Protect Quiet Waters Park, our communities, our voice - say no to Parkside Preserve mega-development

Quiet Waters Park and nearby communities are under threat from a is a proposed 152-unit, 40-acre development project ironically called the Parkside Preserve.  It proposes to clear 12-acres of State-protected priority forest and impact approximately 10-acres of “relatively pristine” (per the Maryland Department of the Environment) forested wetlands that serve as the headwaters for Quiet Waters Park, Hunt Meadow, and Harness Creek. There is no need for the developer to destroy these forests, as they can protect them entirely and still build approximately 120 units on the previously developed open fields. This project would pollute the headwaters of Harness Creek and impact the Park and nearby neighborhoods. It would weaken our forests, dirty our air, and reduce our quality of life. And as of now, the public has had no say on this threat to our community. The City turned us away at a public hearing, yet allowed both the developer and City staff to testify. Furthermore, the City granted approval to the developer based on misinformation supplied to them by the developer; misinformation that mis-characterized the condition of the forest in order to more easily gain approval from the City to clear these State-protected priority forests.
A legal challenge was attempted, but the case was dismissed because the City never properly adopted the State Forest Conservation Law, and had no valid appeal process for the public to follow, despite their assertions to the contrary. That means the only person left who can fix this is Mayor Pantelides. He has the power and legal authority to do so.

We are asking that you work with your appointed Planning and Zoning Director to revoke the approved Forest Conservation Plan (FCP) for the Parkside Preserve project using Natural Resources code § 5-1612. We believe this is within your authority, and we believe you are obligated to do so to support your taxpayers.


We are concerned about this project's impacts to State-protected priority forests adjacent to Quiet Waters Park, to the wetlands that serve as the headwaters for Harness Creek and that flow into Quiet Waters Park and Hunt Meadow, and to the health of the contiguous Annapolis Neck Greenway forest. These environmental impacts can have serious repercussions on our community and the quality of life we so enjoy.


We want an opportunity to have our voices heard, and to comment on a project such as this that poses such a threat to our communities and to Quiet Waters Park. To this point in the process, the public has not had any opportunity to comment on this project's proposed impacts or their justification for clearing this State-protected priority forest. We were turned away at the Board of Appeals, when both the developers and City staff were permitted to testify. The application and hearing before the Planning commission was insufficient because it did not include final information on their proposed clearing of the priority forests.


We want you to honor the Annapolis Comprehensive Plan that states that a guiding environmental policy is to “protect and restore environmentally sensitive areas and other natural resources within the City," and sets a tree canopy goal of 50% by 2036.


You have repeatedly promised some community members that you would protect the priority forest on this property, and we ask you to honor that promise.


We ask that you order your appointee to take such revocation and expiration actions to protect our voice, protect our communities, and to protect our park.

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