Since announcing our opposition and concern over a City of Cumberland plan to demolish a historic neighborhood and displace its residents, local citizens, and a growing chorus of organizations have continued to call on the city to reconsider its unsustainable plan.
In late February, the Institute for Justice, a Washington, DC-based libertarian public interest law firm announced their opposition the ongoing threat of eminent domain in this project. Attorneys and organizers from the organization met with the local concerned citizens providing them with an “Eminent Domain Abuse Guide,” and an advocacy plan moving forward.
In addition to the concerns voiced by this national organization, on March 1, 2016, homeowners living in the neighborhood also presented the Cumberland City Council with a declaration underscoring that they have, “neither the desire or intention to convey our land to the city of Cumberland for non-public use.”
You can support the Rolling Mill neighborhood by reading about Woody Gordon’s personal story and signing on to their Change.org petition that is nearing 75,000 signatures in just over 7 days.
Despite the serious and legitimate concerns of these local citizens, Cumberland Mayor Brian Grim continued to dismiss the homeowners outright and blamed the unraveling of the ill-conceived and poorly planned project on ‘outside agitators.’
As Preservation Maryland has explained from the outset of our opposition, many prudent and feasible alternatives exist and we are prepared to assist the city and residents alike in adopting a new strategy that engages the community and addresses reinvestment and economic development in a manner respectful of Cumberland’s past and future.