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Taneytown officials say Memorial Park expansion awaits State Highway, environmental approvals
Summary
Parks staff told the Taneytown Parks and Recreation Advisory Board the Memorial Park expansion is stalled pending an easement recording and approvals from the State Highway Administration, Maryland environmental regulators and county forest conservation authorities; best-case construction could begin this summer.
Taneytown parks staff told the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board on Jan. 15 that the Memorial Park expansion remains on hold while the project seeks several external approvals and records an easement required to extend a connector road. Lorena, speaking for parks staff, said the town is assembling documents to record an easement across adjacent property owned by the Runahans to allow stormwater piping and a road connector from Frederick Street.
Lorena said the project still requires three approvals before an RFP can be issued: a State Highway Administration (SHA) sign-off on the connector road, a waterways permit from the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) because a small stream crosses the site, and county forest conservation approval to address tree removals and replanting requirements. "I wish I had better news about the Memorial Park project," Lorena said, adding that the town had hoped to be under construction by now but that the SHA consultant change delayed that approval.
Staff described next steps: record the easement, secure the required permits, advertise an RFP for at least one month and award a construction contract. Lorena said Wharton Buildings already holds the contract for the modular building portion and will begin work when given the go-ahead. Parks staff estimated construction could take roughly four to five months depending on weather and that much of the work will involve grading to create level playing fields, asphalt work, sidewalks, lighting and landscaping.
Board members questioned timeline specifics. When asked for a best-case start date, Lorena said summer 2025 if approvals and easement recording proceed quickly; she declined to offer a firm worst-case date. The board also discussed forest conservation requirements, including replanting obligations for trees removed to make space for fields. Lorena and staff said they are exploring off-site reforestation areas, including road-frontage plantings, to meet county requirements.
Ending: Parks staff said they will provide updates when SHA approval and other permit clearances arrive and that the town will not advertise the RFP until the easement is recorded and permit-related conditions are addressed.
