There’s not much going on in the way of official Bozman news…However, Casey & Sherry are back at the top of Bozman road selling produce, so go get some fresh fruit and veggies. Other than that, an unmarked car has been patrolling Rt. 579 catching speeders – local and tourist alike, so slow down everyone. It’s not the bozmanobahn. I’m as much to blame as the next person, but it’s a good reminder for us all to slow down and enjoy the trees, wildlife and gorgeous so far preserved scenery.

The next Bozman Village meeting will be slated for sometime in September after Janet Hammed goes to the inaugural Village Center Board Orientation Meeting. Meanwhile I’m using the site to post pertinent political information as we’re quickly approaching the primaries on Sept. 12 – and Bozman will be again (HOORAY) a designated voting location!

The other day I was going to visit a client’s house, who lives off of Dutchman’s Lane extended. It was a Wednesday afternoon around 3pm. I sat at this light for almost 15 minutes before I was able to cross Rt. 50. The first thing I saw was the utter and complete decimation of not just the old house that used to sit there, but probably more than 5 acres (or so it seemed) of trees!!! All for another convenience store. Do they really need to chop down that many trees? (Here’s a novel concept – why didn’t they just move that house, let someone LIVE in it and save a few of the trees for beauty’s sake???)

After that shock, I drove down Dutchman’s past the Easton Club East development, which I must say is not only visually unappealing, but also incredibly unimaginative. It really could be any development, anywhere USA.What happened to this Neighborhood Village feel that keeps getting touted about??? Oh, and of course these start in the what, upper 300’s?? Who that lives in this county, that also works in this county, and is not a benefactor of a trust fund or other fortune, can buy these houses?

Driving further I see the next development, again, unimaginative in design, no “Village” feel whatsoever, but this time it’s for those who are 55+ and have obviously invested every cent they ever earned, because these too, are extremely high priced. My grandmother, who is 89, really wants move over here, but can’t because of the “starting” costs of most retirement homes that are for sale.

On the other side of Dutchman’s is another new development which I am assuming has been designed in this “neighborhood” style, yet these houses might as well be condos…they all look the same, right down to the exact same sloping of the driveway and are maybe 30 feet apart. It’s like something from Edward Scissorhands! And I’m guessing these are selling the same price range as the others $280k and up. There’s also more building going on between Dutchman’s and Landing Neck Road too.
The current definition of affordable housing means that a 30 or 40 something person, couple or family has a snowball’s chance of buying anything in this area. Especially if they do volunteer for a services organization, but, also if they’re working at a business anywhere in this county, doing almost anything. Even if they are a dual income couple, both with decent paying jobs, constantly trying to improve their positions and income – still have a hard time buying a house here, and won’t qualify for most of the “incentive programs” because they’re earning too much money. BTW folks, affordable housing isn’t just for those just off the welfare program earning $5 an hour. It’s for those who are also earning $15 or $25 or $50 an hour. We’re not indigent, we’re young.

My husband and I were among the last fortunate ones that fit this description when we bought our “fixer upper” 4 years ago. The purchase price in 2002 was $125k. That was affordable housing. While we were hoping for a bigger house, or something that we didn’t have to roll up our sleeves and work on (which we have been for the past 4 years), those homes one, were in a development, not solidly built, in the mid-200’s, and out of our price range.

People like us don’t want to be house poor (meaning we pay a gigantic mortgage and eat Ramen noodles every night). We don’t want neighbors on top of us, the driveways all looking the same, the houses only being differentiated by the house number or shingle color. We don’t want to feel like we have to hold our hat for a leg up either or search high and low for a “program” to get us into a new house.

And here’s an eye opener, if it weren’t for us thirty/forty somethings, most of the folks who can afford these new homes wouldn’t have the support they do – business support, safety services, infrastructure services, and just plain services. Plus most of us are the ones who have the kids to fill the schools. However, our money is flying out the door as fast as we make it, just so we can keep living here. And in our case, if it weren’t for my husband commuting across the bridge to earn what he does we would never be able to have what we do. So, we like many, may never to be able to save up or move up.

This whole ball of wax is tied together…I’m for creating affordable housing, to the sensible revitalization of areas throughout the county that are empty, run down, and need updating. I’m also for creating sensible developments, but not to the extent such as the examples above – vast open spaces of former farmland crammed with cookie cutter houses or apartments using the thinnest drywall, the cheapest cabinets, the lowest grade of lumber, etc. And think about this, if all the trees are gone, then how energy efficient are these houses, really?

