Letter To The Editor: Homeport Farm Park

Our public parks must remain public. Our public funds must be used for the public good. The county must abandon its efforts to force rowing into Homeport Farm Park and divert public funds for private benefit and instead invest public money in public water access for all.

For the fourth time in 15 years, the Department of Recreation and Parks is trying to turn our public Homeport Farm Park into a publicly funded rowing center for the benefit of private rowing clubs. That rowing center would effectively privatize Homeport Farm Park and the only usable public water access point on the South River. That rowing center would use $25 million in tax money for private clubs. This is wrong.

Strict deed restrictions on Homeport stopped the three prior attempts. Those deed restrictions are unchanged. In 2022, Rec and Parks ignored the deed restrictions and spent $25,000 for a feasibility study of a rowing center in Homeport from AECOM, an international consulting firm. Rec and Parks has not released the 2022 AECOM feasibility study, despite numerous requests under the Maryland Public Information Act. This is not open and transparent.

Although we do not know the plan specifics because Rec and Parks is hiding the 2022 AECOM feasibility study, we do know that it will cost a lot of money. The current proposal is the first installment payment on a taxpayer funded $25 million rowing center for private clubs. The stealth $3.3 million that Rec and Parks moved through the Fiscal Year 23 P567500 Boat Ramp Development account is only for the half-acre of floating docks and acres of parking lots required for a rowing center. That stealth $3.3 million is more than the county paid for the Discovery Village public boat ramp and Solley Cove Park public boat ramp combined. And remember, that stealth money is just the first installment. It does not include any of the very expensive structures. This is a misuse of public funds.

Diverting millions of taxpayer dollars into a private rowing center is not public water access. Eighty percent of the people in Anne Arundel County do not live in waterfront homes or water privileged communities. Public dollars must pay for water access for the public, not expensive private facilities.

Anne Arundel County must dedicate public money and public parks to the public good. The county must, once and for all, reject a rowing center in Homeport Farm Park and return to spending public water access funds for public water access for all.

Lisa Arrasmith
Chair, The Public Water Access Committee