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St. Mary's County advances Phase 7 of 3-Notch Trail, opens public comment through April 11
Summary
County staff updated the citizen advisory board on design, funding and schedule for Phase 7 of the 3‑Notch Trail and said the formal public comment period runs through April 11; construction could begin after FY26 CIP funds become available July 1 and pending right‑of‑way agreements.
St. Mary's County Recreation and Parks staff provided an update on Phase 7 of the long-running 3‑Notch Trail project and reopened a formal public comment period that will remain open through April 11, staff said.
The presentation said Phase 7 will run from the new trailhead property in Hollywood to the Harris Teeter shopping center and ultimately link to existing trail segments and the Charles County connector. County staff said the trail is planned as a 10‑foot‑wide asphalt multi‑use (shared‑use) path built largely in the county railroad right‑of‑way and intended to serve recreation, tourism and transportation needs.
Christy Bishop, a staff member with St. Mary's County Recreation and Parks, told the board the project is part of multiple local and state plans and funding requests. She said the trail is included in the Maryland State Transportation Plan, the county’s Land Preservation, Parks and Recreation Plan (LPPRP), and the county comprehensive and transportation plans. Bishop said Phase 7’s current design and permitting work is focused on stormwater solutions and finalizing a short right‑of‑way segment that crosses Wildwood Shopping Center property.
Bishop said the project currently has a funding mix that covers roughly 60% of costs: $3.5 million from the federal Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP), about $1.2 million from the Kim Lamphier Bikeways Network Program (state), approximately $110,000 from Program Open Space, and county match funds. She described the Phase 7 segment as roughly 3.3 miles and said the total projected cost for that section is just over $9 million.
Bishop said staff hopes to add FY26 CIP funding so the project can be advertised for construction bids after July 1, when FY26 funds would become available, and that the Wildwood property agreement is expected to be resolved by the end of the month. She encouraged public comments during the open comment period and said comments received after April 11 would still be accepted but would not be submitted to the state grant reviewers.
Board Chair Veronica Johnson opened the floor to public comment after the presentation; residents who spoke during the meeting mainly focused on trail maintenance and operations rather than the Phase 7 design specifics.
A timeline presented by staff ties Phase 7 design, permitting and right‑of‑way work to the county’s CIP schedule and to multiple grant reporting requirements; staff emphasized that several grants tied to the same project require distinct monitoring and reporting.
If the county secures the additional CIP allocation and the remaining right‑of‑way agreement, staff said they plan to go to bid and begin construction work following the FY26 funding availability.
