Greater Elkridge Community Association Meeting

GECA Meeting
November 15th, 2007
Norbell School, Elkridge, MD

Howard County Tennis Patrons met with the Greater Elkridge Community Association to discuss their proposal to build a tennis center at Troy Park. The meeting was attended by about 50 Elkridge residents, Courtney Watson (the local delegate), and Board members Art Tollick, Dave Burnell and Lynn Coddington, and tennis supporters Grace Kubofcik, Suzan Lumpkin and LeMont Joyner.

Howard County Recreation and Parks Director, Gary Arthur, first presented the County overall vision for a new 118-acre regional park at Troy Hill in Elkridge. He described access, parking, planned restoration for the Troy Hill Mansion, and plans for multiple types of ball fields. He said because of other projects, the Park would probably not get funded until 2011 or 2012. He then stated that the Recreation and Parks Board recently recommended proceeding to developing a long-term lease for 12-15 acres to HCTP to a build tennis center at the Park. He said that the lease would yet have to be approved by the County Executive and Council, but they hoped that HCTP’s development of the site in 2009 would allow the County to initiate construction of some ball fields earlier than would otherwise be possible.

Art Tollick and Lynn Coddington then described the HCTP vision for the Tennis Center. Art showed data demonstrating the need for additional courts in Howard County, and preliminary drawings of the proposed 25-court layout. Lynn described USTA’s existing tennis program at Elkridge Landing Middle School and the vision to expand youth programs through the Center.

Much discussion followed, much of it very favorable. Local tennis players expressed concern over the scarcity of tennis courts in the eastern part of the County. Some residents expressed strong concern that construction of a park on that site might preclude building a high school there someday. But Gary Arthur reiterated that the site was designated for parkland, not a school site and in fact could not be redirected for any purpose other than parkland under the terms by which Howard County was given the land by the State and Federal Governments. Courtney Watson said concerns about a high school needed to be addressed to the School Board. Representatives from the Elkridge Youth Organization (EYO) expressed interested in potentially partnering with HCTP in developing youth sports programs.