No need to look any further. The perfect site for a new school in the California area is located at the end of Patuxent Blvd. It is called Myrtle Point Park. There are 192 acres which isn't being used for much of anything except for the few hiking trails. It is not waterfront "friendly" and there are no recreational facilities. The county has had this property for years now and have only given lip service to the public about developing it as a park with amenities that ALL citizens would like to use, including soccer, lacrosse, baseball, picnicing, and multi-purpose fields. Of course the tree hugging groups will fight this till they're blue in the face! They've fought every effort so far to have this developed for ALL citizens. The county commissioner president recently stated on TV that the state has 430,000 acres off the tax rolls. So? St. Mary's has 192 acres off the roles and yet is still looking for land to build a school. If they aren't going to use what they have for the intended purpose, then use it for what is so desperately needed. A NEW SCHOOL!!!!
The perfect school site
- Thread starter 5857dave
- Start date
blueintrepid18
New Member
Thats where all the little fast and furious wanna-be's race too. Put a school there so hopefully cops will patroll that road more and catch some of the little bad azz wanna be's.
Cletus_Vandam
New Member
The problem with that site and road for that matter is the road infrastructure is not there to support the school. A traffic signal would be required at the intersection on Route 4-that will cause more delay to an already endless wait in the traffic in that area.
Also, the majority or student population that would go to a school in that area would come from across Route 235 (Wildwood). Can you image the traffic mess of having 17 school busses try and get through the lights at the Rt. 4/235 intersection?
That really isn't a good site for a school...
Also, the majority or student population that would go to a school in that area would come from across Route 235 (Wildwood). Can you image the traffic mess of having 17 school busses try and get through the lights at the Rt. 4/235 intersection?
That really isn't a good site for a school...
Cletus_Vandam
New Member
Frogs?
In addition to my earlier post, have many of you read the headlines lately about the "frog" that is creating problems with another possible site?
There will certainly be bigger problems trying to develope an area that has seen more public outcry over its environmental habitat.
If memory serves me correctly, doesn't Mr. Fowler still conduct some type of bay appreciation thing in this area? I think any development on this land is going to see a lot of objection.
In addition to my earlier post, have many of you read the headlines lately about the "frog" that is creating problems with another possible site?
There will certainly be bigger problems trying to develope an area that has seen more public outcry over its environmental habitat.
If memory serves me correctly, doesn't Mr. Fowler still conduct some type of bay appreciation thing in this area? I think any development on this land is going to see a lot of objection.
Midnightrider
Well-Known Member
Bernie does that over in Brooms Island.
I don't see why Dave is so eager to "develop" that land anyway. Many of us use and enjoy that park the way it is now, a perserved park. There are plenty of other parks in the county that have the amenities that you are looking for, why do you want yet another soccer complex on such a nice piece of land?
I don't see why Dave is so eager to "develop" that land anyway. Many of us use and enjoy that park the way it is now, a perserved park. There are plenty of other parks in the county that have the amenities that you are looking for, why do you want yet another soccer complex on such a nice piece of land?
Why not? The county appointed a task force to study and recommend the best use for this property when they acquired it. The study recommended full development of the park with playing fields. Their recommendations were rejected and the county paid a consulting firm $75,000 to do another study. Their recommendations: The same as the public task force!!! That too was rejected and the property has sat idle for the past 4 or 5 years (Porta-Potties and rough cut trails do no make it a park). In order to meet requirements for handicap access, signs were put up indicating it was accessible. The only access is from the front gate to the parking area. This is real user friendly isn't it? Perhaps you didn't read the sarcasm in my first post. My point is that many citizens of the county would like to see something more done to the park, but yet it still sits there empty. If it's not going to be put to better use than what it is, why not use it to build a school? Bernie Fowler can still do his "wade in" there!!!!!
Oz
You're all F'in Mad...
The folks who live around Myrtle Point have a landowners dream over there. Tons of land around them that won't be developed. Some of those folks now want to carve a piece of their land out for their children to build on, and can't! Those same folks would have a cow if the county wanted to build schools there.
As for your idea, I say go for it. There is infrastructure there, as far as roads and a public water system. Route 4 has existing problems that need to be fixed, and this would increase the urgency to address those. It will take 18-36 months to build a school anyway, which would allow time for highway upgrades on Route 4.
Why not? What better way to educate students than to put them on/near a nature park. This idea is as good as any that have been put forth. If you listen to the NIMBY's, we would never build another school. The Board of Education needs to get behind a site, and push-push-push. At this point, I would be happy for them to do that with -any- of the sites available. That way, the Commissioners would know what site to lobby for, and open-minded community could get behind them and help make it happen. Right now, we need to hear from the BoE... They're getting off scott-free so far because everyone else is fighting the battle for them. But when it comes down to it, they need to tell the community what they need moving forward.
As for your idea, I say go for it. There is infrastructure there, as far as roads and a public water system. Route 4 has existing problems that need to be fixed, and this would increase the urgency to address those. It will take 18-36 months to build a school anyway, which would allow time for highway upgrades on Route 4.
Why not? What better way to educate students than to put them on/near a nature park. This idea is as good as any that have been put forth. If you listen to the NIMBY's, we would never build another school. The Board of Education needs to get behind a site, and push-push-push. At this point, I would be happy for them to do that with -any- of the sites available. That way, the Commissioners would know what site to lobby for, and open-minded community could get behind them and help make it happen. Right now, we need to hear from the BoE... They're getting off scott-free so far because everyone else is fighting the battle for them. But when it comes down to it, they need to tell the community what they need moving forward.
Cletus_Vandam
New Member
Oz said:
Oz, I don't know for sure if you have been following all of the writings in the local paper on the BOE’s efforts to secure property or not.
The Indian Bridge site is a good location and good site overall for the construction of a school. But there are several problems. One of them happens to be a Commissioner is not in support of building on this “free” piece of property. Mr. Mattingly has stated to the papers that he does not understand why farm land located outside of the development district needs to be developed for a school site. Take a look at the statement. First off the land is not owned by a farmer, it is owned by DNR and leased to a farmer. Second, the property abuts the development district. It isn’t like is it miles away.
Then there’s the infamous toad… Someone five years ago thought they saw an Eastern Narrowmouth Toad on a piece of property along Indian Bridge Road. In steps DNR with all their restrictions on how the site can be developed, indicating the preservation of the ghost toad is a priority. Yet twice a year this same site is disked, planted and harvested by the farmer they are renting to. If you ask me building a school and developing educational habitats would be far less disruptive than dragging a disk over the ground and turning the soil up two or three time a year.
Sure there’s property inside the development district, but it isn’t free. The BOE can only ask for money from the County for the acquisition of property, it is up to the County to find that money. One school site can easily cost $4 to 10 m depending upon location and viability of the site.
Several things need to happen for the school system to get property to build on. Either everyone from the political arena (State and local) need to reach an agreement on a site with little or no restrictions (because restrictions equal more construction cost); or the County needs to pony-up the money to purchase a site. Pretty simple…