Anne Arundel County wants to know whether its residents want a solar park and public gardens on an 850-acre farm in Gambrills ? or keep it strictly farmland.
“We sensed a lot of people don?t know what we plan to do out there, so we?re going to have a true town hall meeting and tell them our intentions,” said Councilman James Benoit, D-Crownsville.
The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. Aug. 28 at Arundel High School, 1001 Annapolis Road, Gambrills.
The Navy is in talks with the county, which wants to preserve the agricultural aspect but add such aspects as botanical gardens and agricultural education center.
Benoit sent letters Monday to community associations to invite them to the meeting.
The Four Seasons Community Association wants to preserve the organic farming aspect of the property. The farm accounts for 13 percent of all state organic produce.
“It took a long time to get that organic status,” association Vice President Joan Berry said.
Odenton resident George Ruggles, a former Naval Academy employee, supported plans for a state horse park but now wants the area to remain as open space.
“We don?t want it developed into housing,” Ruggles said.
