SALISBURY – County residents last week voiced their support and concerns for the development of a public park.
Last week, residents gathered in a public input session to share their ideas for the development of a county-owned property known as Pirate’s Wharf.
In October, the county announced it had received a $820,000 grant from the National Parks Service through the Land and Water Conservation Fund for future development of Pirate’s Wharf.
The county purchased the 340-acre property – located along the Wicomico River – in 1997, and, to date, has not developed the property for public use. County officials said the goal of developing Pirate’s Wharf is to provide low-impact recreational activities and water access.
“Our intention is to increase access and provide public access to a wonderful place,” said Steve Miller, the county’s director of recreation, parks and tourism.
And while the Wicomico County Council has yet to accept the grant – which requires $820,000 in matching funds – the county last week offered community members a chance to share their ideas for the park ahead of the master planning process.
“We want to hear your ideas, your concerns, what you want to see, what you don’t want to see …,” Miller said, “and it will all be considered as we go forward in the planning process.”
A vast majority of attendees said they would like to see the property be used for low-impact activities. Ideas included pollinator gardens, native vegetation, access for small or nonmotorized watercraft, handicap-accessible trails, bike paths, pavilions and pervious parking lots, among other things.
Attendee Don Ross said he wanted to see the property remain as natural as possible.
“It’s a unique area and I don’t think it needs our help,” he said.
Ellen Lawler, vice president of the Tri-County Bird Club, would like to see existing trails in a forested area of the property be utilized.
“When we talk about recreation, we don’t always talk so much about nature walks and bird watching,” she said, “but that is also an important form of recreation.”
Joan Maloof, an ecologist who lived on the Pirate’s Wharf property for 30 years, said she supported a system of raised trails but did not support any plans to thin the forest.
“Any thinning will affect bird species and amphibian species,” she said.
Maloof added that she would prefer water access be limited to nonmotorized vessels or boats with small motors.
“I’m afraid if we put in a boat launching area that mean we will need a large parking lot for those trucks and trailers,” she said. “It will also mean a lot of noise.”
While one resident suggested the property be used as a profit-generating campground, Wayne Strausburg, the county’s director of administration, stressed the county’s intent was to preserve the area and its shoreline.
“The county’s intent is not to make money,” he said. “The county’s intent is to preserve this property. We are planning a light-impact recreational, environmentally friendly facility that people in this county can enjoy.”
An adjacent property owner applauded the county’s ideas, but said he was most concerned about possible trespassers. He suggested signage and limited fencing near his property line.
“I would really like to see something committed at some point before we start doing things with this property that will give me comfort that I won’t have trespassers,” he said.
Miller said ideas from the input session will be used to develop options for the park, which will again be presented to the public for feedback.
“We had to have something to apply for the grant,” he said. “I think we had that vision and those concepts, but there’s no finalized plan. That’s what this process is.”
An attendee added that she would like to see the county post a timeline for the development of the park.
“Can we get a very transparent approach to this and perhaps post what our timelines are on the public site?” she said.
Strausburg replied the county would not have a timeline for the project until the county council accepts the grant funding.
“Until the grant is accepted we have no funding, so we can’t answer your questions until and unless the county council accepts this grant,” he said.
It should be noted that the county council last week agreed to extend the date for voting on a legislative bill that would appropriate prior year funds in the amount of $254,758.15 to pay grant matching funds for the Pirate’s Wharf project, and it is unclear when the council will vote to accept the federal grant. However, Councilman Marc Kilmer, who attended the public input session, said members of the public will have the opportunity to comment when it is brought before the legislative body.
County Executive Bob Culver noted that the county has four years in which to complete the process and encouraged anyone to voice their thoughts and concerns.
“We have four years to do this in,” he said. “It isn’t going to be overnight, but it will be done, and we want input.”
