WICOMICO COUNTY, MD - After months of contentious debate, the "Safari at the Quarry" off-road Jeep event took place today at The Connelly Mill Quarry.
Over a hundred participants made their way to Kylan Barn in Delmar, and then sporadically to the quarry for an off-roading experience around the grounds.
At the same time - neighbors from the Shadow Hills neighborhood, who had voiced numerous complaints about the event, gathered with the Lower Shore Progressive Caucus to express their concerns once more. They argue that the land was intended to be a park, not an off-road course.
"We're not complaining to stop a Jeep event, we're not complaining at all - we are speaking in favor of what has been a promise for the last 8 years," said Mikele Dahlen.
However, Wicomico County Executive Julie Giordano countered these claims, saying in part in a statement to WBOC:
"The Connelly Mill location is not a park as the council rejected the idea in 2021 before the beginning of my administration. It is a worksite that we mine dirt for our landfill..."
She continued, "One the mining is completed, we will discuss the potential of a park. Right now, we still need to complete Pirates Wharf and West Metro Core."
Despite the event proceeding as planned, neighbors remain steadfast in their determination to advocate for their community's interests.
"It was supposed to be a park in 10 years - we agreed to put up with the noise and the mining for that end goal, and we want it to remain that end goal," Dahlen added.
Brad Hoffman from organizer Live Wire Media says the event was a huge success surrounded by too much misinformation. He said they proved in their first day that they were respectful neighbors and that it proved to be a family friendly community event,
"People are entitled to their own thoughts, but not their own facts, and the facts are this has been a great event," Hoffman stated. "The Jeep people were respectful, my company and partners have been respectful, and in no way have we done anything to have a negative impact on that community."
He added he hopes to do more events in the future, and would be willing to sit down with local officials and the neighbors to discuss this weekend and any future plans.