County Improperly Allowed Mayo Residents To Use Beach Privately

MAYO, MD — Anne Arundel County officials have been allowing a community association exclusive access to 1,860 feet of what the Maryland Natural Resources Department claims is a public shoreline at Beverly Beach and violates a grant agreement.

The improper use of the property was discovered during a county land audit. The DNR says the private use by the Beverly Beach Community Association violates a grant agreement that's been in place for 33 years. According to the Associated Press, the Beverly Beach Community Association has leased the land from the county to use as a private park for three decades.

But state and federal grants specifically require the land to instead be reopened to the public or Anne Arundel County officials must find the same amount of land elsewhere for the public to use as a substitute for the land used privately by the Beverly Beach Community Association. County officials said they plan to meet with the community association soon to create a plan by the state's Oct. 1 deadline.

According to the Beverly Beach Community Association, the Beverly Beach Park consists of about 5 acres out of the 341-acre Beverly Triton Nature Park located along Chesapeake Avenue. If the park ends up being opened to the public, the association said on its website that the public will not be allowed to park in their community to access the land. Neighborhood Watch volunteers also will help keep an eye out for any violators.

The Beverly Beach Community Association recently installed a new playground and the website said that if the area is reverted back to public use, the county department of recreation and parks will assume responsibility for it and the association's board of directors will attempt to "recoup some of the money that the community spent rebuilding the playground."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.