Hearings on the Proposed Chik-fil-A in Arnold

The first public hearing on the Chik-fil-A that is proposed for an area behind the Sunoco station on Rt. 2 will be Tuesday, September 2nd, at 5 pm in the Arundel Center in Annapolis (44 Clay St.).  For more info, visit the Arnold Preservation Council news page.  

Update on Broadneck Peninsula Trail

Info from Councilwoman Amanda Fiedler's District 5 Newsletter, emailed on August 29th, 2025: 

Broadneck Trail Update

The project is nearly complete! An update on the trail and some background that may be helpful.

Broadneck IB and V (E. College Parkway to Sandy Point): This phase ran into unsuitable soil conditions towards the end of construction earlier this year and needed financial appropriations to truck in necessary soil. The County Council approved this additional funding in the FY26 budget, which went into effect on July 1. Construction will start back up in early September. 

*Side Bar: SHA is set to repave E. College Parkway upon the completion of the trail and after Labor Day, so long as the temperature cooperates with asphalt pouring. * 

Kimwood Boardwalk: Construction has RESUMED. 

Full completion of the Broadneck Trail is anticipated In November. All but the boardwalk at Kimwood will be open shortly.

Q&A/History: 

Why didn’t the county use one contractor?

The Broadneck Trail received its first funding in the fiscal year 2000 budget, nearly 25 years ago. It is kind of amazing to know that the idea of the trail came years before this, so the total time from idea to construction and near completion has been roughly 30 years. It does appear from general glance to be a relatively simple project, but behind the scenes it has been more complex. 

The county has a Capital Improvement Project (CIP) budget every year. Unfortunately, government construction takes a lot longer than a construction project a private citizen would undergo. Government has a significant number of rules and regulations that must be completed and adhered to, and hundreds of active construction projects at any given point in a year. The CIP budget is a 6 years process at least. It is rare that it would take a private citizen 6 years to get a construction project done.

The Broadneck Trail is funded through county funds, state grants and federal grants. While the county has been prepared each year to fund the county portion, there have been years where the state or federal grants didn't come to fruition as expected, and so this delayed the timeline until the grant funding was received. The Broadneck Trail was broken into six phases because each section is both expensive, but also unique in its topography, and proximity to private properties. While there was an initial overall design of the entire trail, more detailed design was done for each individual section to account for things like steep slopes, forest conservation, and land acquisition (purchasing land from a private property owner) in order to complete the entire trail. 

Because the trail was broken into six phases, each phase had to go through the same process. Plans and Engineering, and competitive bidding process for construction. This is followed by obtaining permits to build, which can be a lengthy process, and finally the construction. Since each phase went through this process, each phase has been constructed by a different company. 

Why is the trail taking so long to finish?

There have been delays along the way, and each phase has been impacted by long periods of rain and/or colder winter temperatures (especially this past winter). Phase II (Bay Dale to Green Holly) was delayed by over a year because the state's grant funding was delayed. There have been unforeseen obstacles, including underground utility conflicts with Phase III. 

Why does the trail cross College Parkway at the Community College? 

The trail crosses to the south side of College Parkway at the Community College because the north side lacked appropriate Right of Way to meet required shared use path width and adjusted curb cuts with the existing roadway. The existing sidewalk on the north side sits right up to the private property lines of the residential lots.

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Minutes of the 2025 Annual Community Meeting

Greetings, 

The minutes for our annual meeting held on Saturday, 26 July are available here. Thanks again to all who attended! 

To follow up on the discussion of the rehab of the sewer lines along College Parkway: examination of the brief on the project indicates that the work will proceed no further east along College Parkway than the Day Care Center. Thanks to Mark Venable for sharing that brief. 

I have added four new names to our distribution list. If you are not currently in the Community Directory and wish to be added, please fill out the form using this link. 

Regards, 

Emil Petruncio 

President, CGCA

Wasps In Our Neighborhood

You may notice wasps emerging from the ground this month, as well as paper wasp nests in trees around our neighborhood. The wasps emerging from sandy mounds are Eastern Cicada Killers, and the ones in the paper nests are a type of aerial yellow jacket referred to as a Bald-Faced Hornet (but they're not true hornets, which are larger and more aggressive). Both types of wasps are beneficial insects, as they are pollinators and prey on pest insects. 

