Leopold clamps down on violators… yet…

Anne Arundel County Executive John Leopold, who claims he is not beholden to developers and likes to tout his “get tough” policy on them, had this press release:

COUNTY EXECUTIVE JOHN R. LEOPOLD RESPONDS TO JUDGE GATEWOOD SETTLEMENT

Annapolis (June 2, 2008) – County Executive John R. Leopold today
released the following statement in response to the settlement reached
by Anne Arundel County and the Maryland Department of the Environment
against Baltimore District Court Judge Askew Gatewood:

“This settlement proves that the law humbles everyone, including
judges,” County Executive Leopold said. “This is the most egregious
violation of environmental laws in the county. I am pleased that the
environment will benefit by the required clean-up of the property. The
Maryland Department of the Environment and the County Department of
Inspections and Permits must jointly approve Judge Gatewood’s clean up
plan. It is my hope that the property will be cleaned up expeditiously.
The settlement provides the stiffest civil fine county law allows.
This underscores the need to strengthen the county ordinances with a
higher fine.”

Gatewood settled the case after being accused of illegal dumping of
construction debris into the Chesapeake Bay from his shoreline home.
###


Yet when the county approves permits wrongly, they play indian-giver
with their permits and rescind them after-the-fact. Even the Exec's
new group formed to deal with such foibles was unable or unwilling
to come to the aid of a gentleman who, after getting his plans
approved, built his garage too tall. Now he's gotta pay to have it
re-built to comply. What's to stop them from undoing any other permit,
even years after they approve them. Un-be-frickin' believable!


From baltimoresun.com :

Cut garage height, officials order man




Send this to a friend