Ctp. Glen Ives, with LeRoy Mattingly and Mike Quigley - The Bay Net Photo by Ahmar Mustikhan

Nurture the hen that lays the golden eggs - by preventing encroachments upon the Navy base, St. Mary's Board of County Commissioners heard Tuesday.

Southern Maryland Navy Alliance president Todd Morgan, flanked by Keith Fairfax and Acting County Administrator John Savich, presented five major recommendations  of an Encroachment Study Committee to the board to protect the base, the Navy's mission, and the well-being of county residents.

"We applaud you for your work," Commissioner President Jack Russell (D. St. George Island) told the alliance and Navy's representative at the meeting.

The commander of the base, Capt. Glen Ives, was accompanied by LeRoy Mattingly and Mike Quigley.

The recommendations include eliminating future residential development in Accident Potential Zone-2 (APZ-2), creating a buffer zone, addressing encroachment issues at Webster Field, analyzing merits of a joint Land Use Study, but capping the list was improving St. Mary's County-Navy communication.

Commissioner Dan Raley (D. Great Mills), a main proponent of the need for better communication was sick and absent, but Fairfax hoped Raley would get a chance to review the recommendations.

"It's not one or the other," Fairfax said, explaining the recommendations were for the common good of the county citizens and protecting the mission of the Navy. "That's pretty darn nice," he said.

The success of the Navy base is the main economic engine for St. Mary's County attracting more people who need homes. It's a Catch-22 situation as the new homes and businesses bring development close to the base and the county allows dense development in the adjoining Lexington Park.

Russell asked the Navy to provide data on noise pollution as soon as more data may be available.

"We want development yet we want to protect the future residents from the noise," Land Use and Director Growth Management Director Dennis Canavan said in his presentation.

"Noise is a piece of that action," Morgan said, saying there were many other factors that have to be given importance.

Savich said the Navy base furthers both the land preservation agenda and the anti-encroachment agenda.

Fairfax said technological developments had redefined the entire game plan. "UAVs were a major emphasis for the Navy until years ago," he said.

The Navy base provides 19,200 people on a collective $520 million payroll and contributes dollars for 80 percent of the county's economy.

The Navy base is the lifeline for the county, Savich said. He said at least the recommendations would invoke changes in the zoning ordinance.

More than 165,000 air operations take place annually at Patuxent River in over 780 restricted and 5, 000 controlled square miles.

The commissioners heard a key finding of the study that said the threat to future operations from encroachment is real and the Department of Defense is taking notice.

"I am increasingly troubled over a trend in recent years by local government to turn a blind to Navy concerns in favor of housing developers," ADM Mike Mullen, Chief of Naval Operations was cited in a BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure) 2005 testimony.

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