I live in this area...and don't necessarily think this is a bad thing...I'm cautious...but willing to listen.
There is nothing at the site proposed for the stadium...There was nothing at the site where they built the MGM / National harbor complex...This is all tied into trying to revitalize and modernize the Southeast side of the city / metropolis...even The Nationals stadium was tied to this whole situation...all 3 jurisdictions are on board with the push...
The South Mountain area...would be tied in with the Antietam battlefield area just up the road...again, not necessarily a bad thing...Antietam is VERY well maintained and preserved, uncluttered...So, I'm cautiously willing to listen.....If the feds eventually have their way...this whole area is going to be one big blob of park-controlled- land (The Harpers Ferry area included)....It's a pain in the butt now, to try and do anything in this area because of the historical impacts (dealing with historical buildings, lands, etc...that require extra mountains of paperwork...only to be denied...which you knew would happen even before you try...)
Obviously, the devil is in the details....let's see what they are before giving in to the knee jerk reactions....
I can see why the state would be interested in considering this swap....think about it...The State Park needs to be maintained and preserved...no modernization and development allowed...and they (the state) have to pay to maintain it...The proposed stadium site...would bring in big tax dollars for the state's coffers.....
So....let's see....a big tax dollar windfall for the state..vs. a big money drain for the state on the other side of the books...hhmmmmmmmm....which to choose if I'm the Governor?......
I live in the area too—I can see Fox’s Gap on S. Mountain and some of the land they’re talking about from where I’m writing this. When I look out my bedroom window in the morning, I see the flag on the farm next to us that marks the location of the Union field headquarters for the Battle of South Mountain. This area is rich with history and many who live here are active in protecting it, promoting it, and participating in it through living history events, reenactments, and other programs. We’ve already endured a 5-year struggle with Dominion Power to get a gas compressor station relocated away from the battlefield and AT, so when I talk about the future of this area and what I believe is appropriate, it’s from the perspective of local knowledge, an interest in historical preservation, and long-term involvement, not a “
knee jerk reaction.”
I agree that Antietam is a nice park, but the NPS already has its hands full in this area maintaining Antietam, Monocacy, and Harpers Ferry, not to mention the federal parklands and forests in the area. The state does an excellent job of maintaining the S. Mountain battlefield areas already.
Also, the assertion that, “
there is nothing at the site proposed for the stadium,” is as disappointing as it is inaccurate. There is a large National Park there with historic structures and a long history of providing a green oasis with outdoor recreational opportunities for the general public—not just the select few who can afford season tickets to NFL games. Check out the website for the park:
https://www.nps.gov/oxhi/index.htm
A former park ranger who worked there for almost 20 years said, “This is a beautiful, bucolic place...They’re not running thousands of people through the turnstiles like at Disneyland, but it needs to be preserved.”