{"id":10756,"date":"2016-06-20T08:00:45","date_gmt":"2016-06-20T12:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/?p=10756"},"modified":"2017-04-14T18:16:36","modified_gmt":"2017-04-14T22:16:36","slug":"sandy-point-town","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/2016\/06\/20\/sandy-point-town\/","title":{"rendered":"Sandy Point State Park: The fastest-growing town in Maryland"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Sunrise

Sunrise at Sandy Point; by James Phelps<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

The sky is just beginning to wake up when the line begins forming.<\/p>\n

In the time it takes the horizon to go from inky black to soft blues and pinks, cars multiply and snake from the entrance of Sandy Point<\/a> back toward the U.S. Route 50 exit ramp.<\/p>\n

Everyone, it seems, wants to be a citizen of the state\u2019s fastest–<\/strong>growing town, a community that goes from zero to 10,000 residents each summertime Saturday and Sunday in a matter of hours.<\/p>\n

Sandy Point isn\u2019t the state\u2019s oldest park. That honor goes to Patapsco Valley<\/a>. It isn\u2019t the largest. That title belongs to Gunpowder Falls<\/a>. The popularity of Sandy Point is measured instead by attendance. Last year, it exceeded one million visitors, the only state park besides Assateague<\/a> ever to hit that mark.<\/p>\n

It used to be that Sandy Point reached capacity only on the three holiday weekends: Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day. But last year, it filled every, single weekend<\/em>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"A

A popular swimming spot; by Anthony Burrows<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

What\u2019s the attraction?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the gateway to all the Chesapeake Bay has to offer, the last stop before you get to the Eastern Shore<\/a>,\u201d park manager Steve McCoy explains.<\/p>\n

If Sandy Point were a real town, McCoy would be its mayor, with all the challenges and rewards that come with the territory.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have the same issues as a city: public safety, crowd control, traffic and parking issues,\u201d McCoy says.<\/p>\n

Sandy Point has the state\u2019s busiest public marina and boat ramps. It has 10 miles of natural sidewalks that lead to marshes and woodlands. It has a small store. And it has a law enforcement agency in the form of the Natural Resources Police<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The \u201cchief,\u201d Acting Lt. Aaron Parker, is a 20-year veteran of the department and has been at Sandy Point since 2003. The growth of the park in that time \u201chas been amazing,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"A

A busy day on the beach; by Nita Settina<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Keeping order<\/strong><\/p>\n

Parker guides a small contingent of officers who patrol not only the park and marina, but also the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries from northern Anne Arundel County to Breezy Point in Calvert County.<\/p>\n

For four of his officers, 2016 is their first summer at Sandy Point.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s definitely a small town, people everywhere,\u201d says Parker, leaning back in his chair. \u201cWe can tell new officers. We can show them pictures. But it\u2019s not the same. They have to experience it. I\u2019ve had officers overwhelmed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Parker and McCoy meet frequently to stay on top of the challenges. One of the biggest is getting people safely inside the 786-acre tract.<\/p>\n

When the park reaches capacity\u2014dictated by the 1,500 parking spaces\u2014managers shut the gate and put out the word on social media<\/a>, the park web page and on electronic message boards beyond the park\u2019s boundaries. Managers don\u2019t wave new park-goers in until 150 to 200 parking spaces open up. On a busy summer weekend, that can take up to four hours.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re all about customer service. We don\u2019t want to close more than once a day and disappoint people, so we don\u2019t rush to reopen,\u201d McCoy says.<\/p>\n

Parker and McCoy work with other agencies, such as the State Highway Administration<\/a>, the Maryland Transportation Authority<\/a> and State Police<\/a>, to keep waiting traffic from clogging U.S. 50 or filling nearby neighborhood streets.<\/p>\n

\u201cStill, you might get a guy pull out a portable grill and make some food while he\u2019s waiting,\u201d Parker says, laughing. \u201cWe try and discourage that.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Anglers

Anglers looking to enjoy a day of fishing; department photo<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Park Roots<\/strong><\/p>\n

The park officially opened on June 25, 1952 at the site of a pier for the Chesapeake Bay Ferry System. But the area\u2014with few amenities\u2014was in use two years earlier, documents show.<\/p>\n

With little development in 1950, the attendance was already an estimated 75,000 persons, the state planning commission reported to then-Governor Theodore McKeldin and the General Assembly. The Master Plan for State Parks urged spending $1.7 million for swimming pools and 30,000 lockers, two cafeterias, parking lots and roads.<\/p>\n

Even without the fancy extras, families found plenty to like: sandy beaches and bathhouses, and areas to crab and fish. And early park goers could marvel at the newly constructed two-lane Bay Bridge, which opened in July 1952 and made the ferry obsolete.<\/p>\n

However, as with many public accommodations of its time, Sandy Point welcomed only white patrons despite a regional African American population of about 64 percent.<\/p>\n

In 1955, the barrier was removed at Sandy Point, Fort Smallwood Municipal Park Beach and Baltimore City swimming pools by a U.S. Supreme Court decision.<\/p>\n

By July 1978, Sandy Point was attracting 126,000 visitors annually.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"A

A seagull amongst the crowd; by Nita Settina<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Sandy Point in the 21st<\/sup> Century<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ironically, the very diversity lacking in Sandy Point\u2019s beginnings is what powers it today. A survey of 1,000 patrons conducted last year shows that on summer weekends 82 percent are Hispanic and for the vast majority, Spanish is their first language.<\/p>\n

The Town of Sandy Point embraces its newest residents. Park rules are spelled out in Spanish, some park staff members are bilingual and police officers know Spanish phrases common in their line of work.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been very fortunate,\u201d Parker says. \u201cPeople are good about obeying the rules. They comply.\u201d<\/p>\n

McCoy adds, \u201cEveryone comes here for the same reasons\u2014to enjoy the bay, enjoy the park and enjoy time with family and friends.\u201d<\/p>\n

These families might include grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles who come early and grill breakfast, lunch and dinner.<\/p>\n

The changing park demographic pattern has triggered another municipal function: long-term planning.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe big thing we\u2019re grappling with right now is finding the tipping point. How often can we have 8,000 to 10,000 people in the park\u2014wall-to-wall people\u2014and not see long-term harm?\u201d McCoy asks. \u201cThe answer isn\u2019t paving and developing more land.\u201d<\/p>\n

Managers at six state parks with the highest volume of visitors are examining some of those use issues now.<\/p>\n

McCoy also wants to take a \u201cholistic\u201d approach to the integration of recreation areas with natural areas, with an emphasis on planting more native grasses and trees while eradicating invasive plants<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The challenges of a small-town mayor can be daunting, but the perks of the job are pretty good, too.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I love is walking around the park at lunchtime, smelling all the different foods and hearing different kinds of music,\u201d McCoy says, smiling. \u201cWe do become a small town.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Article by\u00a0Candy Thomson\u2014<\/strong>Natural Resources Police public information officer.<\/em>
\nAppears in Vol. 19, No. 3 of the Maryland Natural Resource magazine, summer 2016.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Sandy<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The sky is just beginning to wake up when the line begins forming. In the time it takes the horizon to go from inky black to soft blues and pinks, cars multiply and snake from the entrance of Sandy Point back toward the U.S. Route 50 exit ramp.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[957,12],"tags":[3168],"class_list":["post-10756","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-appnews","category-parks","tag-magazine"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10756","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10756"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10756\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10820,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10756\/revisions\/10820"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10756"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10756"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10756"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}