I also know that $10-$12 an hour, or even up to $40k a year is about maxed out for any job in this county. The income potential for most is quite limited, as the business base is as well. So there is an obvious catch 22 that needs to be addressed.

In response to a truly new idea from one local candidate, creating more rental properties – why? So we can see even more developments, but this time they’re apartments? Aren’t we all programmed that we need to improve our stations in life so that we can invest in real estate? That is unless of course, the rent is half of what they’re asking now, so that we can save up for a down payment on a house one day? Good luck in finding a decent, safe 2 or three bedroom rental in the $400-$700 range anymore. Yeah, honey let’s you and me and our kids rent this one bedroom apartment in Easton for $900!!!!

Without exception, every single new home being built or on the market is not attracting us – the thirty/forty something family/couple. It’s for those who have made their money elsewhere, want a weekend home, retirement home (not for those over 75 mind you). It is for those who will continue to make their money elsewhere, who do not consistently contribute to the local economy. Look, just because we don’t net a six figure income, doesn’t mean were not worthy to be your neighbor, and we’re not going to bring a lot of rambunctious, destructive kids to your neighborhood either. We’re normal middle class Americans. (Although these days, we sometimes feel like we are on the brink of the poverty level and because we work hard trying to make a decent living, we’re damned).

And something else on this development issue – is there any way at all that someone can control what seems to be excessively rampant commercial development in Easton??? Which it seems is where the majority of the building is happening – all within town limits.

Since I live in the county, it seems I really don’t count when it comes to what happens in the town limits, but it’s affecting all of us. There are far too many vacant store fronts, yet it seems of late, if there’s green space in Easton, call the bulldozers! We gotta bild on er!

I understand that the twain shant meet when it comes to town vs. council rulings and legislation, but hey, it’s getting beyond nuts up the road. It almost seems like the town is scoffing the council and it’s “smart growth” ideas. It really is beginning to look a lot like Glen Burnie hon.

Why does Lowe’s have to move to the other end of the shopping center when most of their parking lot sits empty? Have they really done so well in serving us that they deserve a bigger store? And what is going to happen to the one they leave behind? What about the empty space that Yesteryear’s used to hold? What about the countless other stores that are waiting for someone? Haven’t any of these developers heard of the concept that us lowly first time home buyers know about – RENOVATION???

I have NEVER minded driving across the bridge or to Salisbury when I felt like eating at a chain restaurant or had to get something from the mall or along those lines. But know this, I always try to support a local business first, before I go elsewhere.

Listen, I may be the oddball in this county, and I’m not trying to win any friends with this (and probably won’t) but we (I’ve been here for 20 years and my husband’s with me) chose to stay in TC because it was more affordable than the Western Shore in terms of housing and living expenses, there was less traffic, because it’s so pretty, feels safer, with smaller schools with less problems…hmmm. My, how things have changed in 4-5 short years. Read Housing/Living/Traffic…the other things are fairly still intact, but for how long???

Why on earth would we want to stay then you ask? One because we love where we live, despite all of the work we have put into our house, and two, because we will never be able to buy another house that comes even close to this in the immediate or surrounding counties no matter how much equity we accrue – unless of course, we move way, way, way out to the North/Eastern/Southern reaches of the shore that haven’t been hit by the millionaire’s club bug. Then, our commutes increase, our monthly expenses increase because we have to drive further to have access to things like grocery stores and other neccessities…so it ends up being a wash. Plus we do deserve to live here too, don’t we?
If all of the politicians running for small government offices want to truly make an appeal to all voters, they need new and innovative stands on development, the environment, housing, economy and education that really make sense. Perhaps what they should do is poll those who fall in the 20-45 age group, and find out what they need – because you know what baby boomers? We’re 15-30 years behind you with a much smaller population base, incomes and homes and we’re going to be the ones who will have to find a way to do something with all of those developments and shopping centers you created for yourselves, without any regard to the future or what it’s going to do to the open spaces once populated by geese, herons and produce.

I was given the promise of the American dream, to own a house with a white picket fence that I could let my children play behind safely, to have neighbors we can trust, who were from a wide variety of backgrounds and age groups, to have a great job and live happily ever after. We’re lucky, because even though we’re struggling we are there…but what about the many, many others out there, is there a chance for them?

Political platforms are great, but only if they take a look at the whole picture – and serve to help everyone – those who really need help, those who are working to help themselves and those who have been helped along the way, who genuinely want to help others now.

I hope I’ve given you something to think about!