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Commissioners narrow scope for Leonardtown library project; Hayden Farm, Garvey Center and downtown options debated
Summary
Board reviewed a revised Leonardtown library project sized at 30,000 square feet, discussed possible sites including Hayden Farm and downtown Leonardtown parcels offered by the mayor, and asked staff for additional data on usable acreage, EDU capacity and traffic impacts before committing funding or land acquisition.
County staff told commissioners the Leonardtown library replacement in the draft CIP is sized at 30,000 square feet and that the recent budget update reduced the previously larger square-footage estimate.
Commissioners debated three possible locations: Hayden Farm, a downtown parcel proposed by the Leonardtown mayor, and building on county-owned property near the county complex. One commissioner said the Hayden Farm parcel currently contains an elementary-school conceptual plan and recreational fields; another said the downtown option “would be a disservice to the library itself” and preferred a location visible to county building traffic.
Commissioner Morgan and others raised traffic and EDU (equivalent dwelling unit) capacity concerns tied to the broader Leonardtown town-center development, including the Garvey Senior Center and a potential future middle school on Hayden Farm. “If the library was to go on the Hayden property, absolutely there would have to be intersection improvements done,” one commissioner said, noting residents’ complaints about existing traffic at the nearby intersection.
Staff warned the board that the draft library cost does not include property acquisition and that site topography at Hayden Farm could meaningfully change excavation and site-preparation costs. A commissioner asked staff to quantify how many acres of Hayden Farm are actually usable; staff said Parks and Recreation is doing an environmental assessment and the Board of Education had prepared a concept plan showing proposed athletic fields and a middle school footprint.
Commissioners agreed to keep the project in the CIP planning pipeline but to treat property acquisition and site selection as separate decisions. One commissioner said the library project would be removed from this year’s budget if land donations or acquisition arrangements are not secured in time, while another urged that the project be taken to the public for feedback once the board has narrowed options.
Staff noted the A&E (architect/engineering) process budgeted in FY 2016 could provide additional site information that would influence size and location decisions. The board directed staff to present updated EDU information from Leonardtown and to gather usable-acreage and environmental details for Hayden Farm before committing to land purchase.
