Anne Arundel County officials are working toward a compromise that could bring a large meeting hall for the county?s veterans to Annapolis.
But environmental issues, neighborhood opposition and five stakeholders in the property could make for a long and tenuous negotiation.
“The devil?s in the details,” said County Councilman Joshua Cohen, D-District 6, who represents the area and hopes to make a deal.
The plans for the Anne Arundel Veterans Hall are somewhat vague, but would essentially include a 12,000-square-foot meeting hall sectioned off for use by all of the county?s veterans groups, such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion and Disabled American Veterans.
VFW Member John W. Steffey leads the charge for the hall.
A veteran of World War II and the Korean War, Steffey, 82, said county veterans lack a quality venue to hold functions. The current location at the Eastport Democratic Club is too small.
“There is a desperate need for this,” Steffey said. “We?re one of the few counties in the state that doesn?t have some of kind of veterans facility. It?s a real need.”
Anne Arundel purchased the property in 1988 for a potential fire station.
The county no longer has a need for the property, which is one of several properties the county is selling to generate revenue.
But environmentalists want to save the property because seven of the property?s 11 acres are forested.
“Development of that property will damage the rivers by adding more runoff, adding to an already existing problem,” South River Federation President Kincey Potter said.
Steffey said the wooded part of the property would be preserved and Cohen said he wants the deed to require the future owner to keep the trees in place.
But Rolling Knolls Civic Association, which borders the property, has another option.
“Keep this property as open space until an opportunity to build a park or community center that will benefit the citizens of the county,” Rolling Knolls Civic Association Vice President Jay Irwin said.
Steffey said if all goes well, the hall could be up in two years.
