Intentional Development And Quiet Cul-De-Sacs Map Brittingham’s Charm

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By Judy Tacyn

The statuesque community of Brittingham — located in Millersville off Jumpers Hole Road near Kinder Farm Park — was developed by Calvin Grey Jr. Construction began in earnest in the early 1990s when Landmark Builders and NV Builders broke ground on the first section in the soon-to-be neighborhood. There are four “sections” in total, each consisting of extra wide streets and cul-de-sacs, sidewalks, and lot sizes of about an acre. Most homes are traditional and colonial in style and range from approximately 2,500 to 6,900 square feet.

Sections 1 through 3 are to the south of East-West Boulevard, Section 4, the tucked-away Fordham Road and Court, is to the north of East-West Boulevard. Sections 1 through 3 have a walking path to Kinder Farm Park, and all sections border the B&A Bike Trail. A quiet pond offers long summer days of fishing for anglers of all ages and winter ice hockey games for those with Stanley Cup dreams.

Large lots and quiet streets are perfect for community gatherings. Halloween is a favorite time of the year at Brittingham. Children love to hang out at the annual Halloween kickoff gathering for food and drinks before trick-or-treating, while parents gather at fire pits. At the end of the year, homeowners have a holiday party at a local restaurant. Other events include and Easter egg hunt, summer kickoffs, crab feasts, yard sales, and barbecue for Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day.

Children attend Oak Hill Elementary School, and Severna Park Middle and High schools.

Megan Cormier
Resident For Two Years

Megan Cormier’s family moved to Maryland due to a career relocation, but she feels lucky to have found Brittingham.

“With a quick relocation needed, we used the help of real estate agent Susan Nealey. She also lives in Severna Park and was able to help us narrow our choices,” Cormier said. “We spent time looking at other counties, but this location was perfect for our family. We love that it is so close to Annapolis and Baltimore.”

Because the family has small children, Brittingham’s proximity to Kinder Farm Park is an added bonus.

“We chose this neighborhood because of its location. We take family walks across the street to Kinder Farm Park and the sports complex. We can walk to our own neighborhood pond as well as to the B&A Trail,” Cormier said. “As parents, we love that our kids have so many friends their ages within the neighborhood and in each of the sections. I also love how wooded the neighborhood is with beautiful, mature trees. Beyond our property in the back is a mini forest of trees and a stream.”

Now that her family is settled, she’s learned that there is another perk to her neighborhood: babysitters.

“Brittingham is a fine mix of newer retirees, older and younger families,” she added. “There definitely is an amalgamation of folks that have moved from all over the states and now call this neighborhood home. Babysitters are not hard to find here!”

The Cormiers also appreciate that they can ride their bikes to their favorite places.

“We have at least two large community spaces of land. Our children and others utilize one of the smaller spaces as their own secret soccer field,” Cormier said. “It’s a great neighborhood to have a multi-family game of laser tag, with so many trees and terrain. The pond is a special place to residents because we can catch and release fish, sled and take walks around it.”

A good school district was a top priority for the young parents when considering Severna Park. Cormier likes Oak Hill Elementary School so much that she volunteers many hours and also substitute teaches there. She also volunteers with the Greater Severna Park Mom’s Club and Sarah’s House.

“Our neighbors are amazing. Truly, I can count on them to be extra eyes while we are away. We help each other with our houses (inside and out), we borrow tools, books, recipes and have countless play dates that never need to be scheduled,” Cormier said. “My neighbors can even be counted on to help with pet sitting. We go on walks together through Sections 1 and 2. I am in a small book club with a few neighbors. We use each other as resources for home improvement projects, sharing names and contact info of those that have done great work. We hit the neighbor and neighborhood lottery with our move to Maryland.”

Marianne Batzler
Resident For Five Years

In an “it’s not what you know but who you know” property edition, Marianne Batzler and her family found Brittingham from a tennis partner who needed to relocate.

“My tennis partner owned the house prior to us. We had come to the house for a party and I liked it,” Batzler said. “When her husband was transferred away, we bought the house. We liked the neighborhood as we wanted to be close to Chartwell and wanted an open concept house with higher ceilings.”

Though they liked the house, they now love their neighborhood. Asked what makes Severna Park special, Batzler said “the pride of homeownership. People keep their homes in great shape. Also, the neighbors are very nice and similar in outlook and relative interests. The kids come from great families that care.”

Batzler remembers a time when neighbors were more like family.

“A neighbor moved in shortly after losing two of her children in a fire,” Batzler recalled. “We all came together to make sure they felt welcome in their new neighborhood. We just looked out for them to try and do anything we could to lessen their pain.”

Maureen Carr-York
Resident For 24 Years

Maureen Carr-York and her husband moved to Chartwell in Severna Park in 1988. “We purchased one of the smaller homes in the beautiful neighborhood of Chartwell and were there for more than five years,” Carr-York said. “At that point, we decided we needed more space for our active family. Our lot didn’t have much room for expansion, but we didn’t want to move away from our friends in Chartwell, so we were very happy to see the signs for the new development go up nearby.”

Carr-York chose her lot and home design in 1993 and moved in a year later.

“We always feel a sense of calm and peace when we turn into Brittingham,” she added. “The homes are lovely and well maintained, and our neighbors warm and friendly. We have beautiful woods behind our home and see a lot of wildlife.

“When we moved to Brittingham 24 years ago, we were, like most of our neighbors, a young couple raising young children,” Carr-York continued. “Over the years, much of the neighborhood has turned over to the point where we are the oldest couple on the street and appreciate the chance to enjoy watching the current generation of youngsters playing ball in the cul-de-sac, and enjoying the same rites of passage as our kids all those years ago.”

Carr-York and her husband are very active in Severna Park and in the county. Over the years, Jim York has coached Green Hornets sports teams and has handled administrative duties for the organization. As a physician board certified in orthopedics and sports medicine, he has also volunteered countless hours for young athletes, providing preseason physicals at Anne Arundel Community College and area schools. Carr-York has served as a member of the Anne Arundel County Board of Education (1991-1996) and on the Board of the Greater Severna Park Council (president from 2006-2010 and 2013-present), which is an umbrella group of some 60 homeowners and community associations in the Greater Severna Park area. Since 2016, Carr-York has served as a judge of the Orphans’ Court of Anne Arundel County.

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