Should Dairy Farm Become Solar Farm? These Anne Arundel Residents Say 'No'

GAMBRILLS, MD — The Navy's plan to build a solar power station on the Gambrills Dairy Farm met a crowd of opposition Tuesday.

About 100 neighbors urged the Navy for stronger communication during a meeting at Crofton High School. Most advocated against repurposing the Dairy Farm, located at Annapolis Road and Gambrills Road.

Naval leaders assured residents they'll follow all federal land-use laws and continuously welcome public input on the early-stage proposal. The Navy also urged potential developers to protect historic locations, preserve sightlines and continue public benefit from the Dairy Farm.

"We are early in the process," said Capt. Chris Schwarz, commanding officer of Naval Support Activity Annapolis. "We want to engage with the community to make sure that we are very transparent of where we are, where we stand right now and to solicit feedback."

Naval Support Activity Annapolis acquired the 857-acre property in the early 1900s to provide the Naval Academy with fresh milk after hundreds of midshipmen were sickened from tainted dairy. At its peak, the Dairy Farm had over 300 cows that produced up to 1,000 gallons of milk daily.

The Navy ended dairy operations in 1998. Federal law said the land can never be sold, may be leased and must maintain its rural and agricultural nature.

Now, the Naval Academy is working toward a greener energy supply. The Department of Defense hopes to have net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The proposed solar panels at the Dairy Farm would power the Naval Academy in Annapolis and contribute to these renewable energy efforts.

The Navy in February issued a request for information seeking details about solar opportunities at the property. The DoD then issued a request for proposals on May 15, formally asking companies how they'd build a solar array at the Dairy Farm. The Navy later participated in two town halls with Del. Andrew Pruski (D-33A), who represents the district.

"The idea of renewable energy at the Dairy Farm has been a concept for a long time," Schwarz said, noting that no proposals have been submitted thus far.

Residents worry the solar farm would diminish the property's history. The Hammond family, the namesake of the Hammond-Harwood House in Annapolis, owned the property from around 1701 to 1905.

The Hammond family farmed the land as a tobacco plantation using people who were enslaved. Historians believe slave auctions were held atop a large stone on the property, and the Hammond family cemetery also lies on the farm.

The site is eligible for consideration as a National Historic District, so the solar farm must comply with archeological restrictions.

"Putting a solar farm in, it really doesn't make it historic anymore," attendee Kelly Dean said.

The Navy's plans further call for some type of buffer between the panels and the neighboring community. Residents fear this will impede their views of the rolling pastures, but the Navy asked for proposals to consider protecting neighbor sightlines.

"We watch the sunsets over the Dairy Farm almost every single day," said Dean, who has lived next to the fields for 26 years. "I've got pictures galore of the cows, deer and all the wildlife."

Some attendees were upset that the hearing was the same evening as National Night Out, a police-community relations event. The meeting was originally scheduled for July 30 at the Dairy Farm pavilion, but the anticipated high attendance required a larger venue. The rescheduled date prevented many lawmakers from attending because of their existing National Night Out commitments.

Other neighbors were frustrated that the solar plant would contradict previous community input for the site.

In 2008, Anne Arundel County leased the Dairy Farm from the Navy for 30 years. The county's Department of Recreation and Parks was then tasked with developing a master plan for the property "to serve as a passive use regional park for the West County area."

Gambrills resident Mary Tobin said she served on the committee that formulated those plans. The citizens advisory group called for "community gardens, pavilions, trails, an amphitheatre, visitor's center, roads, and parking."

The plan requested 150 acres for public access with the rest reserved for agriculture. Tobin thinks the solar farm would limit the public's benefit.

"We came to a consensus that was so hard-won, and the work has already been done," Tobin said. "It feels like the community has been disregarded."

The uncertainty has organizations at the Dairy Farm questioning their futures.

Anne Arundel County has subleased land to three tenants giving neighbors a taste of farm life. Maryland Sunrise Farm has a lease expiring at the end of this year. Pending leases at the De Novo Farm and Maryland Corn Maze would run through July 31, 2026.

The University of Maryland Extension - Anne Arundel County offers rural activities on the farm. One such program is the Anne Arundel County 4-H Dairy Leasing Club, which teaches kids how to raise cows.

4-H is concerned that the Navy's request for proposals is open-ended and leaves much of the planning to the solar bidders.

"That causes anxiety because we have no idea what our future is there," 4-H Co-Leader Ed McCabe told Patch.

The solar proposals are due Sept. 12. The Navy expects to narrow its list of contenders by January 2025. The second phase of proposals will be due six to eight months later.

A federally mandated National Environmental Policy Act review would begin soon after. This review would last a year and include public comment periods. The review would then recommend whether or not the Navy should build the solar farm.

Until then, the public can send comments, questions and ideas to [email protected].

"They say 'We want to work with [you],'" McCabe said. "But wanting to and committing to is a little bit different."

More information on the project, including a map of the affected area, is posted here.