Easton Council Highlights: Who Gets to Decide on John Ford Park

A debate over a proposed disc golf course at John F. Ford Park dominated the Easton Town Council meeting, but a broader concern also emerged over how major decisions are made and when the Council and public are brought into the process.

The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board has recommended a one-year pilot disc golf course at John F. Ford Park. Town staff said it is favorable toward moving ahead, possibly this fall, while monitoring parking, safety, maintenance, environmental impacts, and community reaction.

Councilwoman Maureen Curry strongly questioned the plan and the process. She said she was concerned about changing the character and tranquility of the park and asked whether the Council would actually vote on the proposal.

Town Attorney Sharon VanEmburgh said the Council had already approved the annual parks plan and budget, and that day-to-day park programming is generally an administrative responsibility handled by the mayor and town staff.

That answer became part of the larger debate.

Several residents said they felt blindsided and raised concerns about parking, safety, maintenance and the loss of open green space. Supporters of disc golf argued that the sport is inexpensive, open to a wide range of ages and can fit into the park without damaging its character.

The discussion became tense at times, with residents and disc golf supporters offering sharply different versions of how much public notice and outreach had taken place. Members of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board also defended their review process and said other locations had been considered.

A similar concern about Council authority surfaced later during discussion of an affordable senior housing project.

Councilman David Montgomery said Easton has roughly 750 housing units in the development pipeline and expressed frustration that some large projects can move ahead without direct Council approval because of existing zoning rules.

Curry agreed, saying the town will have difficulty meeting its goal of about 1 percent annual growth if major projects continue to move through the system without Council review.

Rev. Elmer Davis Jr. also said the Council should establish a threshold for larger projects that would require Council consideration and give the public a chance to comment.

Despite those concerns, Council members made clear they supported the senior housing project itself and unanimously approved resolutions connected to an $800,000 Community Development Block Grant.

The same process question came up again when the Council considered an agreement with Freedom Rowers and Eastern Shore Community Rowers for a possible permanent boathouse at Easton Point Park. Council members supported the idea and approved the agreement, but several said they would have preferred to know about the proposal earlier.

In another major action, the Council unanimously approved a 12-month moratorium on data center applications while the town studies how to regulate such facilities. The Council also approved zoning language defining data centers and establishing standards for them.

Mayor Megan Cook also reported that the town has begun mowing roughly 100 acres of the former Easton Club golf course.

Montgomery said residents have complained for years about poor maintenance, flooding, weeds, deteriorating trails and ponds, and other problems at the property. He praised the town administration for taking a more active role after repeated code enforcement efforts failed to provide a lasting solution.

While disc golf drew most of the public attention, the larger theme of the meeting was that with parks, housing and development, several Council members said they want more information earlier and a stronger role before major decisions affecting Easton are already well underway.

Watch the full meeting here.