred to Mr. Jacobsen and Mr. Sinclair taking "environmental blood money" by signing a memorandum of understanding. The agreement says that in exchange for building the landfill, Halle would build and then lease back a high school, pay up to $750,000 annually to a civic group run by the GCC and GOIA, and build a 500-acre park and a public swimming center. Shortly after Mr. Massey spoke, the tone of the meeting changed. Mr. Jacobsen asked if he could respond to a comment about traffic along Conway Road. "No!" shouted various residents. Then Mr. Fleischman said the community's environmental concerns were not based on fact. "I hear a lot of people talking about environmental things - y'all don't know what you're talking about," he said. Mr. Fleischman's comments provoked angry gasps from the crowd, and many in the group whispered to each other. Mr. Sinclair then defended the number of people he called in a phone poll to discuss the memorandum. "I know you all have plenty of time to waste - I don't," he said. At that point, the crowd began to shout. After the meeting, Mr. Sinclair said he thought the forum went well. "I think it went great - I hit my mark in terms of attendance," he said. He shrugged off the criticism of his comments. Mr. Jacobsen said the forum was what he expected. "The community is not against (the agreement)," he said. "One homeowner association is against it." --- eleis@capitalgazette.com Published November 21, 2004, The Capital, Annapolis, Md |
