BEL AIR, Md. — Vast stretches of relatively unscathed land stretching from Havre de Grace to Swan Creek---Harford County’s Oakington Peninsula will serve as the canvas for the waterfront park system.
“You’re going to have a park that’s going to be really a prize for the Mid-Atlantic region,” said Harford County Executive Bob Cassilly, “This is going to be one of those parks that people come in from all over to participate.”
Preliminary plan unveiled for Oakington Peninsula Park System in Harford County
It’s taken three years to outline plans for hiking, biking and horse trails, along with playgrounds, piers and pavilions, but it took the foresight of local and state leaders over decades to assemble the land for the park.
For now, it’s just a vision, and the park system could take more than 15 years to develop in stages.
“Our goal is, ‘Let’s get a signature trail in there as soon as possible’, and so we wanted to get the plan out and show people what’s there so we can now start going after the funding to get some of these really great trails in there,” explained Cassilly.
No, it won’t happen overnight, and the county executive says each generation may build upon the last in developing the park, but there is no longer any doubt that it will be preserved for the ages.
“Certainly, waterfront property is available to folks.They’re plentiful was down on the Lower Eastern Shore,” said Cassilly, “but in this part of Maryland, right here in this part of Maryland, to have two miles of waterfront that’s owned by the public, that’s accessible to the public, that’s all in pristine shape, that’s really impressive.That’s beautiful stuff.”
