12/12/2002 - Football
Stadium Environmental Upgrades Unveiled At City Hall
Mayor Ellen Moyer invited Vice Admiral Richard Naughton, Superintendent of the Naval Academy, Chet Gladchuk, Athletic Director of the Naval Academy Athletic Association, and John Porcari, Secretary of Transportation, to unveil plans for the major enhancements of Navy-Marine Corps Stadium at Annapolis City Hall on Thursday, December 12, 2002 at 2:00 PM.
The $1.2 million landscaping plan for the stadium and parking lot is an environmentally sensitive treatment to retrofit stormwater management for the asphalt surfaces, build a 1.25 mile hiker biker trail, and create a buffer area of trees and shrubs to benefit the neighborhood and create an aesthetically pleasing setting to a widely used public facility. The project also includes water quality enhancements, including bio-retention and wet pond facilities to treat runoff from existing daily parking areas, the stadium, and the remaining existing impervious areas on the site.
"This is an example of what can be accomplished when good people come together and partner with their resources. This is a project that benefits the community, the environment, and a facility associated with our very good neighbor, the United States Naval Academy," Mayor Moyer noted.
This project was made possible by a public/private partnership involving federal money made available through MDOT, the City of Annapolis, and the NAAA.
"One important aspect of this project has always been our priority to address those issues that will further enhance the fine relationship we have with the surrounding community," Naval Academy Athletic Director Chet Gladchuk said in describing the upgrade to the stadium facility.
" Responsibility for managing environmental conditions, year-round recreational accommodations on the grounds for our neighbors, an esthetically pleasing landscaped perimeter, and properly managing stadium related use, are key issues that make this renovation an exciting opportunity for positive change," he elaborated.
A significant portion of the funding will come from federal dollars awarded to the state through the Department of Transportation. Secretary John Porcari authorized the award of $590,000 in TEA-21 money. This grant request was strongly endorsed by local environmental concerns such as the Annapolis Environmental Commission and Weems Creek Conservancy, and businesses and residents of the West Annapolis community.
"The Navy-Marine Corp project is a "win-win" for all involved," said Maryland Secretary of Transportation John D. Porcari. "I am very pleased that our transportation enhancement program gives us the ability to meet the specific environmental and recreational needs of Annapolis that are addressed by this effort."
Delegate Mike Busch, a member of the District 30 delegation who vigorously supported the project, noted the proximity to the Germantown athletic field complex he was instrumental in securing in his capacity as a county recreation official, and to the trails that will connect them. "We need to protect the environment, maintain open spaces and create more recreational facilities like this for families to enjoy, " he said.
Other participants in this project include BGE, who will be contributing about $30,000 in mitigating tree money to defray landscaping costs.
In her letter accompanying the grant application, Mayor Moyer stated "The City of Annapolis is committed to working toward improving the water quality in Weems Creek and College Creek. Partnering with the NAAA provides an opportunity for the City to work together to provide enhanced water quality to the receiving waters of Weems Creek and College Creek."
Mayor Moyer was delighted that the design submitted by the NAAA, which is the work of Carl R. Corse of Morris & Ritchie Associates, provides for the installation of more than 500 trees. As a part of her new Clean Air Initiative, the Mayor committed to planting 1,000 trees within city limits in four years.
"This certainly gives a boost to our 'canopy quota'," she noted.
The first phase of the project is scheduled to begin in the spring, with work to be completed before the beginning of football season.
Mayor Moyer is particularly proud of this collaborative effort. "The City belongs to all of us. We all have an interest in making the entrance to this historic capital look beautiful, while protecting the precious natural resources that are so much a part of it. This project is an excellent example of how that can be accomplished."
While pleased with the upgrades the stadium itself has seen in the past year, Athletic Director Gladchuk is very encouraged to have a partnership come together that make the entire site more attractive and environmentally sensitive.
"We remain very grateful for the encouragement and support extended by the city and state towards our advancement of the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium renovation," he concluded.
Admiral Naughton added his thoughts. "This is an excellent example of cooperation between Federal, State, and City governments, and the private sector as well," he said. "We are very grateful to Mayor Moyer and her staff, to the State and local city lawmakers that backed and assisted with this initiative, to the Maryland Department of Transportation, and to BG&E."
"I would also like to thank the Naval Academy Athletic Association, led by Mr. Chet Gladchuk, for spearheading this collaborative project," he finished.
