Development & Zoning
Chaired By: Damon Cogar
The Development and Zoning Committee will function as liaison between our community and local and state jurisdictions to keep abreast of development in the Crownsville vicinity that may or may not affect Arden on the Severn directly.
Arden Speed Humps & Traffic Study Results
This past fall, the ACA requested a traffic study for the possible addition of speed humps on Omar Drive, Whitneys Landing Drive, and Evergreen Road. The RESULTS of the traffic study reveal that we do not qualify for additional speed humps at this time.
Millersville Park Information and Survey
Millersville Park is the 35-acre site of a former farm and two homes across from Millersville Elementary School. The site offers about 17 acres for park development if existing forest and trees are preserved and 100 ft forested buffers are established along Interstate 97 and adjacent home properties.
The county Department of Recreation and Parks (DRP) wants to develop the park as a sports complex of lighted and irrigated athletic fields along with bathrooms, concession stand, and other amenities. DRP’s Website provides links to the traffic and aquifer studies they did to assess if the park site and road network can support their plan. The traffic study considered 4 athletic fields with a 371-car parking lot. Local community groups found many problems with those studies. You can read their concerns at these links: traffic study concerns and aquifer study concerns.
On March 4, DRP held a Stakeholder Group Meeting (See Meeting Presentation and Material Here) to discuss the Traffic and Aquifer Studies and consider concept options for the park.
The aquifer study already presented a 5-1/2 field option, which would require 480 parking spaces, remove many trees, and provide no forested buffers. It included only one other amenity-- a walking trail. At the Stakeholder Group meeting, we hope DRP will present other options with fewer fields, more amenities, and fewer parking spaces as well as tree preservation and forested buffers.
Instead of sports complex, the Arden Community Association, the Old Millersville Neighborhood Association (OMNA), and other local groups propose a mixed-use park that serves all age groups and multiple user groups while having lower impacts on traffic, neighbors, and local streams. WE NEED YOUR INPUT!
As a result of the Mar 4th Stakeholder Meeting, DRP will be considering the input of the stakeholder group and development new concept plans to be presented at the next stakeholder meeting for discussion. Focus will be on a 3 - 3.5 field plan with park amenities (playground, dog park, wooded walking trail, tennis/pickleball courts) to be enjoyed by the local communities. There was also discussion about connecting to the close-by South Shore Trail. Review DRP's Meeting Minutes [HERE].
Stakeholder Thoughts on Design
Make your opinion count!
Survey Input Needed
If you haven’t already, please take our Arden-OMNA multi-community survey [HERE] to let us know what you would like in the park. The survey will help document what surrounding communities want for the park so that our needs can be considered. The survey results will be presented to DRP and to the Stakeholder Committee.
Arden Park (Over-Scheduling; Insufficient Parking) Concerns
5/20/2023 Arden/Annapolis Lacrosse Tournament
Arden Park Scheduling
Organized sport tournaments are being scheduled at Arden Park with inadequate parking with only 80 marked parking spots. Recently (May 20, 2023) this became painfully obvious to a majority of Ardenites living in Sections 1 - 4. If you are concerned with property damage, safety, and emergency response times as a result of this type of scheduling, please reach out to our County Officials and express your concern: County Executive. Pittman [EMAIL]; Constituent Services Director Vincent Moulden [EMAIL]; DRP Director Jessica Leys [EMAIL], and DRP Deputy Director Erica Jackson Matthews [EMAIL]. Be sure to send in your concerns now as it relates to the Millersville Park project design as well.
Crownsville Hospital Property Transfer to AACo for Development
July 6, 2022, the State Board of Public Works unanimously voted to transfer the Crownsville Hospital property to the County. Anne Arundel County’s vision is to transform the property into the Crownsville Hospital Memorial Park to serve County residents and honor the history and legacy of the Center and those institutionalized during its operation. Future plans for Crownsville Hospital Memorial Park include preserving the undeveloped portion of the property and establishing passive and low-impact uses such as trails. Possible uses for the developed area include health and wellness programming. The property will be utilized to further enhance the non-profit presence and community support services that are already on site. Over the long term, the County looks forward to the restoration of the historic core of the hospital grounds, to include a museum dedicated to interpreting the history of Crownsville Hospital and a memorial to honor the former patients interred on the property. This marks the end of one chapter and the beginning of a new Chapter with the rebirth of the Crownsville property, not as a Hospital, but as Crownsville Memorial Park, a Center for Hope & Healing. We will follow the progress and report here. Stay tuned!
