M-NCPPC Park & Planning Board
ICC Testimony
July 15, 2004

My name is Dan Wallace, I'm cochair of the Montgomery Intercounty Connector Coalition, numbering more than 5,000 members who have opposed an ICC on any alignment since 1989. And, trust me, we haven't changed our position one iota on this since. I appreciate the opportunity to address the Planning Board at this critical juncture.

To paraphrase Don Corleone, "How could we let things go so far?" Recall that Governor Paris Glendenning pulled the plug on the ICC after four different federal agencies rejected it, twice each, for environmental reasons — irreparable damage to our stream valleys, parklands, and green spaces. Yet, here we are again, trying to figure out how to respond to the current political juggernaut that wants to spend $3 billion on a road that the ‘97 DEIS and the 2002 TPR showed clearly would not ease traffic congestion in any meaningful way.

Today, this honorable body needs to determine whether to approve the staff report on the ICC, and more specifically, to create the standards for exchanging land to replace park land to be destroyed by building an ICC. The staff has done a noble job in trying to consider options to the State Highway Administration's intent, but much of it smacks of rearranging deck chairs on the Titantic – for example, debating a move of maintenance depot to the Paint Branch to partially undoing imperviousness of an ICC. No matter what the reason, if the indigenous Brown Trout die out, they'll never be back. Why chance such a loss at all to kowtow to the 800-lb. ICC gorilla?

But you must, right, according to the governor's directive and the rules of the game. The staff report says you are the stewards of our park lands, and it's obvious that you take this duty with the utmost seriousness. So, I propose that you establish the highest standards possible for the SHA to meet, impossible standards if you can, but at least starting with the Staff's recommendation for the interior forest requirement for land exchange. Don't bow to the enormous pressure that undoubtedly is being exerted on you to go along with the ICC. Don't let blatant, special political and developer interests pervert your proud motto into Turning Visions into Realty. Protect our parklands, our green spaces, our stream valleys for our kids' future. Turn back the ICC again, and for the last time.