An NRG eVgo Freedom Station with a CHAdeMO Fast Charger and a Level 2 has popped up at the Enchanted Forest Shopping Center on Rt. 40 in Ellicott City, Maryland. This is the third CHAdeMO station in Howard County. The other two are at the Ascend Building in Columbia and the NRG eVgo station in Elkridge.
This charging station was issued a permit in October and online records show that it was inspected on December 5, 2014. As of December 8th, it doesn’t have a meter and is not yet powered on. Signs and green striping for the charging spaces also need to be done.
The area where this is located used to be the site of a popular amusement park called the Enchanted Forest which opened in 1955, the same year that Disneyland opened. It welcomed up to 300,000 visitors a year until it closed in 1988 when the owners sold the land to developers who built the shopping center where the Safeway and the new charging station are today.
The Enchanted Forest had a nursery rhyme theme with Cinderella’s pumpkin coach and the shoe house where the children’s tale says an old woman lived with her many children. The white castle-like building which served as the park’s entrance is still there and is worth the short walk to visit while charging. Many of the fairy tale structures were moved to a nearby petting farm where they are preserved for the current generation of children to enjoy. Clark’s Ellioak Farm is a short drive from the charging station and could be a destination for a family electric road trip.
There are several restaurants in the shopping center including the White Oak Tavern, Ernesto’s Fine Mexican Food, Sakura Japanese Steak and Sushi Bar and Bagel Bin and Deli. If you have any packages to send, there is a Post Office near the Safeway. You can even send a postcard from the Enchanted Forest to tell friends and family that you charged your Nissan Leaf in 30 minutes, just like magic!
