Sugarloaf Alliance Opposes County’s Request for Court to Reconsider Records Decision

The Sugarloaf Alliance, a local preservation group, has filed a statement opposing Frederick County’s request for the court to reconsider a decision to release previously undisclosed documents. The documents are related to changes made to the Sugarloaf Treasured Landscape Management Plan, which the Sugarloaf Alliance has been pursuing records about.

The Frederick County Circuit Court had previously ordered the county to release the documents to the Sugarloaf Alliance, but the county has requested that the court reconsider the decision. The Sugarloaf Alliance argues that the documents are a matter of public record and should be released.

“The public has a right to know about changes made to the Sugarloaf Treasured Landscape Management Plan,” said a spokesperson for the Sugarloaf Alliance. “We believe that the documents in question are a matter of public record and should be released to the public.”

The Sugarloaf Alliance has been a vocal advocate for preserving the Sugarloaf Mountain area, a popular destination for hiking and outdoor recreation. The group has raised concerns about the impact of development on the area and has called for greater transparency from county officials.

County’s Response

The county argues that some of the documents are protected by attorney-client privilege or contain confidential commercial information and should not be released to the public. The county has requested that the court review 13 documents withheld on these grounds.

“We believe that some of the documents in question contain sensitive information that should not be released to the public,” said a spokesperson for Frederick County. “We have requested that the court review these documents to ensure that they are protected by the attorney-client privilege or contain confidential commercial information.”

The court is scheduled to release a decision on August 17th, 2023. The Sugarloaf Alliance and county officials will be closely watching the outcome of the decision, which could have implications for transparency and public access to information in Frederick County.