Leopold Vows to Continue Case Against Island Home

One of John Leopold's first acts as County Executive suggests he possesses the nerve to proceed where his predecessor feared to tread. Throughout the election season, both Leopold and George Johnson heard continuously about the Little Dobbins Island house, and what an embarassment it had become. So, it comes as little surprise that Leopold declared that the County will continue its lawsuit against Mr. Wagner and went on the record with the Sun yesterday, saying "[the situation] has been a black eye for the county. It's my intent to do everything in my power to ensure that this does not reoccur."

While Leopold has remained tight-lipped about the Board of Appeals decision, the Board continues to expose its ineptness in defending the Bay. Board Member Vance Remillard offered that it was not the Board's place to punish Mr. Wagner.

No, of course not. Why would we expect this regulatory board, appointed by representatives of the citizenry to "punish" a man who constructed an island home in the critical area of Magothy River without permits? Unfortunately, the two members who understand their role on the board, Billy Moulden ("There is no entitlement to a variance") and Anthony V. Lamartina are outnumbered by rubes who see their job as rubber-stamping variance requests.

The light at the end of this tunnel though, is that, according to the litigation director for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, "There's plenty of room there for an appeal." Let's hope that CBF, the Magothy River Association, and the County will keep pursuing this effort to seek justice.