The Anne Arundel County administration on Tuesday said there is an immediate need for two more lanes on Forest Drive and that the auditor?s recommendation to cut the funding would throw a wrench in the plan to ease commuting woes.
“We have a real traffic problem there. We need to get moving on this project so we can get some relief to the motorists,” said Budget Officer John Hammond.
The county auditor proposed cutting county funding of the construction based on claims that the City of Annapolis and two developers “failed to meet legal obligations” to pay for the project.
But only 34 percent of the funding allocated comes directly from county bonds, Hammond responded in a budget hearing Tuesday before the County Council. He said the rest of the money comes from the city, developers and impact fees.
“Motorists want the road fixed,” Hammond said. “They don?t want to see two units of government pointing fingers at one another.”
According to County Auditor Teresa Sutherland, if the county funds the $2.6 million construction, it will be letting the city of Annapolis and two developers off the hook for conditions they agreed upon when property was annexed to the county. She said that under the proposed budget, the county would be paying 85 percent of the costs for construction of Forest Drive, even though it is responsible by law for 61 percent of the design.
When the city annexed the Skipper and Crab Cove properties in 2001, it required developers to construct an eastbound lane on the south side of Forest Drive by November 2003, but the developers did not comply, according to county officials.
The city was required to pay 39 percent of the cost of westbound improvements, with the county picking up the rest of the cost.
Council Member Barbara Samorajczyk, D-Annapolis Roads, said she agrees with Sutherland.
“I don?t want to cut the entire project,” said Samorajczyk, whose district includes Forest Drive. But she said she does want to see the city and developers held responsible for their share.
