Spriggs Meeting Presentation finally posted, comment deadline Wed July 26 2023

[Lisa]

Hello all,

The Spriggs meeting slideshow presentation went up on the Rec & Parks website just before noon today - 5 days late. The 14 day comment deadline is Wednesday, July 26, 2023 at 11:59 pm. I doubt Rec & Parks will extend the comment deadline to make up for its 5 day delay in posting the meeting presentation.

Comment link HERE: https://www.aacounty.org/departments...ings-comments/ look under Spriggs, then look for the little comment link box in the upper right hand corner OR email comments to Melissa Harlinski pwharl45@aacounty.org in DPW.

July 12, 2023 Spriggs meeting presentation (posted 7/17/23): https://www.aacounty.org/departments...ic-meeting.pdf

July 12, 2023 Spriggs meeting audio recording: https://www.aacounty.org/aacooit/R&P...ting-audio.mp3

Spriggs pre-July meeting Schematic Design: https://www.aacounty.org/departments...n-drawings.pdf

all listed at Rec & Parks Spriggs capital projects page: https://www.aacounty.org/departments...on-the-magothy

I think the county does not realize how popular kayak fishing is or how big and heavy and hard to haul a fishing yak can be. Lots of people with fishing yaks commenting and including a photo of your yak would educate DPW, Rec & Parks and BayLands about the existence of kayaking fishing and how hard it is to haul your yak uphill when you get back to the launch!.

More after I dig into the meeting slideshow presentation.

Lisa

[dsaavedra]

Are you suggesting their current plans are inadequate? What would you rather see?

An ADA compliant path at a 10% grade (for reference the path at Homeport Farm is nearly a 30% grade with 35 feet of elevation gain over 120 feet of horizontal distance) with permeable pavers and a nice sandy launch protected by stone groins sounds like a pretty good deal to me. I like the habitat they're planning to include with downed trees and reef balls too. I would use this park once it's finished.

[Lisa]

Good question. First of all, it's important for the kayak anglers to speak up by submitting comments. You're the best ones to tell the county about your yaks and what you need and want in a launch site. The county does not know that there are lots of you, that kayak fishing is growing really fast and how big and heavy and hard to move your yaks are.

I also suspect that there are people that think that if they discourage me that this water access issue goes away. Submitting comments shows the county that water access is more than me. There was a great turnout at the in person July 12 2023 Spriggs meeting so that helped a lot.

Lisa

[Lisa]

I'm going to break up potential comments into several sections. First is fixing a problem with the launch path (kayaks don't make 90 degree turns), making sure Spriggs is truly ADA accessible and a couple of design tweaks. Next is making sure that replacement of existing park amenities and features - parking, interior access road, etc. - is documented in the plan. We need those features to use the water access and if they're not documented as replaced in the plan, there is no assurance that the county will replace them.

[Lisa]

Schematic Design = SD July 12, 2023 Slideshow = SS July 12 2023 Audio recording = Audio

* The 90 turn in the launch path is not usable for kayaks because long kayaks can not make an abrupt right turn. Change the 90 degree turn to a wide curve with a turning radius that accommodates a 19 foot long, 24 inches wide kayak either being carried by two people, one at each end, or placed on a kayak cart and pulled by one person. SD 3, 4 SS 11, 14, 15

*How wide is the sandy kayak launch area inside the stone groins? SD 3, 4 SS 14

*Keep the ADA handrail on one side of the launch path. SD 3, SS 15

*Make sure there is a stable and level ADA footpath all the way from the parking area to the top of the launch path. The plans show the launch path ending at the top of the hill. How are people who use wheelchairs going to get from the parking area to the launch path? SD 3 SS 11, 15

*Include ADA parking in this project instead of pushing it off to the next design phase. “ADA- compliant parking will be added in the next design phase” SS15 The next design phase is years away.

*The Schematic Design shows a Mobi mat to the water. SD 3, 4. The July 12 2023 slideshow does not. SS 13, 14, 15 Does the design still include a Mobi mat to the water?

[Lisa]

*Move the reef balls that are just downstream / east of the kayak launch to the other side of the first downstream Woody Debris Feature so people have room at water level near the kayak launch to adjust their gear and rest. SD 3, 4 SS 13, 16

*Ensure that the post-construction parking area is larger than and as close to the launch path as the existing parking area. The park water access is not usable by the general public without a parking area. Identify and delineate the post-construction parking area on the plans.

*The plan presenter said that 100 plus truckloads of graded dirt will be spread in the park. Will the graded dirt be spread on the parking area? If so, how will the parking area surface be made firm enough so that people can use it to park their cars and trucks? Audio 22:50 – 25:40, 33:27 - 33:50

*Ensure that the post-construction interior access road is usable. The existing interior access road is dirt and gravel. Part of the construction route uses part of the existing interior access road. Construction traffic, including delivery of 100 to 150 truckloads of sand and gravel, will damage the existing interior access road. What is the plan to manage and repair construction damage to the existing interior access road? The park water access is not usable by the general public without the interior access road. SS 17. Audio 21:44, 22:50

[Lisa]

*Include a post-construction rigging area near the top of the launch path to replace the existing rigging area. Identify and delineate the post construction rigging area on the plans.

*Include a post-construction unloading and loading area near the top of the launch path to replace the existing unloading and loading area. People need to unload kayaks and other gear from their cars and trucks and then go park their vehicles in the parking area. Identify and delineate the post-construction unloading and loading area on the plans.

*Include a post-construction water view picnic area to replace the existing water view picnic area. Identify and delineate the post construction water view picnic area on the plans.

*Immediately install an ADA portapotty near the existing parking area in the lower area of the park. People now have to drive back up the interior park road to the portapotty on the upper level of the park. This is not good for people or the interior access road. The county will provide a portapotty for the construction workers in 2024-2025. Do it now for current park users and continue post-construction.

*Immediately open and stop locking the Spriggs entrance gate so Spriggs will be as easy to use as the other 125+ other county community and neighborhood parks. The locked gate at Spriggs provides no additional safety for park users and serves only as an obstacle to entry that discourages park use. The locked gate is security theater like taking off your shoes at the airport.

[Lisa]

The comment deadline is still Wednesday, July 26 at 11:59 pm I have twice asked the County Executive Pittman's office for a 5 day extension in the comment period to make up for Rec & Parks 5 day delay in posting the meeting slideshow presentation. No response so far.

Again, comment link HERE: https://www.aacounty.org/departments...ings-comments/ look for Spriggs and click on the Submit comments button OR email comments to Melissa Harlinski pwharl45@aacounty.org in DPW.

We had a great 30 person turnout for the in person Spriggs meeting. I wasn't there, but I was told the county was surprised by the turnout.

It's important that we follow up with written comments.

Thanks

Lisa