Allegany County committee recommends targeted Program Open Space awards as state apportionment falls

A county subcommittee recommended a slate of Program Open Space funding priorities for fiscal year 2026 after the state apportionment dropped to $289,184, county staff said during an Allegany County public work session.

Andrew, a county staff member who co-chairs the Program Open Space committee, told commissioners the available state funding has fallen sharply from roughly $993,000 in FY24 and about $360,000 the following year. "We got 289,184," Andrew said.

The committee presented recommendations for allocating the smaller apportionment across multiple local projects. Highlights of the committee’s recommendations included: partial funding for the Allegany College of Maryland wetlands boardwalk ($25,000 recommended from an original request of $67,500); a reduced award to the Town of Barton after removing a $7,000 guardrail request (committee recommended roughly $8,100); a recommendation to fund roughly half of a Crescent Town Civic Improvement fencing request (original ask $23,285); full funding for a replacement stair and handrail project at Clint Denny Recreation in Frostburg (request $13,050) and full funding for concession-stand and pavilion repairs at a Frostburg park (request $11,970); full funding of a Flintstone Community Park project that includes parking improvements and batting cages ($16,200); and a scaled-back award to Bishop Walsh High School limited to a single exterior scoreboard rather than the school’s broader, original $857,700 request.

The committee recommended denying the City of Cumberland’s Jean Mason sports complex pavilion request ($54,000) because the park remains closed and other previously funded work there has not yet been completed. The PVA Sports Complex lighting request — described in the presentation as roughly $60,000 and reportedly backed by the applicant with $25,000 in local funding — was recommended for full funding after the committee judged the applicant demonstrated commitment to complete the project.

County staff also proposed using about $101,000 of the state apportionment as local match to leverage an already awarded Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) federal grant on a county project (a 50/50 match). The committee said that strategy would stretch limited state funds by unlocking federal dollars.

Commissioners and staff discussed the local shortage of playable fields after recent closures, including Riverside, and noted opportunities to pursue underused school properties or potential acquisitions to expand field supply. Staff described the recommendations as preliminary: the committee plans a public presentation in roughly two weeks, followed by a two-week comment period before returning the package for formal adoption.

The subcommittee said the reduced state apportionment will require more prioritization and smaller awards than in prior years.

Next steps: staff will present the recommendations publicly, open a two-week comment period, and then return to the commissioners for final action.