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Unpopular

I noticed this hashtag making the rounds on Twitter last night:

#confessyourunpopularopinion

I decided that I am ready to confess mine.

Remember this? I wrote over a year ago about a place near my house, a little no-man's land at the stub end of Timesweep Lane where Blandair Park begins. Well, it's time to talk about it again.

Community Meeting To Discuss Timesweep Lane and Blandair Park Phase III

Upcoming Meeting: Tuesday, December 17, 7:00 p.m. Talbott Springs Elementary School

Councilman Calvin Ball in collaboration with Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks will be hosting a Community Meeting to discuss Timesweep Lane and Blandair Park Phase III. As many may recall, the phasing plan for Blandair Park states that HC Dept. of Rec. and Parks shall reach a resolution on public vehicular access via Timesweep Lane as part of Phase III. Specifically, it requires the residents of Cinnamon Tree and Emerson Hill communities to be engaged and consulted in this matter.(For those not familiar with Timesweep Lane it is located off of Thunder Hill Road, just prior to Whiteacre Road in Talbott Springs and provides access to both the Emerson Hill and Cinnamon Tree Talbott Springs communities.)Community involvement is extremely important in this process. The county looks forward to having an open dialog with residents and welcomes comments so that Blandair can continue to be a valued community amenity.If you have questions and/or would like to r.s.v.p. to this meeting please contact Councilman Ball at cbball@howardcountymd.gov or you may email Councilman Ball's Special Assistant Kim Pruim at kpruim@howardcountymd.gov or call 410-313-2001.

I am a resident of Cinnamon Tree, and I have watched this park, and this situation, develop over the years. And I support an entrance to the park at Timesweep. Here's why:

Maintenance--the end of Timesweep has always been a little sketchy and bedraggled. As an entrance to the park it would be cared for regularly by the County.

Safety--an entrance to the park means more eyes on that entrance. The Park security will need to take on the safety of that space in its overall responsibilities.

Connection--I want the people who use the park to see how easy it is to pop over to the Village Center for a meal at one of our restaurants, or to pick up groceries on the way home. An entrance there means more economic support for Village Center merchants.

Access--we have a beautiful County park right in our backyard. Shouldn't neighborhood residents have a safe, beautifully maintained point of access to enjoy this amenity?

I repeat, I support an entrance to the park at Timesweep. However, I may be the only one. There are some highly vocal and well-organized folks against it. I think they are wrong. I think if we oppose it we are shooting ourselves in the foot here.

Well, that's my unpopular opinion for today. What's yours?

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