March 29, 2024
Annapolis, US 46 F

Green Party takes issue with Crystal Springs commentary

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Last week, the Anne Arundel Green Party delivered letters to the office of Mayor Pantelides and to each of the City Council members in regards to a false allegation made by the developers of the Crystal Springs project in an August 5th, 2014 blog posting.  In the statement published by Crystal Springs, the Green Party was described as a “self-proclaimed anti-development organization with a stated agenda of stopping the proposed Crystal Spring development.”

“We have never described ourselves as anti-development on our website, brochures, or other communications.  Nor have we ever passed any sort of resolution or issued any statement in regards to all out stopping the proposed Crystal Spring development,” stated Robert Smith, acting co-chair of the Anne Arundel Green Party.

The Anne Arundel Green Party, along with several community and environmental organizations, signed a letter  July 31 regarding the Crystal Spring project.  The letter called for scaling back the project to preserve priority forest, wildlife corridors, and wetlands.  Since its inception in 2001, the Anne Arundel Green Party has advocated for smart growth principles, supporting local businesses, and most of all protecting the environment and the water ways of the Chesapeake Bay.

Mike Shay, the party’s nominee for County Executive in 2010, cites the Green Party’s stance on development as one of the reasons he sought the nomination.  “As a community organizer in South County we have actually been fighting in favor of development — the type of development that builds communities, supports our local economy, and doesn’t damage the environment and our waterways.”

Members of the Anne Arundel Greens were also concerned about the tone of the statement in regard to its members’ participation in civic commissions. “Because of this misconception that the Green Party is ‘anti-development,’ members of our political party are being unfairly singled out on city commissions and as a city employee,” said Robb Tufts, the party’s 2006 candidate for the County Council. “Annapolis is still a democracy, and there should not be a political party litmus test when it comes to volunteering for the city or for civil service employment.”

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