AACo Preserves 158 Acres of Forested Land on Crownsville Hospital Property [READ MORE]
Crownsville Hospital Center
See the abandoned facility via drone on Youtube [HERE].
[CLICK HERE] to see the AACo CIP for the Crownsville Non Profit Center project to become part of the larger scale transition.
Crownsville Fire Station
Out with the old...........in with the new!
[CLICK HERE] to view the Community Presentation from the Fire Department.
Check out the AACo Fire Department Website highlighting this project.
PROGRESS PHOTOS
More to Come....Stay tuned!
Annapolis-Crownsville Fire Training Academy & 911 Center Proposed
On the Radar
Apr 26th we received a call from the AACo County Executive's Community Engagement Office providing a heads-up about the County's purchase of 95.63 acres of property off of Generals Highway behind the Rams Head Roadhouse in Nov 2022. They are proposing a new Fire Training Academy and 911 Center.
Crownsville Dunkin Donuts Proposed
View more information on the AACo Planning & Zoning website [HERE] where you can also watch meeting playbacks.
Rethinking Plans for Valentine Creek Park Public Waterway Access
OFF THE TABLE? MAYBE NOT FOR LONG
New life may be breathed into this project soon but on a much smaller scale. The ACA is part of the stakeholder group for this park development. A new proposal may include a fishing pier and soft launch for canoes, kayaks and the like. More to come......
HISTORY: AACo held a virtual kick-off meeting of stakeholders held on May 10, 2022, presenting 3 conceptual plans. The County Executive and Director of Constituent Services toured the property with stakeholders on July 26th as a result of feedback received through the surrounding communities. Joe Clark (ABI Chairman) was able to personally express Arden's concerns and the views of the majority of our survey participants with the County Executive.
The County Executive held a town hall at Baldwin Hall on July 27th to discuss this project as well as others in the area. In summary, the County Executive stated that the concepts presented by Recreation & Parks in May are now scrapped, further stating that the ecological damage of this project far exceeds the benefit that would be offered to the public. The Crownsville Conservatory will stay involved, as will your Arden representatives, to protect the "Big Woods" from any irresponsible use in the future.
Read "PropTalk" [HERE]
AACo Boat Launch Feasibility Study (Jan 2017)
Check out the Trail Map [HERE]
READ ALL ABOUT IT in an article published in the Capital Gazette on August 13th.
Plan 2040
Plan 2040 is the General Development Plan for Anne Arundel County. It sets the policy framework to protect the natural environment, shape development of the built environment, provide public services to promote healthy communities, and support a diverse, resilient economy. Plan 2040 provides a shared, long-range framework for County elected officials, staff, and community members for addressing land use issues. It balances many competing demands on land use by creating consistent development patterns. Plan 2040 was developed through dozens of public forums and is informed by thousands of comments from the community.
There are many common concerns throughout the County, including traffic congestion, school capacity, environmental protection, and housing affordability. These issues are complex and broad; addressing them requires the efforts of over 20 County departments, along with State and Federal agencies, non-profit organizations, and the private sector. Plan 2040 includes goals, policies, and strategies to address these issues and manage development and redevelopment. Click on the Useful Link on this page for additional information.
GENERALS HIGHWAY COUNCIL OF CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS (GHCCA)
The Council exists to preserve and protect the Generals Highway Corridor’s rural and residential way of life, the health, safety and wellbeing of its citizens, its historic sites and significance, and the sustainability of its natural environment. ACA assigns a representative to serve as a member in this organization to report important information to the community.
For more information, visit: GHCCA or join them on FaceBook.
Contact our ACA representative, Jasmine Wilding for more information.
PROJECTS TO CONSIDER AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Petition County for sidewalk from Sections 1, 2, 3, 4 to Section 5, or the construction of a hiker-biker trail to provide a pathway between Sections 2 and 5.
Connect Sections 2 and 5 via hiker/biker trail for safe and easy passage between Section 5 and Sections 1-4 to bring our community closer together. Working with MDE for right of way access. Potential Eagle Scout project.
Additional speed humps on Whitneys Landing (between Miller Circle and Pullen Drive), Omar Drive (just before Town Hall), and Evergreen Road (just after the sharp bend near the Chesapeake Radio Flying Field).
NEW PARTICIPANTS WELCOME
The Development and Zoning Committee is made up of a mix of people who share an interest in the development occurring in and around Arden on the Severn. If you are interested in this topic and in making new friends and forming community bonds, please contact us or feel free to join in a monthly ACA meeting.
