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Let Talk About Harness Creek Quiet Waters Park, Flawed Design, Zoom Meeting 2/2/21

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  • #1

    Let Talk About Harness Creek Quiet Waters Park, Flawed Design, Zoom Meeting 2/2/21

    Hello all,

    Heads up! There are upcoming design review meetings via Zoom for Spriggs Farm Park and a proposed new water access point on Harness Creek in Quiet Waters Park. Both designs are deeply flawed and do not serve the paddling community. It is important for you to attend these virtual meetings and provide critical input and feedback to improve the plans for both Spriggs and Quiet Waters Park.

    The Quiet Waters Park Harness Creek Zoom meeting is on Tuesday, February 2, 2021 at 6:30 pm

    The Quiet Waters Park Harness Creek Zoom meeting announcement: https://www.aacounty.org/departments...ting-calendar/ (Look for Harness Creek Paddling / Rowing Facility at Quiet Waters Park in the list.) Click through for the plans and the Zoom meeting link.

    The Quiet Waters Harness Creek plan is designated as a "Paddling and Rowing Community" improvement. It well serves the rowers of the Annapolis Rowing Club. The plan utterly fails to serve the paddling community. Kayakers and stand up paddleboarders will have a long, steep carry to the water. Turns in the ramps and existence of railings will make carrying a kayak onto the docks very difficult. Additionally, there are only floating docks, used by the rowing sport, at waterside. Floating docks are too high and cumbersome for cartop boats such as kayaks and canoes. This is a $2 million dollar project. The Harness Creek in Quiet Waters Park plan must be redesigned to support and encourage wide multi-sport general public access instead of narrow access for a small rowing club.

    Also, anyone who lives in Council Distrct 6 and is willing to contact your County Councilwoman, Lisa Rodvien, please message me. Find your County Council District on the map here: https://www.aacounty.org/boards-and-...s-by-district/

    Thanks

    Lisa
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Lisa, can you provide a map or other visualization of the proposed facility?
    Dave

    2021 Hobie Outback Camo
    2013 Native Slayer Hidden Oak

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    • #3
      Originally posted by dsaavedra View Post
      Lisa, can you provide a map or other visualization of the proposed facility?
      If you click the link above, and then select the Harness Creek Quiet Waters Project from the list, and then click that link, there is a Site Plan linked in the lower right corner. Here's the direct Site Plan link: https://aacoprod.aacounty.org/AACOSe...wDcGXZBvMUFO8c

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      • #4
        The floating docks set up for rowing are a problem that could be fixed by adding a sandy beach like Homeport Farm Park. Floating docks are too high to get a heavy kayak in and out of the water and awkward approaching dangerous for kayakers to get in and out of their yaks.

        It would be great if the kayak anglers come to this online meeting. I don't think the designers realize how heavy fishing yaks are.

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        • #5
          Hello all, the Harness Creek Quiet Waters online meeting starts at 6:30. Please attend and speak up for the kayak anglers. I do not think the designers realize how big and heavy fishing yaks are. The proposed high floating docks won't work well for regular sea kayaks. I do not know how you could get a loaded fishing yak in and out of the water from this design.

          Zoom link: https://aacounty.zoom.us/j/892455493...JTWWpFcnJXQT09

          Meeting notice: https://www.aacounty.org/departments...dar/?id=519139

          PWAC FB Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/460390968675972/

          Again, please attend. It's easy to do and participation at this stage is critical in making sure the finished water access works for you.

          Some requests below. Please feel free to add your own points.

          Thanks, Lisa

          Here are areas of concern:

          1) The plan's high floating docks, designed for rowers, are hard for cartop boaters to use and non ADA compliant for kayaks. Add a little sandy beach for cartop boats using the Homeport Farm Park model. A beach is much easier for paddlers, including kayakers with disabilities, to use.

          2) Create a low grade ADA compliant transition from the boardwalk to the beach

          3) Boardwalks are slippery. Instead of a boardwalk, use a firm access path, like the Homeport Farm Park path, for the sloped / hill part of the access path - mixed pervious / impervious as necessary.

          4) Ensure that the Superintendent of Quiet Waters Park manages the Harness Creek water access point.

          5) Make the Harness Creek water access point first come, first serve for the general public, like every other water access point in the county. Water access at Harness Creek must not be rationed by the ARC boathouse.

          6) Make the $6 QWP vehicle admission fee be the only cost to use the Harness Creek water access point. Members of the general public must not be required to financially support the ARC boathouse in order to use the Harness Creek water access point. A boathouse shouldn't be a tollbooth.

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          • #6
            Hello all,

            Thank you to all who came to and spoke up at the Harness Creek Quiet Waters design review. I think we made some progress. Because they ran out of time everyone to speak, Rec & Parks is letting people submit comments by email. Email questions/ comments are due on Tuesday 2/9/21 at 5pm to Bruce Bruchey rpbruc20@aacounty.org

            It's probably a firm deadline so start gathering your thoughts now. The county's been really pissy, pardon the language, about deadlines. I got my personal GDP comments rejected because "(u)nfortunately, your personal comments were received at 11:54pm on January 6, after the PAB record had closed at 8:16pm."


            More tomorrow on the Harness Creek meeting and continued problems with the design.

            Thanks again,

            Lisa

            Comment

            • #7
              Hello all,

              Thank you to all who came to and spoke up at the Harness Creek Quiet Waters design review. I think we made some progress. Because they ran out of time everyone to speak, Rec & Parks is letting people submit comments by email. Email questions/ comments are due on Tuesday 2/9/21 at 5pm to Bruce Bruchey rpbruc20@aacounty.org

              It's probably a firm deadline so start gathering your thoughts now. The county's been really pissy, pardon the language, about deadlines. I got my personal GDP comments rejected because "(u)nfortunately, your personal comments were received at 11:54pm on January 6, after the PAB record had closed at 8:16pm."


              More tomorrow on the Harness Creek meeting and continued problems with the design.

              Thanks again,

              Lisa

              Comment

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