LAND PRESERVATION, PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN WASHINGTON COUNTY, MARYLAND WASHINGTON COUNTY PLANNING DEPARTMENT WASHINGTON COUNTY PARKS & RECREATION December, 2005 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This Plan was prepared by the Washington County Planning Department and updates the 1998 Land Preservation and Recreation Plan. The completion of the Plan was assisted by the Washington County Parks and Recreation Department and advisory board. In addition, the input and comments of citizens, municipal officials, groups, and organizations is gratefully acknowledged. WASHINGTON COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Gregory I. Snook, President William J. Wivell, Vice-President James F. Kercheval John C. Munson Doris J. Nipps WASHINGTON COUNTY WASHINGTON COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION RECREATION AND PARKS BOARD James F. Kercheval, Ex Offico Doris Nipps, Ex-Offico Donald Ardinger, Chair Albert Deal George Anikis Angela Kershner R. Ben Clopper Ed Masood Bernard Moser Deborah Murphy, Chair Linda Parrish Gerald Poffenberger Terry Reiber William Sterner Dave Barr PLANNING STAFF CONTRIBUTORS Stephen T.Goodrich, Senior Planner William V. Stachoviak, Park & Environmental Planner Debra Eckard, Administrative Secretary Jennifer Kinzer, GIS Analyst Plan Adopted 2006 The Washington County Land Preservation, Parks, and Recreation Plan is hereby adopted on , 2006, by the County Commissioners of Washington County. _________________________________________ Gregory I. Snook, President _________________________________________ William J. Wivell, Vice-President __________________________________________ James S. Kercheval _________________________________________ John C. Munson _________________________________________ Doris J. Nipps TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE Excutive Summary 1 CHAPTER I: Introduction -- Land Preservation, Parks and Recreation Plan A. Purposes 3 B. Definitions, Planning Act Visions 4 CHAPTER II: LOCAL PLAN FRAMEWORK A. County Description 5 B. Demographics 7 C. Comprehensive Plan Framework- 11 Agriculture, Forest Land Preservation 11 D. Growth Areas & Rural Policy Areas 13 CHAPTER III: RECREATION, PARKS, and OPEN SPACE A. Context- State Goals 17 Park Classification B. Local Goals and Programs 18 Goals and Policies Recreation/Parks Natural Resource Land 20 Programs and Procedures 21 ii C. Needs analysis and County Priorities 24 1. Supply: Facility and Land Inventory Local Resources 2. Demand Estimate 28 3. Needs analysis 30 4. County Priorities and Recommendations 32 a. Area Plans- 33 Central 35 Southern 41 Eastern 45 Western 49 b. Parks and Facilities/non-resource based land 53 Neighborhood Community County/Regional Special Use D. Parkland Acreage Goal 55 Parkland Projections 56 Acreage Projections- Table 58 E. Public Participation 59 CHAPTER IV AGRICULTURAL LAND PRESERVATION A. State and Local Goals 61 B. Implementation Program 62 iii Easement Acquisition 63 Land Use Management 67 C. Program Assessment 69 CHAPTER V NATURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION A. Local, State Goals 75 B. Implementation Program 77 C. Program Evaluation 79 APPENDIX - Land Use and Zoning Classifications 82 - Parkland Acquisition 1999-2004 83 -Park and Open Space Inventory 84 -County Parks Acquisition and Development Priorities 95 - Priority Funding Areas Map - Historic Register Sites Map - Parkland Ownership Maps - Protected Lands in Washington County - Selection, Ranking of Program Open Space Projects 103 iv TABLE OF GRAPHICS & MAPS Title Faces Page Physiographic Provinces (Comp Plan Map 3) 6 Soil Capability; Class I, II (Comp. Plan Map 10) 6 Natural Features 6 Planning Areas 10 Land Use Plan (Comp. Plan Map 51) 12 Special Program Areas (Comp. Plan Map 52) 20 Central Area 36 City Planning Area 36 Southern Area 42 Eastern Area 46 Western Area 50 Ag Preservation in Washington Co. 62 APPENDIX Priority Funding Areas (Comp. PlanMap 57) 94 Historic Sites 94 Parkland Ownership 94 School Locations 104 Protected Lands in Washington County 104 v EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Washington County's initiatives to meet the goals of its citizens by preserving agricultural land, and acquiring and developing a high quality Parks and Recreation system have made good progress since the adoption of the previous Land Preservation and Recreation Plan in 1998. While some land and facilities goals remain, many of the short and medium priority recommendations have been accomplished. This, in conjunction with adoption of a new Comprehensive Plan-- along with increases in population and new Plan guidelines made it necessary to update and revise the Land Preservation, Parks and Recreation Plan. Purpose: This document has been prepared to: ~Update and revise where necessary, the parks, open space, and facility goals of the 1998 Land Preservation