Discord at Wilmer's Isn't About the Music

Windsor, a member of the county Historic Preservation Commission, said that houses and retail might be needed to make the project viable and that he might support them to bring back the music of his childhood.

He's not alone. A nearby civic association has been lobbying for the project since Chatman bought the property from the estate of Arthur Wilmer in 2003.

Critics are unhappy that the bill does not mention the Wilmer's Park project by name, although no one disputes its purpose. They contend that the lack of an explicit link makes it harder for residents to understand what is happening. They also criticize the bill's rapid progress; the measure was heard in committee the day after it was presented to the council last week.

With so little notice, opponents were unable to take off work to attend the midday hearing June 13, said Randy Phoebus, president of the South County Alliance for Quality Communities, a coalition of citizen groups.

"They don't send word out to you," Phoebus said. "You have to follow all the convolutions. If you miss one little section of it, you're out in the dark and can't even figure out why. It is an absolute discouragement of public participation."

The bill could come up for a final vote in the next few weeks.

Council member Marilynn Bland (D-Clinton), the bill's sponsor, said that if the council approves the special exception to open-space zoning, Chatman's application still faces a rigorous approval process that includes public hearings and can take months to complete.

She said she has heard mostly positive comments from residents who support restoring the concert venue.

"It's very sentimental because it was the only place people had," Bland said. "There's history there. We're trying to revitalize what was there but update it."

Before last year's election, Chatman gave $1,000 to a political slate that included Bland. One of his partners contributed an additional $1,500. According to campaign finance records, Chatman also gave money to County Council Chairman Camille Exum (D-Seat Pleasant), council member Tony Knotts (D-Temple Hills) and County Executive Jack B. Johnson (D), among other politicians.

Bland said campaign contributions have played no role in her support for the legislation.

"There are many people who gave to Councilwoman Bland's campaign," said Bland's chief of staff, David Billings, who has handled her campaign finances. "I'm quite sure they gave because they deemed her worthy of returning to office."

Chatman expressed frustration with project opponents, who he said do not represent the majority of people who live near the site. He said the size of the county's rural tier -- with its strict regulations -- is an outdated hindrance to economic development that sends dollars south to growing Charles County.

"Whether you like it or not, development is coming. It can be development of your choosing, or it will be development chosen for you by other people," he said. "When it goes into Charles County, you don't have any choice."

As for traffic, he has a solution: Widen the narrow two-lane road fronting the property to four lanes. He dreams of a light-rail system running on nearby freight lines and encouraging commuters to get out of their cars. He envisions his planned community as a rural "hamlet" surrounded by rolling green acres.

Chatman said the first concert could be held in a rejuvenated Wilmer's Park in 2011. "I've always been a futurist," he said.