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 I ran for the County Council in 2006 because I believe that through strong leadership and real vision, Anne Arundel County can rise to meet its potential and realize its position as a center for the future growth of this region. There is no place where this promise for the future is more evident than in the potential that lies along the stretch of State Route 175 in Odenton and along Route 198 in Laurel.
Throughout the state, suburban areas have found that transforming their streetscape from outdated or abandoned commercial, residential and industrial uses into thriving economic and commercial centers has sparked a revitalization that energized their larger communities. Despite this trend, the Odenton Town Center remains a paper vision while other parts of Anne Arundel County are in the midst of an exciting revitalization that is bringing residents, open green space, and most importantly, jobs to their communities. I am busy coordinating the efforts of officials from all levels of government and will fight for the resources required to shape western Anne Arundel County into a symbol of the “tomorrow kind of place” that I envision for the entire district.  Over the last few years, many of the county and regional leaders have asked residents to embrace a bold vision for connecting West County with one of its greatest assets—the MARC Train. Instead of an isolated station surrounded by outdated commercial uses, vacant lots and a "boomtown" in North Odenton, the stretch of Maryland Route 175 from downtown Odenton to Reece Road could be the new home to thriving commercial and residential centers linked to the MARC Station, Fort Meade and the tight-knit communities of West County.
| Benoit brings a sharp sense of fiscal understanding and military knowledge to the county's 4th district, which includes West County and Fort Meade. The former U.S. Army officer should be an asset to the council when dealing with Base Realignment and Closure-related issues. – The Business Monthly |
Though there are many details that remain unsettled, I have been working to make the vision embodied in the Odenton Town Center Plan a reality by ensuring the expeditious arrival of world-class residential, recreational and commercial development that will bring thousands of new residents, new sources of revenue, and hundreds of new jobs to an area long occupied by abandoned retail storefronts and outdated housing. I have also been busy working with state and federal officials to ensure that the United States government fulfills its obligation to invest adequate resources in Odenton to make the influx of new jobs to the area as low-impact as possible. While it remains to be seen whether the Department of Defense will fulfill its requirements, I am determined not to let this new growth ruin the enormous potential in Odenton.  While the redevelopment of West County is necessary to accommodate the new population which will relocate here, it must not come at the expense of our natural resources. In this period of unprecedented growth, it is imperative that the environmental impacts from the West County redevelopment be minimized through cooperative efforts among the three levels of government, citizens, and the private sector.
A key part of maintaining a healthy local economy is an efficient transportation system. The Odenton MARC Station is a powerful asset that affords tremendous business and recreational potential. In taking advantage of this invaluable resource, redevelopment of the Odenton Town Center and surrounding parts of West County holds the promise of creating a world-class transit-oriented community. Persistent leadership is required, however, and there are several projects that must be approved before private development will take a firm hold. In sum realizing the prosperity that the growth at Ft. Meade and NSA offers will require time, dedication, hard work, persistence, and the ability to work with a variety of stakeholders –To that end, I have been working hard to see this renaissance through to its completion.
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