and Recreation Plan, as required by MD Departments of Planning and Natural Resources revised guidelines and Title 5, Subtitle 9 of the Natural Resources article of the Annotated Code. ~Consolidate and summarize policies, recommendations and goals for land preservation from the County's updated Comprehensive Plan, and other local plans, programs and studies and describe their consistency with the seven Visions of the Planning Act. ~Provide a flexible framework to the year 2010 for continued agricultural land preservation and development of a high quality County and municipal Parks and Open Space system. Overview: This Land Preservation, Parks and Recreation Plan is based in part on and consolidates explicit goals and policies of the County's updated Comprehensive Plan, adopted in 2002. The Comprehensive Plan includes policies for land use including industrial, commercial and residential development, mining and agriculture, and is the primary policy guide for environmental and land preservation decisions. This Plan presents land use data as well as information reflecting public recreational resources available in 1 Washington County. Projected future park and open space needs are given as well as general and specific recommendations for meeting these needs. Following recommendations in the new Comprehensive Plan, this Plan documents needs for park acquisition as well as potential trails and greenways in the Urban Growth Area around Hagerstown. Based on the parkland inventory and the projected 2005 population, the county now meets its 15 acres per thousand people acreage goal. However, according to population projections and housing development proposals, additional parkland may be necessary by 2010 to continue meeting the county’s acreage goal. Developer dedications or donations, combining community parks and school sites, and purchase of additional municipal and community/regional park land are some of the methods that could be used to continue meeting parkland goals. Land Preservation Activities Washington County continues to make progress on many fronts regarding land preservation efforts. A comprehensive rezoning of the entire rural area with 1/5, 1/20 and 1/30 zoning (plus exemptions) allows for a reduction in the number of building lots which would compete with agricultural/natural resource uses. To provide further protection to farmers from residential neighbors the county implemented a Right-To-Farm ordinance. The County continues to make progress with purchased easements through the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Program, Rural Legacy, TEA-21, FRPP and a newly created Installment Purchase Program. In addition, the county is contracting with the Mid-Maryland Land Trust to allow for donated easements. Counting current easement projects, Washington County has more than 21,000 acres under permanent easements. 2 CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION A. Purposes of the Plan include: To review goals and objectives of state and local programs for parks and recreation, agriculture, and natural resources; To identify where goals and objectives area the same, where they are complementary or mutually supportive, and where they are simply different; To evaluate the ability of implementation programs and funding sources for each element to achieve related goals and objectives; To identify useful improvements to policies, plans and funding strategies, to better achieve goals and improve return on public investment; To recommend to governing bodies and agencies changes needed to overcome shortcomings , achieve goals, and insure good return for public investment; To identify needs and priorities of current and future local population for outdoor recreation; To achieve legislative goals of state and local land preservation programs; and To ensure that investment in land preservation and recreation supports and is supported by local comprehensive plans, implementation programs, state planning policy and state and local programs that influence land use and development. Local Agency Plan Preparation : The Washington County Planning Department is the lead agency responsible for coordination of the plan. The Park and Environmental Planner is the designated staff coordinator for the assistance and data provided by the County Agricultural Preservation Planner and the Recreation and Parks Department. Realtionship to the County Comprehensive Plan The LPPRP is intended to be a detailed element of the County Comprehensive Plan which was revised and adopted in 2002. 3 B. Definitions Specific definitions for the various categories of land are provided in guidelines from the Maryland Department of Planning. They provide guidance for both the State and local Land Preservation Plans. Recreation Land: Land and/or related water areas which support recreation as a primary use. The subcategories of recreation land are: Non-resource