Apfo

tarar@herald-mail.com Builder Dennis Swope said he's been in the business long enough to see the ups and downs of home construction. What he sees as another "down" could begin affecting the industry in a matter of weeks, he said. The Washington County Commissioners are considering revising the county's Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (APFO). The changes could result in developers and builders paying $6,500 per dwelling unit if they build in areas where elementary schools are at 85 percent capacity.

The chickens are coming home to roost, so to speak. Excessive developer influence on the Washington County Commissioners has created a crisis in school funding. These commissioners have been unwilling to require developers to pay for road upgrades, and now we are millions of dollars behind the curve on road construction. Our sewer system is reaching capacity and we still have close to $50 million of sewer debt. Developers have been making huge profits and these commissioners have done virtually nothing to recover any of the costs of development.

"Growth is under control" is my favorite Washington County Commissioner quote. Though these words were spoken by Greg Snook, it seems it is a sentiment shared by all the commissioners and state delegation. Actions speak louder than words and the actions of these elected officials show they believe growth is under control and should be encouraged. Back in 2001,when the comprehensive plan was being created, the planners used five growth projections to predict future growth in Washington County.

HAGERSTOWN daniels@herald-mail.com The Hagerstown City Council declined to act on an Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance, saying Tuesday night it would be willing to walk away from nearly $500,000 in tax revenues to retain the city's right to set its own course. "Are we willing to give up certain rights to the county in order to get money?" Councilman Lewis C. Metzner asked, summarizing the concerns of Councilman Kristin B. Aleshire. During the council's work session, Aleshire said the city might be better off walking away from county tax funds and establishing its own impact fees to regulate development.

You can't blame developer Manny Shaool for trying to get a break on the $2.2 million in fees the Washington County government wants him to pay for a development in the Robinwood area. Just a few months ago, the County Commissioners agreed to cut the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance fee by 75 percent for a proposed office complex in the Maugansville area - for an unnamed developer who wouldn't say whether the 100 jobs the building would hold were new, or just relocated from another part of the county.

daniels@herald-mail.com Two members of the Hagerstown City Council and a Washington County commissioner brokered a tentative deal Sunday that could allow the city to maintain substantial control over its rate of growth while continuing to receive county excise taxes. City Council members Lewis C. Metzner and Kristin B. Aleshire reached the agreement with James F. Kercheval during a private meeting. The three announced the agreement during a council work session Tuesday that was attended by the commissioners and county staff members.

daniels@herald-mail.com HAGERSTOWN - The Hagerstown City Council is scheduled to vote Tuesday to introduce legislation restricting the amount of new home construction in the city, even though they will not be in a position at that time to adopt the adequate public facilities ordinance (APFO). "I think if we introduce the ordinances next week ... it keeps the process moving," City Administrator Bruce Zimmerman said during the council's work session Tuesday. "It doesn't take effect until you actually vote to adopt the ordinance.

County Commissioners deserve our thanks To the editor: I would like to commend the current Board of County Commissioners for so boldly eliminating the excise tax doubling . While I do see a need for new development to generate revenue to help offset infrastructure costs, there is one fundamental issue with the excise tax that was overlooked as the fee structure was developed. Those of us who have lived, worked, raised our families and paid taxes for our entire lives in Washington County are seeing our children forced to live and purchase homes out of state.

Chief: Senior pranks were 'pretty tame' SMITHSBURG - Smithsburg Police Department Chief Michael Potter said Tuesday that recent "senior pranks" that accompany the end of the school year were "pretty tame" compared with previous years. Potter said police halted several of the planned student pranks before any damage was done. Among the successful efforts was an incident at Smithsburg High School in which the license plates from nearly 30 vehicles parked near the school's tennis courts were removed and thrown into a pile.