Delmarva Public Media
A stretch of wooded land just north of Salisbury, once envisioned as a future park for residents, has become the center of an environmental and political dispute over its future. The Connelly Mill site—a 234-acre former sand quarry—was originally intended to become a public recreation area. But Wicomico County’s latest plan to use it as a dumping ground for dredge spoils from the Wicomico River has sparked fierce opposition from residents and conservation advocates.
From Donated Land to Quarry
The story began eight years ago, when a group of Salisbury landowners donated the 234-acre property to Wicomico County. At the time, the plan seemed straightforward: the county would temporarily use the site to excavate sand and soil for public construction projects and landfill maintenance. Once the quarrying was complete, the pit would naturally fill with groundwater, forming two man-made lakes.
Because the land sits atop an aquifer near the headwaters of the Wicomico River, environmental advocates believed it could eventually serve as a haven for wildlife and a green space for people. The site’s proximity—less than five miles from downtown Salisbury—added to its appeal as a potential urban park.
But the vision of a tranquil recreation area has since become mired in controversy.
Safari at the Quarry
Last year, county officials abruptly changed course. To the apparent surprise of the Wicomico County Council and many residents, County Executive Julie Giordano approved the use of the site for an off-road vehicle event known as the Safari at the Quarry. The rally drew scores of Jeeps and four-wheel-drive vehicles to the property.
The reaction from nearby residents was swift and negative. Noise, dust, and environmental concerns led to a public outcry. Eventually, both the county and the City of Salisbury stepped in to cancel future off-road rallies, returning the property to the county’s long-term planning process.
For many, that decision marked a victory. “The property back here is stunningly beautiful,” said Craig Stofko, a nearby resident and former Somerset County health official. “There’s a lake back there—it’s pristine, just Garden of Eden type stuff.”
Dredging Proposal Sparks New Backlash
But this fall, residents learned that the county had another plan in mind. In September, Wicomico County Public Works unveiled a proposal to deposit roughly 400,000 cubic yards of dredge spoils—mud, sediment, and debris pulled from the Wicomico River—into the Connelly Mill quarry.
County officials argue that the project is both necessary and beneficial. Regular dredging is required to keep the river navigable for commercial and recreational boat traffic. Public Works representatives also suggested that depositing the dredged material at Connelly Mill could help create artificial wetlands, generate carbon credits, and eventually support the development of a park.
But many local residents were alarmed by what they heard. “I was absolutely floored,” said Mikele Dahlen, one of the leaders of the community effort to preserve the site. “This is 234 acres of green space. It’s less than five miles from downtown Salisbury and the urban center. All of the other similar parks that Wicomico County has are a 35 to 40 minute drive away. When you talk about equity of access to the benefits of open air and green space, we are robbing the people of Salisbury and the urban center.”
Dahlen said the plan calls for decades of dredge storage—a timeline that would effectively delay any park development for a generation. “Most of the people in the room were too [floored],” she said, recalling a recent county presentation on the dredge proposal. “We left out of there not fully understanding, but the words at the end of it were: this’ll create artificial wetlands, the county can monetize the carbon credits, and at the end of it, there’ll be a park. But there’s, by the way, 30 years of dredge storage.”
County Defends Its Plan
County Executive Giordano did not respond to requests for comment, but in a recent social media post she pushed back against critics, accusing them of spreading a “false narrative.” Giordano argued that the dredging project would, in fact, advance the development of a park at Connelly Mill rather than prevent it.
County officials have also said that finding suitable sites for dredge spoils has become increasingly difficult, and that using the quarry could be an environmentally responsible solution.
Still, critics remain unconvinced. “I think it borders on criminal,” said Stofko. “This is one of the most beautiful areas in the county, and we’re talking about filling it with muck.”
A Test of Local Leadership
The future of the property could hinge on the balance of power between the county executive and the county council. Wicomico’s government structure gives the executive broad authority, but council members have shown a willingness to push back—most notably when they helped block the off-road vehicle rallies last year.
“So we have a very bipartisan group,” Dahlen said. “The park itself was envisioned by a Republican county executive. It was approved by a majority Republican council. It was done the correct way.”
For now, the fate of Connelly Mill remains uncertain. Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz visited the site earlier this year as part of an initiative to identify potential state–county park partnerships on the Eastern Shore. But with the county’s dredging proposal now on the table, the idea of turning Connelly Mill into what some residents call the ‘Central Park of Wicomico County’ is once again in doubt.
What was once a gift of green space has become an environmental battleground—its future suspended between competing visions of progress and preservation, and a growing debate over how the county defines the public good.
