Harford County’s Office of Community & Economic Development has launched a website to support compatible land use and to help Aberdeen Proving Ground and neighboring communities thrive together as a defense community. The website, https://apg-chesapeakejlus.com, has resources to facilitate planning between the Army installation and the Chesapeake Science & Security Corridor, a collaborative entity of the regional communities surrounding APG.
Recommended by a recent Joint Land Use Study, and funded by federal grants, the website is a hub of information for government officials, businesses, and the public. Studies published on the site look at redevelopment opportunities, transit development options, and environmental resilience along the Chesapeake Bay. The website also hosts educational videos, including how APG accommodates nesting bald eagles.
“Like all good neighbors, APG and surrounding jurisdictions cooperate for our mutual benefit,” Harford County Executive Barry Glassman said. “This website and the growing list of resources it provides will help us all plan, solve problems, and prosper together.”
The website navigates users through the three studies that were completed during the Joint Land Use Study’s second phase. The studies include:
- The Susquehanna River Impact and Accretion Study (https://apg-chesapeakejlus.com/157/Susquehanna-River-Impact-Accretion-Study), which looked at environmental resilience and how it impacts the APG mission and communities along the Chesapeake Bay;
- The Edgewood CBRNE Economic Impact Analysis (https://apg-chesapeakejlus.com/155/Edgewood-CBRNE-Economic-Impact-Analysis), which examined APG South and how its mission could complement Edgewood’s redevelopment. It recommended coordination of military and civilian resources for co-beneficial use and efficiency in the community. And;
- The Transit-Oriented Development and Multi-Modal Concept (https://apg-chesapeakejlus.com/158/Transit-Oriented-Development-Multi-Modal), which recommended improved amenities at the Edgewood Train Station and surrounding areas to draw a talent pool of qualified workers. This analysis also recommended bike paths, pedestrian trails, and further green space to increase desirability of the area.
The Joint Land Use Study website educational videos (https://apg-chesapeakejlus.com/1165/The-Videos) include:
- A comprehensive look at the Chesapeake Science & Security Corridor as a defense community;
- Background the Joint Land Use Study;
- An exploration of Aberdeen Proving Ground’s bald eagle population and related conservation efforts, and;
- Aberdeen Proving Ground’s 100-year legacy of innovation.
The full Joint Land Use Study playbook, findings, and recommendations can be found at https://apg-chesapeakejlus.com/101/Joint-Land-Use-Study. With these recommendations, developers and citizens have a playbook to improve their community for the future.
ABOUT THE JOINT LAND USE STUDY
The Joint Land Use Study was commissioned to look at compatible land use between Aberdeen Proving Ground and the Chesapeake Science & Security Corridor that would allow for symbiotic growth and development. The study process began in 2013. In 2015, project consultant Matrix Design Group released a “playbook” of recommended collaborative growth opportunities. Implementation of these recommendations was broken down into two phases to start: Phase One resulted in the Edgewood Small Area Study that made specific recommendations for Edgewood redevelopment, and Phase Two involved the three analyses listed above. All four studies are available on the new website. The study was prepared under contract with the Chesapeake Science & Security Corridor with financial support from the Office of Economic Adjustment, Department of Defense. The Harford County Office of Community & Economic Development serves as the lead agency for the Chesapeake Science & Security Corridor and liaison with Aberdeen Proving Ground.
ABOUT ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND
Aberdeen Proving Ground is the nation’s oldest research, development, test and evaluation mega-base for Army innovation. With more than 4,000 advanced-degreed personnel among its 28,000 civilian, contract, and military workers and their families, Aberdeen Proving Ground is a major Maryland economic driver and fixture of the community. Its success and the success of the Chesapeake Science & Security Corridor are inherently linked.
ABOUT THE CHESAPEAKE SCIENCE & SECURITY CORRIDOR
The Chesapeake Science & Security Corridor (CSSC) established in 2007, is a multi-jurisdictional consortium comprised of more than 50+ partnering organizations and agencies, committed to supporting the mission of Aberdeen Proving Ground and economic vitality for the region. The Corridor was named a Great American Defense Community by the Association of Defense Communities in 2018, in part due to its work on the Joint Land Use Study.
