There have been few issues in my tenure as the Director of Recreation & Parks that have been as complex as deciding appropriate uses for the former Smith Farm property on the Broadneck Peninsula. In the final analysis, the resolution agreed to by the former owner and the County gives value to the onerous public debate that has waged on for nearly four years. Regardless of what was said, who said it or when it was said, we now have a resolution that is being praised by all. From the beginning, it was my desire to perpetuate a consensus building process that fairly represented the interests of all involved. In 2001, when the recommendations of the Broadneck Park Expansion Master Plan Committee were presented, I felt confident that the committee had done a good job of defining the collective needs and desires of the community. These recommendations led to an original proposal to locate three athletic fields on the property. In consideration to the opponents of this plan, it was scaled back to the more recent two-field plan, which called for a multipurpose field and a practice field in addition to an equal sized equestrian area and facilities for the Noah’s Ark Wildlife Hospital. The two-field plan was included in our Department’s 2002, 2003 and 2004 budgets, which were approved unanimously by the County Council. The State legislature appropriated $250,000 to assist with the project and the Board of Public Works approved those funds in 2003. On most accounts, it appeared the project was moving ahead; however, not everyone was appeased. As the project was being staged, the level of antipathy and tone of the rhetoric became acrimonious. Much was being said about the legality of promises made by County officials at the time of the sale; the terms of the contract; the amount paid for the property ($37,000 per acre for non-waterfront property in 1998); the proposed use of the former Nike site as an alternative location for fields; the call to evict Noah’s Ark Wildlife Hospital from the property and more. Obviously, the strong convictions of the former owner and the equestrian constituency were heartfelt as were mine in saving the home of the Noah’s Ark Wildlife Hospital. Noah’s Ark is known for healing the injured and once again served that purpose; however, this time it helped heal the differences between those involved with the Smith Farm controversy. After the former owner visited Noah’s Ark, we had a common connection in our appreciation of the work being done there. One thing led to another and the following compromise was reached: One multipurpose athletic field will be located on site with the additional acreage from the proposed practice field being added for equestrian use. An additional entrance road to Broadneck Park from College Parkway will be constructed. Noah’s Ark Wildlife Hospital will remain a tenant on the property. If and when Noah’s Ark leaves the property of its own volition, the space it occupies will be converted to equestrian use. In some ill-conceived fashion, fate has played out its hand with all parties that were intimately involved being satisfied with the outcome. Personally, it was worth the time and effort invested to arrive at this resolution. In closing, I thank everyone involved - the former owner and her family, the members of the Master Plan Committee, departmental staff, members of the previous County administration and, especially, the community-minded citizens engaged in the process - for their contributions to the resolution of this issue so that Broadneck Park may better serve the wide-ranging recreational needs of the Broadneck community. | 
