Beverly Triton Funding Cut - Last Vote This Wednesday 6/14/17

[Mark]

I received a reply from one of the councilmen thanking me for writing.

They appreciate our input.

Our voices do matter.

[DonV]

Little late to this thread but have sent off thank yous to all the Councilmen and the Count Exec. Thanks again Lisa for bringing these matters to light and being such an active and tireless proponent of water access. As they say all politics is local and seeing some of your efforts and the outcomes when you organize some voices on your side restores my faith in democracy. You can see it happening first hand and real time, very nice!

[eyedaddy]

What you folks don't seem to understand is that the park is Open. We know Kayaks and the users are "Eco-Friendly" what the people there are upset about is the development of the park. The plans for Showers and Bathrooms to support 500 people per day, both use a LOT OF WATER which the water supply won't support with the additional New Homes Projected to be built. The peninsula is entirely on well water. There is no other water supply on the Peninsula when it goes dry...IT IS GONE. Yes, Anne Arundel County residents paid their tax money for it, we get that, but should non county residents use it free also? Is there any proposal in place for non-residents to pay a fee to use this park? The trash must be dumped, facilities must be maintained, grass cut, the Ranger paid, equipment purchased and maintained...all on the County residents taxes? If you have walked the park you will see why it should not be developed as a lot of folks that use it are already leaving trash wherever they walk and fish.
Statements were made about "Getting rid of all those no parking signs" do you know why they are there? The roads are to narrow to get Fire equipment and Ambulance service when needed when they are blocked by cars parking along the road. If you have been there you know exactly what I am saying is true. The entire infrastructure in and out of the peninsula is not going to support all the additional traffic with all the expansion planned. Keeping it open as it's presently is is not a problem and doesn't interfere with the Kayak users at all. Over developing it is not good for anyone.

Thank You:

eyedaddy

[Mark]

I fully understand that Beverly Triton currently provides water access for kayakers. But that’s not the only issue here. The issue is developing another location for ALL county residents to enjoy water access, not just anglers like me willing to tow my kayak along a rustic path. Hikers, birders, cyclists, and those in wheelchairs deserve multiple county locations to enjoy its shorelines. An improved park at Beverly Triton will provide another location for the public to enjoy Anne Arundel County's shoreline.

Mayo Peninsula residents are indeed concerned and they’re relying on the usual arguments:

Too much traffic on a singular road, Central Avenue. I live in a development off of Mountain Road in Pasadena, one of the longest dead-end roads in the county. Downs Park is near the end of that road. Nearby is Fort Smallwood Road, another road for singular access and egress to many neighborhoods. Ft. Smallwood Park with a new boat ramp and swimming beach lies at the end of that road. Both parks have increased local traffic, but not to the point that emergency vehicles cannot traverse either road – an argument being made by residents near Beverly Triton about Central Avenue.

Wells – Many on the Pasadena Peninsula rely on wells. Everyone on a well fears it will run dry, the expense of drilling a new one and the inconvenience of a power outage which means no water. These are facts of life for well owners but they’re no reason to deny others access to an improved county park (or additional residences) if aquifer capacity will sustain it. Certainly, aquifer specialists should be consulted to determine if further development is legitimately possible on the Mayo Peninsula – and the county is doing that.

Environmental fragility – Residents near Beverly Triton have argued that a pristine environment should not be developed. However, few can deny that the county has done remarkable jobs in preserving various waterfront areas while making them accessible with paved paths so that cyclists and those in wheelchairs can enjoy the waterfront. The impact on the environment has been negligible. I say negligible because in Downs Park you are as likely to encounter a deer on the path as well as another person. Birdlife and wildlife abounds, ducks are plentiful and shore anglers enjoy a fishing pier. The environment has not suffered from these park amenities.

This website discusses the many measures county officials are taking to address the concerns of Mayo Peninsula residents:
http://www.aacounty.org/mayo-peninsula/

Among other things, it indicates planned improvements to traffic flows, wastewater enhancements and an evaluation of the peninsula’s aquifer by the Maryland Geologic Survey.

Further, the county executive has recently announced plans to scale back the development of Beverly Triton to ensure park attendance does not burden the community:
http://www.aacounty.org/news-and-eve...ton-beach-park

Yes, overdevelopment would be bad. But it’s clear the county officials are listening and working to balance the interests of all in this matter.

I fully appreciate resident fears. They are concerned about an influx of outsiders to their community and they rightly want to maintain their property values. Some of us on this forum have experienced first-hand the vocal objections to our presence from neighbors of Spriggs Hill Farm. Often these folks anticipate the worst and rarely does that happen thanks to diligent, thoughtful planning by county officials. In my opinion, our local government has done phenomenal work building and managing top-notch shoreline recreational facilities while taking community input into account.

I believe we can expect the same at Beverly Triton. The county will not build what the community cannot sustain. The arguments residents near Beverly Triton are making now against development were made here in Pasadena by naysayers regarding park improvements. Yet, I think anyone would be hard pressed to question the benefits Downs and Fort Smallwood Parks have brought to the community.

I hope many can soon say the same about Beverly Triton.

[mchottie]

I just received a reply from Mr. Pruski:

Thank you for contacting me regarding Beverly-Triton Park

The council decided to allow planning and design next year, but all construction money besides the retaining wall, was moved to FY 20. The administration also stated that they would begin to hold community meetings and reach out to address concerns by the community.

The council heard concerns about pervious parking, the number of spots, and the bathhouse. None of these amenities are currently funded and will not be until there community meetings and take input from further studies.

Please note that we look forward to further community input as we move forward.

Finally, I just also wanted to let you know that Councilman Walker fought hard for the community and you should be proud of his efforts.

Thank you again for contacting me.

Andrew Pruski - District 4

I'd call that a win

[Lisa]

If you want to give thanks where thanks are due, please email those thanks to the 5 councilmen who voted for Beverly-Triton Beach money and the county executive who put that money in the budget.

<snip>

County Executive Steve Schuh stevenschuh@aacounty.org

Thanks stick in their memories - usually elected officials only hear complaints and demands.

Oops, I pulled the County Exec's email address off an out of date webpage.

Correction:

County Executive Steve Schuh exschu00@aacounty.org

Thanks again to all who stepped up and spoke up.

Lisa