March 2007
Comprehensive Planning Needs You!
This and other issues...
Comprehensive Plan Forum
Back Creek Nature Park
You're Invited for Coffee
GreenScape Deadline Nears
Here's a thought!
Dear Friend,
One way of assuring that our City remains a great place for all our families and individuals is carefully planning our future growth. A comprehensive plan is an official long-range policy statement adopted and amended by formal resolution of the City Council. When completed it will be a major component of the planning process for the City of Annapolis; guiding and controlling our development for the next 10 to 20 years. It will contain goals, objectives, policies and guidelines for growth in and around the city.
On Wednesday, March 7th you'll have an excellent opportunity to attend a Community Forum that will explain Annapolis's comprehensive planning process. You'll be able to interact with City leaders and staff. You'll learn how you can personally influence the future of our great City. (Read the following article for details.)
I hope you'll attend.
Comprehensive Plan --
Community Forum scheduled March 7th
The Comprehensive Plan Citizen Advisory Committee invites you to attend an Annapolis Community Forum on Wednesday, March 7th at Bates Middle School, 701 Chase Street.
Every 10 years the City creates a new comprehensive plan to chart the City's direction over the next 10 to 20 years. This comprehensive plan addresses land use and urban form, municipal growth, the transportation network, economic development, environmental protection, water resources, public facilities and infrastructure, parks and recreation, and other aspects of city life. The plan focuses most on the areas over which the City government has jurisdiction. This new comprehensive plan is expected to be completed by 2008.
The public is invited to stop by anytime from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. At intervals throughout the evening a presentation will be given showing the "Community Character Approach" to planning and the key issues to be dealt with in the new comprehensive plan.
Participants will be invited to join small group discussions about issues and areas of concern to Annapolis residents.
Put this on your schedule!
Back Creek Nature Park
It's the pride of Ward 7!
This park has been called the hidden jewel of Annapolis city parks, and it is certainly fast becoming the pride of Ward 7. Created in 1990 through Maryland's Program Open Space, it has quietly rested for nearly 20 years housing the former City of Annapolis Wastewater Treatment Plant, the historic Anne Arundel County Court House cupola, and other guarded treasures.
Today, the park is being developed as a unique environmental educational resource. Back Creek Nature Park is becoming an area where visitors of all ages can learn about the environment. Providing a national model for innovative urban living classroom eco-education and recreation at the local level, this important Ward 7 trust will soon become known throughout the East Coast as a model public center for watershed conservation and restoration.
The park will offer free nature programs for children and adults. A stormwater Education Experience Center will demonstrate technologies for managing stormwater runoff. An Eco-Technology Walk and an Osprey Nature Center with "active" eco-educational programs, exhibits, lectures, laboratories, and demonstrations will be included. (By the way, donor and sponsorship recognition programs are available for each phase of development!)
You can volunteer to work alongside many other men, women and children and midshipmen from the U.S. Naval Academy to make this great dream come true. To find out specifically what you can do to join the Friends of Back Creek Nature Park team, contact Mel Wilkins at mel82nd@comcast.net.
And, of course, you can help build the park through your giving. Make your check payable to Friends of Back Creek Nature Park. Your gift of $20, $50, $100 or more is certainly appreciated. A gift of $300 will get your name inscribed on the Osprey Nature Center Wall of EcoChampions. And your contribution will be tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
Help make this incredible community vision come true! Mail your gift today to:
Friends of Back Creek Nature Park
214 Duke of Gloucester Street
Annapolis, MD 21401
To learn more about Back Creek Nature Park click here!
Your mayor invites you for coffee!
Mayor Ellen Moyer invites you to join her for coffee and danish at City Hall. This is a brand new series of "Let's Talk" events. The Mayor wants to know what you think. What is your vision for Annapolis's future? What do you believe would be realistic goals for transportation, the environment, our families, etc.?
The next coffee will be held on Thursday, March 8th at 8:30 a.m. in City Council Chambers, 160 Duke of Gloucester Street. Other coffees will be held on Monday, March 12th and Thursdays, March 22nd and 29th, also at 8:30 a.m. in City Council Chambers.
GreenScape deadline March 15th
The final GreenScape meeting will be held on Thursday, March 15th, 7:00 p.m. at the Eastport Fire Station. At that meeting you will need to hand in your order forms for plants and materials. Orders will not be accepted after March 15th.
Simply complete the order form and bring it to the March 15th meeting. Click here to find the GreenScape 2007 instructions and order form on the City's website.
If you are a real GreenScape pro, you can simply deliver your order form to the staff at the Recreation & Parks Department by the close of business on March 15th.
Should you have any questions, phone Recreation & Parks Director LeeAnn Plumer at 410-263-7958.
Let's work together for an even more beautiful Ward 7 and Annapolis!
Now here's a thought!
"Let no one be discouraged by the belief there is nothing one man or one woman can do against the enormous array of the world's ills, against misery and ignorance, injustice and violence.... Few will have the greatness to bend history itself, but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of our generation." (Robert F. Kennedy)
Quick Links...
Register to VoteAlderman Sam Website
Annapolis City Council
Back Creek Nature Park
Annapolis Maritime Museum
