When Will We Know? Queen Anne's County Thrwarts Stevensville Citizen's Requests for Shelter Project Information

STEVENSVILLE - Friday August 22 - With a public meeting on the topic only three days away, a Stevensville resident whose family and neighbors stand to be affected by the Queen Anne's County homeless shelter project is becoming increasingly frustrated with a lack of transparency on the part of the county's government. The nearly 8700 square-foot structure will have room for 20 overnight clients and eight longer-term residents and will be located at the entrance to the Cross-Island Trail at Old Love Point Park.

"I filed a PIA (Public Information Act) request with the county on June 30, and finally received a response on August 21," said resident Andrew Redding. "The response indicated that I have been denied access to any records that are in the custody of the Queen Anne's County Housing Authority, because that agency has been independent of the county since sometime in 2012." Redding added that after a few exchanges with the county's attorney, the county has agreed to provide only QACHA documents created prior to that time.

With the approval of the QAC Board of Commissioners, and with state and federal tax dollars, QACHA purchased the shelter site at 325 State Street several years ago and still owns the lot. On the property sits a small ranch-style house, which the county says has been used as a transitional living home for a few women and children. Plans call for demolishing all or most of the structure in favor of a institutional-style building that is six times larger and will accommodate homeless clients for as little as one night at a time.

"The final QAC planning approval came on April 24, but the public was not aware of that until mid-July. Citizens have not had an opportunity to ask questions, much less see the site plans," says Stevensville resident Mike Ranelli, "There was no opportunity whatsoever to comment or appeal on the site plan, and since then, most of our concerns have fallen on deaf ears."

Ranelli added that he and his wife entered into a contract on his nearby home on April 27, three days after the unpublicized county approval, purchased the home on May 30, and that even though his wife has worked nearby since 2006, his family was caught unaware of the county's plans to build a new homeless shelter on the Cross-Island Trail. "So are the vast majority of people we've talked to, including many Haven Ministries supporters, volunteers and prominent citizens," he added.

Earlier this week, Save Our Stevensville filed PIA requests with the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, the Maryland General Assembly, and the Maryland transportation Administration. "It's outrageous that citizens have had to go to these lengths to find basic information about a public project that affects so many families, not to mention Stevensville's public recreational and educational space," said Ranelli. "Parents who contact their commissioners and school board have had few questions answered, and even worse, many inquiries have been ignored. Where's the transparency we expect from our local government?"

Although 325 State Street is adjacent to several commercial lots, it also backs to a home in the National Historic District. The new Cross-Island Trail Connector will be a direct conduit to Old Love Point Park just feet away. The site is also nestled just a few hundred feet from Kent Island's elementary and high schools. In addition, 80 homes in the Mallard Run development are within short walking distance, along with nearly 1000 homes in the Cloverfields community.

In a letter dated August 22, Redding was informed that other, more readily available documents he requested should be available next week. However, to provide him with copies of email correspondence, the county will engage a paid private consultant. "I'm waiting to hear what the costs will be, although according to Maryland law, fees may be waived to provide information deemed to be of public interest. I would suspect there will be quite a bit of public interest on Monday night," said Redding.

The public meeting on the homeless shelter will take place on Monday, August 25 from 6-8 pm at the Percy Thomas Senior Center at 891 Love Point Rd in Stevensville (across from the high school.) Despite Monday being the first day of school, a large crowd is expected because this is the first public meeting held by the county since purchasing the property in 2009.



Save Our Stevensville is a group of citizens preserving community appeal and ensuring the public is well-informed. For info visit Save Our Stevensville on Facebook, or emailsaveourstevensville@gmail.com. Stevensville, located at the foot of the Bay Bridge on Kent Island in Queen Anne’s County, has a population of over 12,000 and a poverty level of 2.7%, compared to the the county’s 7.4% and Maryland’s 9.4% (source: US Census Bureau) The town was founded in 1850 and contains roughly 100 historic structures, many within a National Historic District adjacent to the county’s shelter site.