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St. Mary's County parks staff report CARES-funded restroom upgrades, turf-field timeline and Snow Hill boat-ramp planning
Summary
Parks staff told the December 2020 board that seven restroom renovations funded by CARES will be finished by year-end, turf-field soil work is approvable with a target spring opening, Shannon Farm design work continues and Snow Hill boat-ramp planning has state waterway grant support.
Leonardtown — St. Mary's County Department of Recreation and Parks staff updated the Board of Recreation and Parks on several capital and facility projects at the December 2020 meeting, including restroom renovations funded by CARES, progress on turf fields, design work for Shannon Farm and plans for a new boat ramp at Snow Hill Park.
Restrooms: Parks staff said two restrooms have already been renovated and five more were scheduled for completion by Dec. 31 using CARES Act grant funds. Staff told the board the work will allow most park restrooms to remain open year-round with running water and handwashing, rather than being winterized and closed. The department said the CARES-funded renovations were not in the preexisting capital budget.
Staff also said that expanding Wi‑Fi access at six parks may make automated locking and unlocking of restroom facilities feasible in the future; such automation could reduce daily staff visits and allow programmatic opening and closing hours. The department proposed exploring cameras for public-safety monitoring in parks where Wi‑Fi and remote locking are installed; those measures would require further budget and policy approvals.
Turf fields: Staff reported that plans from soil-conservation review for the turf-field project had been returned as approvable. If work and ordering proceed on schedule, the department said soil work could begin before Christmas and that, if everything proceeds, the target is to have Lynn Fields operating by April 15 for the spring season.
Shannon Farm: The department has retained a design firm and produced a concept plan that would use approximately 3,400 feet of Chesapeake Bay shoreline. Staff said they have met with community representatives, including HOA presidents, who raised concerns about traffic, safety and impacts on neighboring properties. The department said the capital-improvement-plan discussion on Dec. 15 would shape funding and phasing; final approval would occur later in the spring of 2021.
Lexington Manor Passive Park: Staff said grading and demolition work are ready to begin, with a new entrance off Three Notch Road planned and a new restroom building expected to follow once building permits are issued.
Snow Hill Park boat ramp: Staff announced they have solicited master‑planning and design bids for a boat-ramp project and said waterway-improvement grant funds are available. Staff estimated the project cost to be near $1,000,000 and said the state Waterway Improvement program was willing to provide roughly half of that amount toward the project.
3 Notch Trail: Staff reiterated that stormwater-management geotechnical borings and coordination with the State Highway Administration would be required before construction; staff said approval and grant coordination may place construction roughly within the next year, subject to state and federal approvals.
No board action was taken to approve new spending at the meeting; staff presented progress updates, timelines and next administrative steps for each project.
