County Attorney George Sparling shows public forum attendees a map of the Colton’s Point beach in dispute.
Lexington Park, MD –– Public forums conducted regularly by the St. Mary’s County Commissioners at locations around the county are often uneventful. Such was not the case at the forum held on October 7th at the Bay District VFD social hall in Lexington Park. Citizens brought concerns to the commissioners about traffic on Route 4, feral cats and a community dispute in Colton’s Point over access to a beach.
Jay Armsworthy, representing citizens in Woodland Acres and Woodland Heights, said the ongoing problems for residents exiting Oak Drive onto Route 4 are getting worse with the beginning of construction of a new lane along that busy stretch. Armsworthy noted that residents have to cross three lanes of traffic to make a left hand turn from Oak Drive, which is the only means of egress and ingress for their communities.
Armsworthy told the commissioners that the community has been told by state officials that the answer is for them to make a right hand turn, go down to Patuxent Boulevard and make a U-turn, which Armsworthy says is illegal. He drives a school bus that has to navigate the intersection.
The problem is especially serious in afternoon rush hour, when traffic on Route 4 often backs up and blocks Oak Drive. But heavy southbound traffic in the morning is equally difficult to navigate.
Even though a police presence at the intersection has been promised, Armsworthy said he has seen none so far and there have been several accidents there. He said the Jersey wall placed for construction of the extra lane also blocks line of sight for those residents exiting from Oak Drive. There are 52 homes in Woodland Acres.
Armsworthy said the fix would either be a traffic light or trip light at the intersection, which also includes a church on the other side of Route 4. “We don’t have safe ingress and egress,” Armsworthy insisted.
The State Highway Administration is having a meeting with citizens of the communities to discuss the problem on Friday, October 10th at 10 a.m. in the Arnold Building of the Department of Public Works on St. Andrews Church Road (Route 4).
Feral Cats
Diane Harris of Feral Cat Rescue renewed the organization’s concerns about how St. Mary’s Animal Control handles feral car colonies. The organization has volunteers who conduct a Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR) operation for a number of colonies that have volunteers that provide a regular food source for the cats.
When the cats are spayed or neutered their ears are humanely clipped to indicate they have been taken care of. Harris contends that animal control; is picking up these cats and taking them to the shelter at expense to the county. She said then one of the organization’s volunteers has to go to the Hughesville shelter and reclaim the feral cats.
Harris said the situation could be resolved if the county put a feral cat policy into its Animal Control regulations. She also said the lack of such a policy is preventing her organization from getting grants for their work.
Commissioner Lawrence Jarboe (R: 3rd), who has been an advocate for the group, said the commissioners could immediately send a letter to the organization supporting their efforts to help with their grant writing.
Harris also said that in spite of assurances at a previous public forum, animal control representatives had not been working with her group to solve the problem. Commissioner President Francis “Jack” Russell (D) said the commissioners would make another attempt to get the two parties together.
Colton’s Point beach access dispute
Several speakers passionately told the commissioners of an emotional issue that they say the county has exacerbated. According to Pamela Hurry, a resident bought a piece of property in Colton’s Point and is now claiming ownership of the beach and access to it that has been used by the community as a public beach. The landowner has put up barricades to the access and some residents have removed them.
The situation has escalated with deputies being called and according to the residents an inconsistent law enforcement effort has resulted, with some being ordered to leave the beach and others not. No one has been arrested so far.
The residents were told by County Attorney George Sparling that the only resolution of the matter was through the courts. That didn’t sit too well with the residents, who claimed Sparling was part of the problem by siding with the landowner.
The residents contend they have already had the issue adjudicated, in 1962, when a judge signed an order declaring the beach to be for public use.
Russell asked the residents and Sparling to huddle to see what role the county can play in helping resolve the dispute.