The Chesapeake Ranch Estates (CRE), also known locally as the Ranch Club, is located in Lusby, Maryland, in southern Calvert County. CRE was founded in 1958 as is governed by a homeowners' association, which is officially called the "Property Owner's Association of the Chesapeake Ranch Estates" (POACRE). Today, CRE is now composed of over 4,000 homes[1].
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The CRE is close to the attractions of Solomons Island as well as in proximity to Naval Air Station Patuxent River. There are several public schools within a ten-mile radius of the community. The community maintains two private Chesapeake Bay beaches: Driftwood and Seahorse, and one manmade lake: Lake Lariat. CRE has horse stables, a small airfield, a horseshoes field, a duck pond, and a camp ground. CRE employs a small security force that works alongside the state police along with several members that live within the community itself.
CRE is also home to part of the formation collectively known as Calvert Cliffs. The cliffs are made of sedimentary material and stratification of the layers is clearly visible. Over 600 species of fossils have been identified from these cliffs[2]. The cliffs are easily accessible from Seahorse Beach. The cliffs are clearly visible by boats which are not restricted from the area.
Originally, CRE was a gated community manned 24/7 by guards. Later, in the late 1990s a controversial vote was held open to all property owners, and the gates were voted to be taken down by simple majority. Today, access to the beaches and other similar amenities is still closed to non-members, however access to the roads is open to all.
== Current issues == Currently POACRE was approved by request to become a special tax district in the county, that would raise an estimated $5,750,000 needed to repair the roads[3].
Lake Lariat has a history of pollution ranging from runoff, to algae blooms, and also mercury[4]. A ongoing effort has been made to clean the lake, and freshwater clams have been placed in the lake to help alleviate the problems. The lake also has an ongoing fish consumption advisory since 2002 by the Maryland Department of the Environment due to confirmed high levels of mercury in fish tissue in the lake, five times past the legally allowable, As All Fish IN Maryland have this Advisory .[5].
Recently, a growing movement has occurred to restructure POACRE or even make it a public subdivision as a solution to the growing numbers of problems that the original homeowners' association was not designed to handle when originally conceived. The Campgrounds have Been opened up to allow camping From the Public . [6].
There has been some discussions concerning the Governing Documents of the POACRE . This matter was the subject of litigation in the case of Hanson vs Calvert County, the case is settled, Calvert County and its co defendant, Property Owners of Chesapeake Ranch Estates won the case. It was alleged in this case that in 1989 the founders of POACRE illegally co-opted the powers of the developer (Chesapeake Ranch Club, Inc.) as Declarant of the covenants.
Erosion rates have increased for homeowners abutting the cliffs endangering those particular homes Washington post
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