Photo by Kim Upshaw Pax River Commanding Officer Capt. Steve Schmeiser addresses those in attendance of the Enhanced Use Leadership Forum for Solomons Navy Recreation Center last Thursday.

The purpose of the forum was to educate those in attendance about the EUL process. It included background information on what is the Navy’s largest outdoor recreation facility, a tour of the proposed EUL sites and information on the EUL opportunity.

Pax River Commanding Officer, Capt. Steve Schmeiser gave a brief history of the facility along with some statistics on NRC and its operations.

The mission of NRC is to provide quality-of-life programs and facilities to military and Department of Defense civilians. The team at NRC strives to make everyone’s visit a pleasurable and memorable experience.

The complex offers many opportunities for outdoor recreation including a marina, an aquatics complex, a beach, a fishing pier and campsites and rental homes allowing for affordable family vacations for those who are authorized to use it.

‘‘An estimated 500,000 visitors a year use the recreation center,” said Linda Vassallo, the director of Calvert County Department of Economic Development. She went on to explain that more than 400,000 people visited Calvert County last year. ‘‘The rec center gets more visitors annually than Calvert County does. It has a major economic tourism impact on the county.”

After Vassallo’s presentation on the economic status of Calvert County, the unique EUL opportunity that NRC has to offer was explained to the group. Items covered included the physical characteristics of the sites, the impact of the EUL on the environment and how tenant relocation would be handled.

The properties being considered for the EUL consist of more than 264 acres on four parcels located throughout the facility and include areas of lodging, storage and water-oriented areas.

Some development objectives include maximizing the value of the facility to the Navy, enhancing the quality of life for Navy personnel and to develop a comparable mix of lodging and recreation facilities with additional compatible uses such as a conference facility that would be available for use to the general public.

The EUL could involve possible redevelopment of land, new construction or reuse of existing facilities owned by the base.

At this time, the EUL project has not been finalized and any decisions in regards to the best use of the installations property will be better known after developer proposals are submitted.