Frederick News Post - Van Hollen Visits County, Addresses Concerns

News Article

By Ike Wilson

U.S. Rep. Christopher Van Hollen, D-8th, heard Monday about a rusted 1890s water line that needs to be replaced, a thriving small business that benefited from federal, state and local tax credits, and the potential for more businesses to open shop in this western Frederick County town.

Van Hollen made several stops in Frederick County as part of his listening tour of the new areas added to the 8th Congressional District after Maryland redistricting.

Additionally, he visited two colleges, an Emmitsburg sustainable farm, a barber shop and The Great Frederick Fair.

Middletown Burgess John D. Miller told Van Hollen it would be nice if the federal government could partner with Middletown and the state to replace 7,000 feet of old pipeline on Main Street, which is a national road. The project will cost about $4 million.

"Money is short everywhere, we realize that," Miller said. "Certainly, being a partner will be a worthy goal. These are some of the general infrastructure needs small towns have to deal with."

If the government's stimulus money earmarked for shovel-ready projects had been allocated to towns, it would have done a lot more good, Miller said. But the money went to the state, and that's where it stopped.

Miller told Van Hollen that unfunded federal and state mandates impose great financial costs to small towns, and hopefully, he can help fight that battle at the federal level.

For example, small towns are required to test for lead and copper annually. It would be more reasonable and less costly to test once every three to five years, Miller said.

"For a small town, that's a lot of money," Miller said.

Bob Brennengen told Van Hollen that his original vision of a small coffee shop has blossomed into The Main Cup restaurant and bar thanks to federal, state and local tax credits that helped him restore the old historic buildings on Main Street.
The Main Cup is part of a 15,000-square-foot renovation of four buildings.

"It's better than I ever thought," Brennengen said, adding that expansion plans are on the horizon. "I'm not waiting for November. I'm doubling down and expanding."

The restored building has been almost 100 percent occupied since 2006, Brennengen said, and it's been getting better every year.

Van Hollen said Middletown has "a great feel, and clearly, they have a strategy to bring more small businesses to Main Street."

The congressman said he will work to see whether federal money can be used in conjunction with state funds to provide the facelift Main Street needs.

It's good to hear that tax credits helped a small business thrive, Van Hollen said.

"We're very grateful that the Congressman came out here," Miller said.

Emmitsburg farmer William Morrow said he was surprised that Van Hollen visited his farm.

"It's pretty impressive that he wants to come out to the North County to visit his constituents," Morrow said. "It shows genuine interest for our concerns. He wanted to learn about some of the programs our farm participated in."

Van Hollen said he talked about some of the measures in the Farm Bill that helps farmers avoid runoff.

"As we know, farmers are some of our best protectors of the environment," Van Hollen said. "I support measures in the Farm Bill to give farmers the tools and resources to help with their best practices, so it's a partnership, and farmers don't bear the burden alone in making sure their operations are done in a way to prevent runoff."

Van Hollen said his main concern is to listen and try to address people's concerns.

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