Parks Division reviews completed projects, upcoming capital work and trail construction start

David Geithner, Parks Division manager, told the St. Mary’s County Department of Recreation and Parks advisory board on Feb. 5 that crews finished several park projects in 2014 and staff expect construction to start this month on a major trail segment.

The report said Piney Point Landing pier replacement was completed in November 2014 and three tennis courts were renovated at Jarvisville Park, Chancellor's Run Regional Park and 5th District Park. "We accomplished getting the Piney Point Landing Pier replaced last fall," Geithner said. He also described new sidewalks and exterior landscaping at the Lancaster Park interpretive center and a new restroom building at Wicomico Shores Landing.

Why it matters: the Division is balancing routine maintenance and season-specific work with several large capital projects that will take multiple years to design and build. Those projects affect park access, fields available for youth sports and waterfront amenities across the county.

Most important developments and near-term milestones

- 3 Notch Trail phase 6: staff said construction contracts were awarded and a notice to proceed is expected in February, weather permitting. Great Mills Trading Post was named the contractor and CSBI will provide construction management. Geithner said the county has notified adjacent property owners and anticipates a spring groundbreaking.

- Charlotte Hall athletic fields (5th District Park): the board heard the project is about 99 percent complete. Maryland Department of the Environment inspected and approved conversion of stormwater systems and staff expect the fields to be available in early May, with a ribbon-cutting likely in late April.

- Lancaster Park expansion: engineering bids came in higher than the earlier estimate; an additional $1.1 million was identified in the engineering firm's estimate to cover two multipurpose fields and about 125 parking spaces. The solicitation for construction was canceled pending additional CIP funding.

Other capital items described in staff materials include master planning and A&E for Myrtle Point Park, parking and restroom improvements at Elms Beach, $100,000-per-year renovation work planned for the Piney Point Lighthouse Museum in FY16–17, and master planning for the recently acquired Shannon Farm property (about 212 acres) with a placeholder of $2.1 million in later years for build-out contingent on planning outcomes and funding.

Operations and routine maintenance

Geithner summarized winter preparations (snow and ice removal), expanded maintenance responsibilities at the Lexington Park Tulagi park-and-ride (now including tree work), and recent in-house repairs at Margaret Brent gym and the gymnastics center. He noted ongoing challenges maintaining Nicollet Skate Park, which has struggled to break even financially; staff reported January attendance of nine youth and 15 adults.

Fields and recreation programming

Staff described a newly renovated multipurpose field south of the naval base for soccer and lacrosse practices to relieve field-space shortages. The board discussed priorities for athletic-field lighting projects and the possibility of reordering lighting schedules to serve higher-use fields sooner; staff said any change would depend on commissioners’ funding decisions and requests from user groups.

Staff also provided a list of smaller renovation items intended to maintain ADA access and replace failing infrastructure (walkways, fencing and parking overlays) and said some projects originally planned for FY15 were pushed into future years when funds were reallocated.

Ending

Geithner asked board members to review the CIP summaries and stated staff will update project estimates as engineering studies and bids come back. The board will consider those updated figures when the county’s FY2016 capital budget is prepared and submitted.