Good Ideas, Bad Plan
Tom Watts
Leading Edge
My career was spent in St. Mary’s County, mostly in Lexington Park.
In those early days of Lexington Park, you often had to do several things to make a living. I worked as a bartender, insurance agent, real estate developer and eventually worked as a banker. This diverse working experience has given me insights into the trials and tribulations of owning and sustaining a business in Southern Maryland.
In addition to business, I worked in many community-oriented efforts including the 350th anniversary celebration, the St. Mary’s County Arts Forum, the Community Development Commission and was appointed to serve on the St. Mary’s County Planning Commission.
I continue to enjoy memories of the area prior to the Thomas Johnson Bridge, development of Rt. 235, and the first fast food franchises. The county seemed then divided between those who wanted to keep the County as it had always been, and newcomers who demanded more conveniences and services.
Now retired, I have been asked and am anxious to share my reflections on and aspirations for the future of Lexington Park and St. Mary’s County.
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I appreciate Tom’s recognition of good comments having been made, and of great ideas having been brought forward on how to do things. I hope he understands that nearly a full year remains in the plan preparation, public hearing and adoption process, and that once adopted it will be a policy guide and not a code. I also hope that he appreciates the need for the very informal nature of the public participation to date, and the charge laid to the consulting team to articulate the consensus that is emerging. I then hope that during this next year he stays involved to help the community and the county commissioners to avoid the deficiencies that he seems to expect when a first draft of a plan is eventually released.