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Annapolis staff, consultants present plan to seed pollinator meadow at city solar park
Summary
City consultants proposed a multi-year plan to establish roughly 18 acres of native meadow and pollinator habitat at the Annapolis Solar Park on Defense Highway; implementation depends on Maryland Department of the Environment monitoring sign‑offs and involves herbicide-based site preparation with a plan to minimize off‑site impacts.
City staff and outside consultants on April 10 presented a draft plan to establish native pollinator meadow habitat at the Annapolis Solar Park, a capped landfill and fenced solar field at 420 Defense Highway.
The consultant, Larry Wiener Landscape Associates, described a phased, multi‑year effort to treat existing vegetation, seed native mixes and manage the new meadow through targeted mowing and spot herbicide treatments. Jackie Guile, Deputy City Manager for Resilience and Sustainability, said the city has budgeted funds for design and that the current consultant contract used about $12,000 of the $105,000 allocated for the project’s first year.
The consultants recommended staying off slopes steeper than 15% to avoid disturbing the landfill cap and leaving at least a 10‑foot offset from solar panels inside the fence. Seed mixes were developed for three management zones: M1 (inside the fence, shorter species, generally 2–3 feet tall), M2 (outside the fence, includes some 4–5 foot species) and M3 (bottom of a stormwater basin with more moisture‑tolerant species). They reported soil samples showed pH between 4.7 and 6.9 and soil textures ranging from sandy loam to sandy clay loam, conditions they said are acceptable for meadow establishment.
For site preparation, the team proposed a denuding spray and mowing sequence to remove existing vegetation, followed by drill seeding. Year‑one maintenance would include monthly mowing to control the nurse crop and annual weeds; year two would move to two scheduled mows (June and October) with weed monitoring and targeted spot treatment; later years may transition to less herbicide use or manual control as meadow species establish. The consultants said they “almost always recommend using aquatic‑approved versions of herbicides” to minimize risk if material reaches nearby water features.
Aldermen questioned herbicide safety, deer pressure and project scale. A committee member noted the solar park fence appears 8–10 feet tall and said deer have not been observed jumping it. Committee members asked for the presentation slides and more detailed quantities; staff said they would circulate the consultant’s PowerPoint and provide acres and cost estimates. Presenters estimated the planted area would be about 18.2 acres within a larger 50–55 acre facility on an approximately 80‑acre property.
Guile cautioned that the project is subject to monitoring and reporting obligations under a consent agreement with the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE). Staff said they will file MDE monitoring reports this fall and are aiming for MDE sign‑off by spring 2026; if MDE clears the site earlier the work schedule could shift to spring 2026, otherwise implementation would start in fall 2026.
The committee did not take a formal vote on implementation during the session. Staff said the current consultant contract covers feasibility, monitoring and design; implementation costs (site preparation, seeding and targeted herbicide work) are expected to be covered by the project allocation but routine mowing would be handled by Public Works and Novus Renewables under their existing maintenance roles.
If the committee requests additional details staff said they will provide the full presentation and a written proposal with precise acreage, task schedule and cost estimates.