The cicada killers use cicadas to feed their larvae, which helps keep the cicada population in check (too many cicadas can cause harm to trees).  The adult cicada killer wasps feed on nectar. Only the female cicada killer is capable of stinging, and will only do so if handled roughly.  For more on the Eastern Cicada Killer wasp: 

https://soil.evs.buffalo.edu/index.php/Eastern_Cicada_Killer

The bald-faced hornets feed on ground-dwelling yellow jackets and other insects, as well as  nectar. While the bald faced hornets are aggressive when their nests are disturbed, they otherwise don't pose a threat. If a paper wasp nest is within 3-5 feet of a heavily trafficked area, you should consider removing it; otherwise, it should not pose a threat. The links below provides information on how to safely remove a paper wasp nest.

https://share.google/8i7fqOAjjwD5P6zHX 

https://extension.umd.edu/resource/social-wasps-yellowjackets-hornets-and-paper-wasps/ 

Agenda for 2025 Community Meeting

We will hold our annual meeting at 10 am on Saturday, July 26th on the driveway of the Petruncio residence, 987 Amorosa (bring a chair and a cold drink).  

Agenda for 2025 Campus Green Community Association Annual Meeting

1.     Introductions – Officers, Board Members, and Community Members in Attendance

2.     Reading of the Minutes of Last Meeting (Kathy Nucifora)

3.     Treasurer’s Report (Bill Sharkey)

4.     Announcements

a.      Mosquito Control

b.     College Parkway Safety and Operations Study

c.      Repaving of Campus Green on 2026

d.     Accessibility ramps in Campus Green

e.      A preliminary plan for a drive-thru only Chick-fil-A to be built near Sunoco on Rt 2.

5.     Old Business:

a.      Community Clean Up and Dumpster

b.     Community Directory

c.      Broadneck Trail Phase 3

d.     Tommy’s Car Wash

e.      Traffic control during the school year

f.       Memorial for Joe Lamp in Twin Oaks Park

6.     New Business:

a.      Insects of Interest: Spotted Lantern Flies and Wasps

b.     Vacant property at 991 Via Amorosa

c.      Officer and Board Nominations for 2025-2026

Virtual Meeting on 16 July to Discuss Renovations to the Arnold Senior Activity Center

A public meeting has been scheduled from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 16, 2025 via Zoom to discuss plans to renovate the Arnold Senior Activity Center, at 44 Church Road, and construct a 4,700-square-foot addition.

The meeting announcement with the Zoom link can be downloaded here:

Meeting Announcement

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Invasive Species Alert: Spotted Lantern Fly

Mark Venable identified a Spotted Lantern Fly on his property last week, and received some guidance from the MD Dept of Agriculture that I thought should be shared with the community. These insects could threaten vineyards and orchards because they suck sap from trees and grapevines, and excrete a sugary substance that attracts other insects and promotes mold growth. 

During the month of July, you might see late stage nymphs that are bright red, and adults may be present from July through November

 

 Info from the MDA:

 

Sightings  The Spotted Lantern Fly (SLF) has been found in the majority of Maryland’s counties. Regardless, any data you report helps us monitor population sizes and continue to track the spread of the insect. To properly report, please follow these steps:

1. Take a picture of the insect, egg mass, or infestation.

2. If possible, crush the insect or egg mass.

3. Note the location of your finding.

4. Enter this information here: Report a Spotted Lanternfly in Maryland 

More information on SLF (including images) and control measures:

Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Webpage: MDA Spotted Lanternfly 

University of Maryland Extension: University of Maryland Extension SLF 

Penn State Extension: Penn State Extension SLF 

Maryland Department of Agriculture | Plant Protection & Weed Management

Some recent good news on this subject:  A researcher at Rutgers University has found that bats love to eat Spotted Lantern Flies! Praying mantises also feed on these pests.

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