So. Carroll doesn't need additional vacant space

I find the comments by Larry Twele, diretor of the county Department of Economic Development, quite insulting and out-of-touch with the needs of our community in regard to the proposed Liberty Crossing Business Park in Eldersburg.

In last week's edition of The Eagle, ("South Carroll 'hot' for business growth?" Nov. 12), Mr. Twele is quoted as saying the property was "zoned industrial since at least 1977" and it was "there before the neighborhood, and I'm sorry that it offends some people that it's been zoned industrial."

Has Mr. Twele visited South Carroll lately?

It has changed tremendously since 1977. His comments are not only insensitive, but show a complete lack of respect for the needs and desires of the residents in this community ... you know, the taxpayers.

While I'm not "offended" that the property is zoned industrial, I am "concerned" that our community has several properties with empty industrial space.

He goes on to state that the county needs more business park space.

Perhaps Mr. Twelve should actually visit the many empty locations strewn about in Eldersburg and discuss conversions of space at both the Carrolltown Center and yet-to-be-built Main Street, before citing a "need" for additional industrial space.

It seems if it were up to Mr. Twele, Eldersburg would be no more than a ghost town of empty industrial space.

Kelli Nelson

Eldersburg

Demand shows a need for more So. Carroll business

Recently Carroll County held a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially welcome the corporate headquarters of GSE Systems Inc. to Eldersburg.

This high-quality, high-technology firm is exactly the type of company we are targeting to locate in Carroll County and demonstrates the progress we are making in economic development.

There has also been discussion about a proposed business park at the site of the former Freedom Golf Center.

If we are to attract more companies like GSE Systems, this is exactly what we need in Eldersburg.

Our Economic Development Department fields inquiries from many companies seeking space in Eldersburg. Now that the former London Fog office building is full, we need to provide more attractive options where the office space ready for occupancy is virtually non-existent.

The proposed business park will fill that need on land that has been zoned for industrial uses since 1977.

The Board of Commissioners are committed to, and I specifically campaigned on a platform to, enhance economic development because the need for it is clear.

With a commercial and industrial assessable base near 10 percent (one of the lowest in the state), it is imperative that the county promote and encourage projects that provide places for new and existing companies to grow which provides good jobs here.

Growing our economic pie reduces the burden on the residential taxpayer for essential services. While I agree that recreational choices and open spaces are important for the quality of life we enjoy, those benefits come at a cost.

The more we are able to raise in commercial and industrial tax dollars, the more resources are available to provide for residents.

The focus of a recent article questioned the incorporation of retail within a business park. This is precisely what is demanded by the businesses we are trying to attract. Having choices for dining and convenience shopping is among the primary site selection criteria of professional and business service firms.

As to the suggestion that there is too much retail in the Eldersburg area, one only needs to understand a basic tenet of economic theory -- supply rises to meet demand.

The proposed developments in the area demonstrate that there are unmet needs for retail.

Eldersburg is one of the wealthiest markets in the county with household median income exceeding $100,000, an unemployment rate below 3 percent and more than 40 percent of its residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher. Obviously, this is an area that demands quality goods and services.

Even in these challenging times, we have developers who want to make investments in our county, bring good jobs and offer the county a chance to achieve a more balanced tax base.

Local job creation is about the biggest win-win situation I can imagine.

Michael D. Zimmer, Eldersburg

Member, Board of County Commissioners

Obama election can signal end to judgment by color

Over my lifetime of a little more than 50 years, I've seen things that have made history. Some I was too young to understand, such as desegregation, John Kennedy's election and assassination, Martin Luther King's visions and death.

Some I'll never forget -- the moon landings, the fall of the Berlin wall, the end of the Cold War, the loss of two Space Shuttles and 9/11.

As a young boy, I remember seeing crosses burning in the fields of Gamber, going to schools that had no black students because their parents were afraid to live here, and later in high school only a handfull of students were of color.

I remember using and hearing the "N" word like it was part of our vocabulary. I remember times when I was uninformed and following instead of taking my own path.

And I remember when my life changed at a philosophical level, when I learned that following the status quo would no longer do for me.

I had received my first duty assignment in South Korea and was roommates with a black man. I'll never forget him. Anthony Hartfield -- a guy from Detroit, street smart and not a bigoted bone in his body. He helped me see beyond color, and became a mentor and friend.

He was as liberal as anyone I had ever met, and living in Carroll County I don't think I had ever met one. His ideals and attitudes caused me to register as a Democrat when it came time to send in my ballot that year. I owe him a lot.

And 32 years after I met Tony our ideals and hopes have come true. We as a nation have begun to shed the old thinking and bury the things that have separated us for so long.

We still have a long way to go; there are still millions of people who hide in the closets of the Republican party that share the old ways of thinking, many are still in positions to dictate policy.

Well, the people of this country on Nov. 4 sent them a message. Change your thinking or you're doomed.

So yes, I voted for Barack Obama with pride and hope, not because he's black but because he inspired me with words and enthusiasm.

From the first time I heard his message I knew he was the man to move us forward, so while others cheer his election as our first black president and the historic moment we are living in, I never once saw it as a race-based decision.

For me, history was made more than 30 years ago when a black soldier taught a young white soldier (and uncommitted voter) the path to equality and colorblindness.

God Bless America.

Bryan Bonner

Finksburg

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