Residents say they?re furious Carroll County officials will now decide whether to grant a county request to raze a swath of forest in Westminster.
The county?s plan to clear about 330 trees near Carroll County Regional Airport for a new lighting system was rejected in August by the local branch of the state?s forestry board, which said felling so many trees would leave the forest too bare.
Doing so would, under existing county zoning, also have violated state law, the forestry board said.
But now the county is seeking a variance to allow nearly four times the normally permitted amount of trees to be cut down, and the matter is to be decided by Steven Powell, the county administration?s chief of staff.
“It?s blatant conflict of interest,” resident Mary Kowalski said. “It?s just wrong. You represent the county, Steven Powell. … You cannot wear both hats; you cannot request the variance and then decide if you get it.”
Resident Robert Brink added: “It?s kind of like the convicted person acting as the jury and the judge.”
Jim Slater, the county environmental adviser, was to have served as hearing officer, said Kim Millender, the county attorney. But because of a potential conflict of interest stemming from Slater?s work with residents who opposed the tree removal, the chief of staff replaced him as hearing officer, Millender said.
The county, however, says it avoided a conflict of interest by having Powell hold the hearing.
With Slater, county spokeswoman Vivian Laxton said, “You had a direct conflict of interest instead of a perceived one.”
About 30 residents attended a hearing Tuesday night, most opposed to the request, suspicious it could relate to the airport?s runway expansion from 5,100 to 6,400 feet. They fear a longer runway would lower their quality of life by attracting larger, louder airplanes.
