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Memorial Park expansion stalled as engineering dispute, sidewalk requirement delay work
Summary
Taneytown Parks staff said work on the Memorial Park expansion is on hold while Arrow Engineering reconsiders a sidewalk design required by the State Highway Administration; construction costs have risen about $100,000 and the project must be completed within a four-year federal grant window that began Oct. 1, 2023.
Taneytown parks staff reported Wednesday that the Memorial Park expansion has paused while the town waits for clarity from Arrow Engineering on a sidewalk design and a construction timeline.
Lorena, Parks and Recreation staff, told the advisory board that Arrow had promised weekly updates but, after recent repeated requests, responded June 6 only to say it was “working on getting clarity on their timeline and confirming the sidewalk resolution.” She said Arrow later indicated a new engineer had joined the firm and was taking a fresh look at whether a sidewalk required by State Highway Administration standards could be kept in the design.
The sidewalk is a condition tied to the access road from Frederick Street (Route 84/184) and was previously approved for removal by State Highway if the town chose. Lorena said the new Arrow engineer thought a solution might be possible if the sidewalk could be designed to keep stormwater flow at or below 1 percent; that technical review is a principal cause of the delay.
The delay has real cost consequences. Parks staff said the project’s price rose by about $100,000 because of the hold-up. Morton Buildings and Martin Builders have been asked to value-engineer elements of the project — for example, replacing a 120-gallon water heater with a 75-gallon unit and selecting less expensive grease-handling equipment — to try to reduce the budget shortfall.
The project is funded in part by a federal grant with an approved start date of Oct. 1, 2023; the grant term is four years. Lorena said finishing earlier would improve the town’s prospects if staff ask the Department of the Interior to reimburse increased costs caused by delays.
Board members pressed for a deadline. One member asked whether the town could tell the engineer to drop the sidewalk if Arrow did not resolve the issue by month’s end; Lorena said the town, as the client, should be able to do that if necessary. She also noted the town had previously conceded to State Highway that the sidewalk would not be on park property; that concession had enabled the access road approval in the first place.
The discussion was a status update; no formal action was taken at the meeting. Staff said they will return with more information when Arrow provides its timeline and final recommendation.
Ending: The board asked staff to continue pushing Arrow for a clear decision so contractors can proceed; Lorena said she expects some resolution within weeks but reiterated she had “not heard from them” after the June 6 reply.
