Carrs Wharf Comments HOT Deadline TOMORROW Friday, September 1 2023

[Lisa]

Hello all, the deadline for comments on the parking, access road and ADA project design for Carrs Wharf is TOMORROW September 1 2023. Apologies for the delay - I got sick for almost a week AND the county did a new website that scrambled all the links.

Short version: the locals around Carrs Wharf are trying to shut it down. Blocking this project is part of that shutdown effort. The meeting on 8/17/23 was mean and contentious.

IF you can take 5 minutes to make comments in support of the Carrs Wharf parking lot, access road and ADA improvements it would be great. Suggested comment points in a reply post. Here's the comment link - look for Carrs Wharf at the top. If the blank comment form does not load close your browser, delete your cookies and try again. https://www.aacounty.org/planning-an.../past-meetings

If you have ADA concerns please highlight them.

Thanks, and apologies again for the hot deadline.

Lisa

[Lisa]

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Comment points:

* Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the design for the Carrs Wharf improvements.

* Carrs Wharf is the only public water access point on the Rhode RIver that allows fishing and crabbing, both popular and inexpensive activities. It is the only public water access point on the Rhode River that is open 7 days a week for launching kayaks, canoes and SUPs. (The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) is open limited hours and is closed on Sundays and federal holidays.) It is essential that the Carrs Wharf public water access point remain open to the public and be improved so people can enjoy the water in safety and comfort.

*The Rhode River and Bear Neck Creek behind Camp Letts are great, sheltered fishing spots. Fishing kayaks have a limited range. Paddling into Bear Neck Creek from the open Bay from Beverly Triton Nature Park or Mayo Beach Park is not practical for fishing yaks. Paddling across the wide Rhode River through boating traffic is hard on fishing kayakers. Carrs Wharf is necessary for fishing kayakers to reach the northwest areas of the Rhode River. Finish the parking lot, access road and ADA improvements so all can use Carrs Wharf in safety and comfort.

*The county spent almost a million dollars in 2020-21 to renovate the wharf itself. This ADA, parking lot and access road project will finish the upgrades to Carrs Wharf. This is not a new project - it is the second phase of an ongoing project.

*In 2009 the county spent $185,000 to buy the .54 acre next to the existing Carrs Wharf to expand the limited parking, now at approximately 10 spaces. This design shows the expensive expansion as being used only for an emergency turnaround for firetrucks and ambulances. Create a smaller emergency turnaround for ambulances only in the expansion and use the remainder to create part of the park expansion for desperately needed additional car parking.

* This project will make Carrs Wharf ADA compliant. ADA parking and ADA access to the pier is essential and this project will accomplish that goal.

* The park obstructionists want Carrs Wharf permanently closed because of maintenance issues with the trashcan and portapotty. The solution to a park maintenance problem is better maintenance, not closing the park. Put the portapotty on a more frequent maintenance schedule. Put in bigger trashcan and empty is daily. Part of the trash problem is animals and birds pulling trash out of the existing trash can.

* Thank you for the proposed the improvements to Carrs Wharf to make it ADA compliant and usable by the general public in safety and comfort. This project will complete the upgrades to the main 3 county wharves - Carrs Wharf, Green Haven Wharf, Galesville Wharf - to make all three safe and accessible for all.

[Lisa]

Here's the Rec & Parks Carrs Wharf website: https://www.aacounty.org/recreation-...ts/carrs-wharf

Despite the new and improved county website, we still have to look at three different department websites - Department of Public Works (DPW), Office of Planning and Zoning (OPZ) and Rec & Parks to get all the info about a capital park project.

This Carrs Wharf project improves the short access road, improves the parking lot and adds an ADA parking space and ADA ramp to the renovated fishing pier.

Lisa

[Lisa]

The county broke its comment process by closing the Carrs Wharf comment form a day early. The DEADLINE is TODAY Friday September 1 2023.

Please comment TODAY on Carrs Wharf by EMAILING comments to Mel Harlinski pwharl45@aacounty.org in DPW.

(I suspect last weekend's county website scramble confused 12 am and midnight.)

Who schedules meetings and comments the last two weeks before the Labor Day weekend holiday and in the middle of a scheduled comprehensive overhaul of the county website?!

Lisa

[Hobiewanknowb]

Thanks Lisa you have my support I will forward this to friends

[Hobiewanknowb]

FYI here is the responce I got when I emailed above link.

Carrs Wharf will remain a public park for use. The soft launch there should only be used for canoes and kayaks. Thank you for your interest in this project.

[Lisa]

Vincent Moulden in the county exec's office arranged for OPZ to reopen the Carrs Wharf comment link and extend the deadline until Tuesday 9/5/23.

Link: https://www.aacounty.org/planning-and-zoning/development/community-meetings/community-meeting-calendar/past-meetings

Please pass along to anyone who wants to submit comments thru Tuesday.

Have a great weekend. Maybe I'll figure out my font size problem by Tuesday . . .

Lisa

[Lisa]

https://www.aacounty.org/planning-an.../past-meetings