More News

When asked to reflect on her decisions during the last eight years regarding land use in the southeastern rural tier of Prince George's County, outgoing County Councilwoman Marilynn Bland (D-Dist. 9) of Clinton says she has "no regrets."

Speaking to a Gazette reporter Saturday during the seventh annual District 9 Rural Tier Tour at Patuxent River Park in Upper Marlboro, Bland, who hosted the event, acknowledged that residents have criticized her in the past for supporting zoning changes that permitted more development in District 9, which includes the rural tier as well as more developed areas such as Clinton and Camp Springs.

However, she said she is proud of her record on land preservation.

"I'm concerned enough that when I make a decision, I do what I feel is best for the community," she said Bland. "I have a clear conscience."

Bland is leaving office due to term limits and is running for the clerk of the Circuit Court. She has hosted the annual event celebrating the rural tier since 2003. About 50 residents came to hear presentations from experts on land preservation and other rural tier issues, followed by a boat tour along the Patuxent River.

Bland, who was elected in 2002, said she is aware that some residents have disagreed with her decisions regarding the rural tier, but believes she has done "a fabulous job" overall in preserving undeveloped land.

She came under fire most recently last fall for supporting revisions to the Subregion 5 and 6 master plans that rezoned several thousand acres of land in and around the rural tier to allow for more residential and commercial building. Bland declined to comment on any specific issues relating to the master plans, citing pending legal challenges brought by several groups of residents.

However, she did say she thought some residents who opposed some of the revised zoning may not have realized how outdated the master plans were — before 2009, they hadn't been reviewed since 1993 — and said she tried to get them to "keep an open mind." County planners established the three-part "tier" system in the 2002 General Plan, dividing the county into a developed tier, developing tier and rural tier.

"We have to get away from, ‘We don't want any change,'" Bland said.

Bland said she is also proud of legislation she supported that is aimed at helping farmers, such as a zoning code change earlier this year that made it possible for wineries to open in Prince George's County.

Upper Marlboro resident Daniel Filippelli, who attended the rural tier tour event, credited Bland with raising the profile of the rural tier among residents in other parts of the county.

Preserving land in such a large area is "an overwhelming challenge," Filippelli said. "I think [Bland is] meeting it well."

Upper Marlboro resident Allen Warner, who was attending the rural tier tour for the second year in a row, praised Bland for starting the annual tour. He added that he hoped that whoever takes Bland's spot on the council not only continues the event, but tries to get residents from outside of District 9 to attend so they can better appreciate the rural tier.

"You get to see stuff you wouldn't normally see," he said.

ztillman@gazette.net.