Date: Thu, 31 Aug 2000 22:01:55 -0400 Reply-To: dangeo@erols.com Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: "Daniel F. McDonald" Subject: More On Cromwell Valley MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit A second flyer is being distributed at Cromwell Valley Park. The flyers are unsigned and I don't know who is responsible for their distribution, but the proposed intrusion into park property is a real possibility. The content of the second flyer: ATTENTION: ALL LOVERS OF CROMWELL VALLEY PARK! *The City of Baltimore is planning a massive, multimillion dollar, three-year project to bring the 1922 Loch Raven Dam up to current Federal standards. The City has identified 7 alternative storage and staging areas, each with proposed access routes. *Alternatives A, B & G involve 3 different access routes and a staging and storing area that would adversely affect the natural beauty, serenity, and use of the Willow Grove Farm at Cromwell Valley Park. *The staging/storing area for all 3 access routes would be located in the upper meadow at the end of the Minebank Trail on Willow Grove Farm. This beautiful, 8.1 acre meadow, which is Park property, would be used for material storage, contractor's office trailer and employee parking. The meadow's terrain and appearance would be severely altered and its wildlife habitat destroyed. (parenthetical from gmm: this is the field where woodcocks were seen performing their flight display in spring 1999. And isn't it bizarre that they can propose a project like this while at the other end of the park, surveyors are doing preliminary work for the stream restoration of Minebank Run. I believe implementation of the stream restoration work is already under way at the top of the stream in the Campus Hills neighborhood.) Proposed route #1: would access the meadow via an existing paved driveway off of Loch Raven Drive north of Minebank Run Bridge. Proposed route #2: would utilize Cromwell Bridge Road to Willow Grove Farm and then follow the Minebank Trail to the upper meadow. This would halt all daytime activity in two thirds of the Park. The Willow Grove entrance would be closed to public access because of frequent truck traffic and the Minebank Trail would have to be widened and paved to a two-lane road. This route is within a 50-year old flood plain and runs within, in many areas, less than five feet of an unstable bank of Minebank Run. Proposed route #3: would utilize Cromwell Bridge Road to a new two-lane construction road that would be built over a 20-acre farm field within Cromwell Valley Park leased to CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). This new road would require the construction of a temporary bridge over the Minebank Run and through wetlands to the upper meadow at the end of the Minebank Trail. The construction of a temporary road over the field would make the land useless for future farming and permanently destroy the wetlands around the Minebank. *WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP: *State Senators Bromwell and Harris are two powerful allies who are actively supporting community groups and communicating our concerns to the City. Both agree that Alternatives A, B, and G (as well as Alternative F, involving nearby residents) would adversely affect Cromwell Valley Park and disrupt the quality of life for members of the community. They advocate Alternatives C, D, and E, which mainly utilize Providence Road and Loch Raven Drive as access routes and City property more convenient to the Dam as staging, storing, and mixing sites. *In an Aug. 23 letter to Mayor Martin O'Malley regarding the Loch Raven rehabilitation project, Senator Harris wrote: "Having reviewed this information and spoken with local residents monitoring developments on this issue, I agree with the assessment of the citizens task force that Alternatives C, D, and E seem to offer the best possible solution without adversely affecting the use of the very popular Cromwell Valley Park or damaging the quality of life of nearby residents." *Please show your support in having Alternatives A, B, and G removed from the table in favor of Alternatives C, D, and E. Write or call each Senator and tell them you support their efforts on your behalf to prevent the City from destroying Cromwell Valley Park and its lands. The Senator's addresses and numbers are: Senator Thomas L. Bromwell Pres. Wing James Senate Office Building 110 College Ave,/ Annapolis, MD 21401 410-841-3620 Senator Andrew P. Harris 307 James Senate Office Building 110 College Ave, /Annapolis, MD 21401 410-841-3706 *To be put on a mailing list in order to be informed of future public meetings related to this matter, please call or write Delegate James Ports at: 307 Lowe House Office Building 8001 Harford Rd. Annapolis, MD 21401 OR Baltimore, MD 21234 410-291-3176 410-882-8490 *Delegate Ports has indicated he would support utilizing the upper meadow at Cromwell Valley Park as a staging/storing area. Please let him know you are opposed to any use of the Park for this project, especially since there are more viable alternatives available, ie: C, D and E. ACT NOW! CROMWELL VALLEY PARK NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT! Georgia again here: Dot Gustafson attended a meeting with some of the people involved in this project and provided the following names of others to be approached with concerns about the project: Information about the Loch Raven Dam project: Ralph Cullison (water dept) 410-396-0539 Project Manager: Larisa Feldsher 900 Abel Wolman Municipal Bldg. 200 N. Holiday St. Baltimore, MD 21202 Director of Public Works: George L. Winfield City of Baltimore Dept. of Public Works 600 Abel Wolman Municipal Bldg. 200 N. Holiday St. Baltimore, MD 21202 Georgia McDonald Towson, MD dangeo@erols.com ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================