“Execution is the majority shareholder of a good idea.”
— Michael McCall, President, Strategic Leisure

Development Design is a form of storytelling, of what you want to build and why. With a clear and compelling story told with integrity and passion, you get the chance to manifest that story physically, brick by brick, or in the case of the Chrysalis, ZEPPS by ZEPPS.

Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods Plan Approval

Howard County, Maryland, has a very involved process (see flowchart below) for reviewing and approving development plans. Notwithstanding the "Site Development Plan" term, the SDP process covers everything – from the purely aesthetic and to the very technical – about a proposed development. 

Michael McCall, President and CEO of the Inner Arbor Trust (via contract with Strategic Leisure) led the preparation and presentation of the Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods Park plan, which was endorsed by all five County Council members and unanimously approved by the Howard County Planning Board. Michael then led the Inner Arbor Trust's cooperative joint planning with the owners and operators of Merriweather Post Pavilion, which was also unanimously approved by Howard County Planning Board, one year later.

Council Member Mary Kay Sigaty's testimony for the Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods plan

“I believe that you have in front of you an exceptional design. It’s
full of art, it’s full of potential for culture, it’s full of the
promise of a place for our young children, and for those of us as we
grow older. I would ask you to do as we did, the Council did when we
voted the plan into existence. We gave it a lot of thought, we voted
it with enthusiasm, we voted it with a belief in the future. When we
were done, we felt really, really good about our choices.

I would ask you to look at this plan, recognize it for what it is, for
our future, and vote it with enthusiasm, with a belief that it will
get more things going, and you’ll be able to stand up and say like I
can, ‘Yes, we did it!’ Thank you.”

Click the items below for the PDF of the 85 sheet Site Development Plan (SDP 14-073) submitted to Howard County by the Inner Arbor Trust, and unanimously approved by on November 20, 2014.

Click below for the PDF of the Joint Site Development Plan (SDP 16-018) submitted to and unanimously approved by, Howard County, by the Inner Arbor Trust and a subsidiary of The Howard Hughes Corporation, then the owner of Merriweather Post Pavilion.

Chrysalis Construction

The first phase of the seven part Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods plan, the Chrysalis Stage | Pavilion | Sculpture, started construction in September, 2015 and will open in April, 2017. 

 
 
“As the myriad of issues surrounding the potential implementation of this strategy are considered, discussed and debated, the organization must strive to avoid losing the vision in the process of pursuing it.”
— Michael McCall, President, Strategic Leisure