Draft six‑year capital budget highlights 3 Notch Trail phases; staff proposes funding missing California sections

St. Mary's County Recreation and Parks staff on Nov. 5 presented a draft FY2011–16 capital budget that continues funding for the 3 Notch Trail and a slate of park, museum and waterfront projects and asked the advisory board for guidance on whether the county should use public funds to fill several undeveloped trail segments in the California/Lexington Park corridor.

The draft budget would fund design and engineering for a 5‑mile section of the 3 Notch Trail (Phase 6) from Route 5 near Wawa north to New Market (FY2011 design budget shown as $212,000 in staff materials and construction funding in a later year). Phase 5 — the section from John Baggett Park to Route 5 — was identified for imminent bidding and construction. Staff said completing those sections would create an about‑11‑mile connected segment between John Baggett Park and…