Farmers, landowners, developers and environmentalists packed the Charles County government auditorium on Tuesday to hear what was billed as a “Farmers First” meeting hosted by Commissioner President Candice Quinn Kelly.

The high stakes meeting, held in response to the controversy created by the county’s comprehensive plan process, centered around the fear of “downzoning” and included a discussion of programs to preserve farmland such as “Purchase of Development Rights” (PDRs), a program which Charles County doesn’t currently have, and what many say is a broken “Transfer of Development Rights” (TDRs) program.

LISTEN to the full meeting (11/22/11)

LISTEN to soundbite 1: “Land preservation (downzoning) is going to be in your future.”

LISTEN to soundbite 2: “Without a TDR program … without a PDR program … how can you ever, farmer or developer … how can you ever feel good about the plan?”