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Recreation board reviews long-range capital projects plan and park updates
Summary
Staff presented the county's capital priorities aligned with the Land Preservation Parks and Recreation Plan, including waterfront land searches, trail connections and facility upgrades; board members raised questions about timing, parking and funding.
Department of Recreation and Parks staff presented a long-range capital project list tied to the county Land Preservation Parks and Recreation Plan (LPPRP) at the board's Dec. 5 meeting, outlining land-acquisition priorities, park development projects and facility rehabilitation work.
Staff said the plan identifies several waterfront-acquisition opportunities along the Patuxent River and potential landing sites, and proposed three tiers of projects that include a waterfront park on the Lower Patuxent and a central Patuxent landing. The presenter described the difficulty of finding appropriate parcels because some properties are in private, agricultural or historic-preservation status.
The discussion listed near-term and out-year projects. Among items noted as underway or in design: Wicomico Shores public landing restroom building (utilities and finishing work pending, staff said), Phase 6 of the 3 Knots Trail to connect two sections for an 11-mile continuous trail, Leonardtown Park design (multipurpose athletic fields, playground, dog park, restrooms), Chaptico Park phases 2–3 (athletic fields and picnic areas), and a collections of parking, lighting and paving projects around county parks.
Staff described timelines and permitting dependencies. Several projects require engineering and design (A&E) phases before construction and may be subject to Maryland Historical Trust reviews, state land-lease negotiations (for sites such as Chancellors Run on state-owned land) and capital funding decisions by the Board of County Commissioners.
Board members raised questions about Myrtle Pointe Park, noting heavy weekend usage and limited parking. Staff replied that master-plan recommendations for additional parking exist and that the project's timing in the capital plan is based on available funding and commissioners' priorities. Members also discussed shared-use access at a proposed athletic complex adjacent to a future elementary school on the Hayden Farm property; staff said park access would likely remain open during school hours with shared parking for events and after-school use.
On indoor-sports facilities and turf fields, board members and staff discussed cost and operational considerations. Staff noted that turf installation on an established site can cost about $1 million to $1.5 million and that artificial turf requires ongoing maintenance and eventual replacement (roughly every 10–12 years). The board debated public-private partnership possibilities for any future indoor complex or ice rink but did not take action.
Construction updates included work at Charlotte Hall athletic fields (seeding and stabilization underway; asphalt walkway and permanent seeding scheduled for spring), and the Wicomico Shores restroom nearing completion with an anticipated April opening when seasonal facilities reopen. Staff asked the board for feedback on priorities and said the department will continue to refine cost estimates and agency coordination for projects in the CIP.
No formal votes were taken on capital items at this meeting; prioritization and funding decisions remain subject to commissioner review and budget approval.
