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Memorial Park sidewalk at issue as State Highway raises stormwater review demands
Summary
City staff said engineers are struggling to satisfy State Highway Administration stormwater requirements for a sidewalk linking Frederick Street to a new park entrance, and that meeting those undefined downstream analysis requirements could delay grant-funded construction.
City staff told the Taneytown Planning Commission that a proposed sidewalk connecting the existing Frederick Street sidewalk (near the Catholic church) to a new Memorial Park entrance may trigger a state-mandated downstream stormwater analysis the project’s engineer has not yet been able to complete.
Staff said the proposed sidewalk could increase impervious area and that the State Highway Administration (SHA) has not indicated a clear, time-bounded scope for the required downstream analysis. The uncertainty, staff said, could require months of additional engineering work and might imperil a park grant with an expenditure deadline.
Commissioners said the sidewalk is a key access feature for park users. Staff said one option would be to remove the sidewalk from the project to avoid SHA’s comment, but that doing so would be undesirable and could jeopardize the project’s intent. Staff described continued efforts with the engineer to identify stormwater treatment options that would meet SHA’s requirements.
No formal action was taken by the commission at the meeting; the matter remains under review while staff and the project engineer pursue alternatives and discussions with SHA.
The project is grant-funded; staff emphasized that meeting the grant’s timeline is a primary consideration when weighing further design work versus removing the sidewalk from the scope.
