Site Design Workshop Planned For Oct. 29

BERLIN - Assateague Coastal Trust (ACT) will host a special workshop Oct. 29 on the new Environmental Site Design (ESD) regulations for development sites in Maryland, conducted by Community & Environmental Defense Services(CEDS) and the Anacostia Watershed Society,

'The impact of ESD on the quality of our waterways and preservation of our natural resources on land is going to be very important within our Coastal Bays watershed,' said Kathy Phillips, Assateague Coastkeeper and a member of the Maryland Stormwater Consortium. 'Indeed, throughout the state, ESD could save 20 miles of Maryland waterways a year from growth impacts and help restore 2,000 miles degraded by past development. •€¦ All that is missing is a few dedicated clean water advocates to ensure that full use is made of ESD.'

ESD is admittedly a major shift in the methodology of stormwater management for development and there is concern within the building community, while wanting to do its part to help water quality in the watershed, how ESD will impact the bottom line.

This important workshop will help explain how the implementation of the new standards will benefit both the environment and the bottom line.

Bruce Gilmore, of the Anacostia Watershed Society, and Richard Klein, of CEDS, will be making about a one-hour presentation each with the remainder of the morning devoted to attendee questions. Both presentations are posted on CEDS-ESD webpage under ESD Resources: ceds.org/esd.

If you'd like to learn more about ESD, register today for the lower Eastern Shore workshop, Oct. 29 from 9 a.m.-noon at the Ocean Pines Library. There is no cost to attend. To register, email Help@ceds.org and put •€˜Coastal Bay ESD' in the subject line.

The workshop is free and open to residents, land planners, developers and municipal/county employees.