The Greater Baybrook Alliance (GBA) a group of politically well-connected interest based in Baltimore City, has proposed the Baybrook Connecter. GBA has quietly been working to get federal, state and local funding to develop a pathway that has been defined by them as a “safe, comfortable place to walk, bike, or roll between the neighborhoods of Cherry Hill, Brooklyn, Brooklyn Park,and Pumphrey.”  In community meetings, GBA has stated that the path would serve as an essential link from the community to doctor’s offices, grocery stores and other community resources, despite the fact that there are none of these within the path’s proximity with the exception of Medstar Harbor Hospital which also strongly supports the connector. As planned it would be an approximate 3-4 mile walk (1.5-hours) from the Brooklyn Park, Pumphrey or North Linthicum communities to the hospital.
 
Despite the many benefits that GBA has proclaimed, none of which seem realistic or feasible, the affected communities of Cherry Hill, Brooklyn, Brooklyn Park, Pumphrey, and North Linthicum extensively object to the path’s development.  GBA attempts to base it’s community support for the project on approximately 243 responses to an online survey, of which how the survey was publicized to be accessed is questionable as is the validity of the responses received. There are more than 32,000 residents in these communities, so a mere 243 responses is a feeble attempt to manufacture a level of community support for this project that just does not exist. In fact, there are many residents and business owners that are not even aware of this path coming thru their communities. While plans depicting the projected route, options and benefits of the path have been presented in various community meetings, there has been NO information released concerning engineering, traffic, safety, feasibility or environmental impact studies.
 
GBA has refused to engage with the communities other than very closed, non responsive presentation sessions. When GBA has been confronted with questions at community meetings about the project, community leadership and other attendees were told that was not the forum for discussion and the meetings were only for presentation purposes by GBA.  In an effort to STOP the BAYBROOK CONNECTOR, a community alliance has been formed to oppose this path due to many unanswered and unaddressed concerns we have regarding the following:

*Very few residents are aware of this path coming thru their neighborhood
*Very few responses to a survey that was sent out
*Survey responses not shared to impacted residents and community leaders even when requested
*Many residents of the community were not aware of the survey or the project itself so how was it publicized
*There is no final proposed route for the path
*Concerns with the proposed engineering survey that does not accurately depict the road right-a-ways and the require width/clearances for the bike  path.
*Major concerns with safety regarding current heavy traffic on Belle Grove  Road due to many commercial businesses that use tractor trailers for their  operations.
*Concerns with feasibility and environmental impacts
*There are several areas in which the path would be at some of the  narrowest portions of existing roadway, particularly Belle Grove Road  between the Baltimore City line and 10th Avenue. Picture on this petition  depicts the major safety concerns with this safety issue.  Very many tractor trailers heavily traveled on Belle Grove Road with no shoulder on road.  Without proper barriers for walkers causing serious safety concerns.  
*Concerns with increased crime in our neighborhoods by having this path  come thru our neighborhoods. When the light rail line was run through to  Cromwell, crime increased at local businesses and residences dramatically. *We want the crime statistics of each of the communities impacted,  separately, not combined.
*There are many businesses along Belle Grove Rd. that oppose this path coming thru our community. Many other business owners have not been  contacted or informed.
*There is a Church on Belle Grove Road that currently has safety concerns    when residents leave services from traffic and will have increased activity with bikers/walkers impeding upon their safety.                                               

*Since the path will span through Baltimore City and Anne Arundel County,  there are concerns about who will be responsible for crime enforcement and the additional cost for the resources to the citizens of Northern AA County.  Also the redirection of our police force to properly patrol the connector which will be tasked with upholding laws and regulations across precincts/districts                   *There has been no discussions about the responsibility between the two  jurisdictions relative to trash removal, walkway maintenance and landscaping in an area already plagued by rodents.

WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT to STOP the BAYBROOK CONNECTOR. GBA and its supporters are moving quickly to complete the design for the project and hand it over to Anne Arundel county for implementation and completion.

This is a major change to our communities in northern AA county.
Please SIGN OUR petition NOW. We don’t want the Baybrook connector, and we do not support the BayBrook Connector.                                       

There are just too many unanswered questions, too many unaddressed serious issues, too little information shared with the affected communities in the place WE are proud to call our home.

Please support our opposition to STOP the BAYBROOK CONNECTOR coming through our North Anne Arundel County neighborhoods. Please join your North County community residents and leaders.

SIGN OUR PETITION TO STOP THE BAYBROOK CONNECTOR NOW!

Respectfully,

Concerned North Anne Arundel County Neighborhoods

Pumphrey Community

Taxpayers Improvement Association

Harbor Valley Homeowner's Association

North Linthicum Improvement Association

Brooklyn Heights Improvement Association

Arundel Gardens East Association

Arundel Neighborhoods Association

Olde Brooklyn Park Improvement Association

Cedar & Morris Hill Community Association, Inc.