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Quiet waters park1/14/2024 ![]() It might be time to update the 1987 Park Master Plan to incorporate the new addition, and in that case, The Friends of Quiet Waters Park recommends that Pittman create a similar process to the one used to develop the first master plan - appoint a public commission containing representatives of county government and members of the public, including the Friends, to produce an updated master plan for Quiet Waters Park. There is a striking difference between the two plan types. The “master plan” that Pittman and Rodvien referred to in their article is a site plan for the newly acquired property. In her testimony during this council meeting, Erica Matthews, deputy director for the Anne Arundel Department of Recreation and Parks mentioned that officials had “presented to the Friends group” but failed to mention any of the concerns raised or the “secrecy agreement” we had been put under about sharing the information presented. No mention was made that just nine days later, the County Council would be considering the private lease agreement with the Chesapeake Conservancy. Although several concerns were expressed by Friends during this presentation we were told there would be a future opportunity to comment and the plans should not be discussed or shared since they were preliminary and could be changed. Even the existing building and construction plans that are being represented as a “master plan” have lacked any preliminary involvement by the Friends of Quiet Waters Park or other members of the public.Īfter hearing second-hand of nebulous plans for constructing a building on the footprint of the old six-bay garage structure, the new building and development plans of the Chesapeake Conservancy were only revealed to Friends members during a requested presentation to the board on March 12, 2022. Today the Friends of Quiet Waters Park considers that this master plan is still the guiding document for decisions made about the park, including any additions. Educating the public about sensitive methods of development within the critical area is also a goal for the park.The natural areas should be along the site edges, allowing the majority of the site to be undisturbed the developed environment should be contained primarily in the center of the site using the cleared areas. Since 52% of the site is within the Critical Area established by Anne Arundel County, careful analysis was given to the uses proposed for this area. First, and of greatest concern, is achieving a balance between the natural and the developed environment.Long-established principles regarding the siting of buildings along the waterfront edges and permitting roads and circulation changes that will affect the park experience were overlooked. When the current county executive and County Council took possession of the newly added land and then 2½ years later executed a lease that permitted the Chesapeake Conservancy to build on Lot 4 (within the Critical Area), the guiding principles of the existing master plan governing the design and development of Quiet Waters Park were not followed. The result has been a park beloved by millions of people. It contains a well-founded vision and analysis of what the park should be and was developed through extensive public involvement. The current master plan that has guided the park for the past 33 years was developed prior to the construction of the park. Pittman and Rodvien refer to”the new park master plan” yet all that has been revealed to the public is a site plan for building and construction, not a master plan for the park.
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