The County’s Process

Cytotec Prescription Discount Acomplia India Buying Cipro Tramadol Dosage Where Order Nizoral Proper Dosage Where Order Avapro High Doses Discount Neurontin Get High Herbal Acomplia NoRX Price For Nexium Health Forum Where To Get Zelnorm Prescription Where Order Aricept Side Effects Where Order Plavix High Doses Where Order Avapro Dosing Purchase Ultram Where Order Clomid Canada Female Viagra Online Order Cipro Jackson Purchase Zyban Generic Antabuse Horny Goat Weed Price For Toprol XL France Cymbalta Online Price For Lipitor United Kingdom Purchase Penisole BatonRouge Lipitor RX Hoodia Comparison Natural Nexium France Natural Clomid Mail Purchase Female Viagra SantaFe Price For Nexium United Kingdom Seroquel Faq Stromectol Weight Antabuse With PayPal Where Order Soma Drug Information Where To Get VPXL Description Herbal Neurontin Tablets Where To Get Penisole Weight Price For Prednisone Comparison Generic Ultram SaintPaul Topamax Discount Elimite Horny Goat Weed Buying Antabuse Levitra Prednisone Comparison Prevacid Testimonials Where To Get Inderal Dosing Where Order Lexapro Overnight Delivery Levitra Tablets Cytotec Deliver Buy Nizoral Where To Get Erythromycin Shipping

Planning for the Smith farm is still in its infancy. The Howard County Department of Parks and Recreation has developed a concept plan for a regional park, with an emphasis on active recreation. The Thunder Hill Park Alliance, using the services of an internationally known landscape designer, has developed an alternate plan that emphasizes preservation of te natural environment and interaction with nature.Process

Howard County Government followed a fairly typical process in gathering citizen input about the Smith property: it convened a group of residents who represented a very broad spectrum of special interests with regard to development, preservation, the environment, and recreation. From a political standpoint, most of the bases were covered.

Starting in the Fall of 2001, a group of citizens, named the Blaindair Planning Committee, attended meetings where development of the site was discussed, and eventually the group was divided into sub-groups which were each assigned the responsibility of investigating and presenting ideas for use of the site.

Not surprisingly, each of the sub-groups came forward with ideas that reflected their particular special interest: preservationists were concerned about the manor house and outbuildings, recreation advocates lobbied for playing fields, and the Environmental/Nature Center Work Group proposed a nature park.

At the end of this exercise, people were tasked with “voting” on the uses each wanted to see included in development of the site, even though some of the uses were incompatible, that is, some were insignificant and others all-encompassing, and some simply couldn’t be accommodated together. The uses with the highest “votes” were included in the Howard County Department of Parks and Recreation concept plan for the park.

The Thunder Hill Park Alliance arose out of concern by some members of the citizen advisory group that the concept plan that came out of the meetings was not one that would make best use of a community treasure. A group of people decided to advocate on behalf of a different vision for the site, established the Thunder Hill Park Alliance as a non-profit organization, raised some money, invited a professional to assess the site, brought the resulting concepts to the attention of community leaders and has continued to spread the word of a different vision.


Department of Parks and Recreation

The Concept Plan for Blandair Regional Park, as the county is calling its proposed use of the Smith property, is distinguished primarily by its emphasis on active recreation and provisions for projected tourist attractions.

“Ballfields,” “multi-purpose fields,” “tennis courts” and “court games” consume acres of the parklands and disregard forest and pastures, specimen trees and the wildlife movement corridor. In addition, a large area is proposed as a “festival area/informal play area” that is surrounded by parking. This is apparently the projected site of revenue-producing events, such as tournaments, as outlined in a bond bill proposal that was defeated in committee during the 2006 Maryland Legislative Session.

The Bond Bill Fact Sheet supporting the request for a matching $500,000 “for the planning and design of a recreational park at Blandair Regional Park located in Columbia” included this description of the county’s concept:

“This 300-acre park was purchased with County funds and State Program Open Space funds, thereby assuring its permanent use for recreation and preservation purposes. A Regional Park of this magnitude will draw visitors from throughout the County as well as adjacent jurisdictions. The County population to be served is currently in excess of 270,000 people. This facility can host large festivals and athletic tournaments and will greatly benefit the local economy, particularly restaurants, hotels, sporting goods stores and small markets. This park is in the Planned Service Area (Smart Growth Area) of Howard County and will help reduce the current over-usage of Centennial Park. This project is identified in the 2005 Land Preservation, Recreation and Parks Plan as a “short range” need, and it will help address current shortages of athletic fields, court games, playgrounds and pathways in the Ellicott City, Elkridge, North Laurel and Columbia Planning Areas.”