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St. Mary's County to fund FDR Boulevard land acquisition; construction timing pushed back
Summary
Commissioners agreed to keep $1.712 million in the FY2013 CIP for land acquisition on the FDR Boulevard corridor (phases 1 and 3) and to delay large-scale construction funding one year to allow acquisition and design to finish, after staff presented traffic and property‑acquisition details.
St. Mary's County commissioners directed staff to retain $1,712,200 in the FY2013 capital plan for land acquisition along FDR Boulevard and signaled a majority preference to delay full construction funding so design and property purchases can be completed first.
The decision came after county project lead Miss Erickson told the board that State Highway Administration counts put Maryland Route 235 traffic between about 48,000 and 59,000 vehicles per day and that completing an uninterrupted section of FDR Boulevard from Maryland Route 4 to Peg Road could remove roughly 10,000 trips per day from 235. “We advise that about 10,000 trips per day could be taken off of that roadway,” Miss Erickson said during her presentation.
Why it matters: FDR Boulevard is a multi‑phase corridor project long flagged by the county for traffic relief and local access improvements. Commissioners said moving acquisition money now preserves the county’s ability to build later while keeping flexibility on when to commit construction dollars.
Staff told the board that about 34 parcels are affected in phase 1, requiring roughly 19.4 acres; 12.2 acres have already been acquired. Phase 3 involves about 30 parcels and 11.9 acres, with roughly 4.9 acres acquired to date. Erickson said the county expects a proposal from SHA’s property‑acquisition team to assist with remaining purchases and that the project’s prior approved land expenditures (about $1.75 million) have already been spent.
Commissioner discussion focused on sequencing: several commissioners said they wanted the county to show commitment by completing acquisition and keeping the design efforts on track; others urged caution on timing and borrowing. After debate, the board reached a near‑unanimous direction to keep the FY2013 acquisition amount in the CIP and to shift the construction schedule out a year (from the previously proposed 2014 start to 2015) to preserve flexibility. The chair summarized the outcome as general consensus (4‑1) for acquisition funding now and holding construction for further review.
Miss Erickson said phase 1 design is 100 percent complete and that phase 3 design work would be bid in the spring to align with the acquisition schedule, putting the county in position to begin construction once funding and right‑of‑way are in place.
Next steps: staff will proceed with the acquisition program using the funds in FY2013, coordinate with SHA on acquisition assistance, and return to the board during the next budget cycle with updated timing and any adjustments to the construction funding request.
