Council delays Valentine Creek project, moves funding to FY28 after resident pushback

The Anne Arundel County Council voted June 9 to delay construction funding for the Valentine Creek water-access project and reallocate the money to the next fiscal year, following a contentious amendment-day debate in which residents and several council members urged a re-evaluation of access points and environmental impacts.

Mr. Smith, sponsor of Amendment 16, said the change came after a county-led site visit and conversations with neighbors. "This amendment ... this was a hard one," he said, arguing a one-year pause would allow the council and community to reassess where an access point should be located and "what footprint should exist" on the property. The council adopted Amendment 16, which removed $1,691,500 from FY27, by a 4–3 vote; immediately afterward the council approved Amendment 17, also sponsored by Mr. Smith, to restore the same amount in FY28 by a unanimous 7–0 vote.

Administration budget staff, represented by Chris Trumbau, the county's budget officer, urged the council to keep the project on the FY27 schedule. Trumbau said the county acquired the property in 2018 using Program Open Space funding, which "dictate[s] that there has to be some public access available," and that the project was at approximately 60% design and undergoing state and federal permitting. He described the current plan as a reduced-impact design including a canoe/kayak soft launch, trail, fishing pier and a small parking area.

Opponents of the delay, including Councilmembers Miss Rodian and Miss Pickard, said the county paid for public access and should complete the scaled-back project for wider public benefit. "Eight years is plenty long enough," Miss Rodian said, urging colleagues to reject the delay. Supporters of the pause argued local residents raised legitimate questions about the walk from parking to the water and potential impacts, and asked for more time to identify a better access location.

Councilors later bundled a related pair of amendments to the same water-access program. Amendment 23 reduced FY27 water-access bonds to reflect the temporary deferrals; Amendment 24 then added those amounts back into FY28 (including $1,691,500 for Valentine Creek and $388,000 for a Beachwood Park car-top launch), a package the council adopted to move those projects back one year rather than eliminate them.

The council debate also highlighted tensions between completing capital projects and responding to neighborhood concerns. Administration officials cautioned that delays can increase costs and complicate permitting, while some council members emphasized inclusivity and accessibility, noting the county still lacks sufficient public water access in many parts of the jurisdiction.

The vote leaves the Valentine Creek project in the six-year capital plan but postponed into FY28; the council instructed staff and the Department of Recreation and Parks to continue permitting and design work and to engage with the community while the FY28 schedule becomes the operational funding year.