Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Economic Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Garrett County outlines three preliminary ARC projects, to be ranked for roughly $3 million in local funding
Summary
The Board of Commissioners reviewed three preliminary Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) project summaries seeking county ranking: an AHEC West Oakland Opportunity Hub ($500,000 request), Holler to Hilltop Revival Corp’s 825 High Street workforce center ($250,000 request), and a Garrett County Public Utilities water/sewer extension ($1.5 million request).
The Board of Garrett County Commissioners reviewed preliminary executive summaries for three Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) projects during its April 21 meeting and discussed the county ranking process ahead of submission. Chairman Paul C. Edwards said county projects will be ranked and submitted to ARC for consideration, with approximately $3 million potentially available for local awards.
Project summaries recorded in the transcript include:
- AHEC West (Western Maryland Area Health Education Center) seeks $500,000 toward a $1.2 million acquisition and renovation of a 21,912-square-foot property in Oakland to create the Oakland Opportunity Hub. The hub would provide workforce training, recovery and re-entry services, life-skills programming, wellness activities, space for the Garrett County Health Department’s 360 Food Access Hub, and five affordable housing units. Key partners listed include the Garrett County Health Department, Garrett County Community Action Committee, Archway Station, the Garrett County Sheriff’s Office and Mountain Laurel Medical Center.
- Holler to Hilltop Revival Corp proposes renovating 825 High Street in Oakland into the 825 High Street Community Workforce & Innovation Center. ARC funds of $250,000 (matched by $250,000 in private, philanthropic and in-kind contributions) are requested to support construction, code compliance, equipment and technology upgrades for approximately 3,000 square feet of renovated space to host skilled-trades and green-jobs training, classrooms, credentialing programs and small-business incubation.
- Garrett County Public Utilities seeks $1.5 million in ARC funding as part of a $3.0 million project to extend water and sewer lines along the U.S. 219 corridor between Pysell Road and Friendsville Road (Route 42). The project would install about 9,000 linear feet of water line and 10,000 linear feet of sewer line, expanding service to an estimated 40 residential customers and 13 businesses, and benefiting properties including the Maryland State Police Barracks and commercially developable acreage along the corridor.
The transcript records these summaries and notes that projects will be ranked before submission to ARC; the board did not take a final funding vote at the April 21 meeting. Additional funding sources and matching contributions are referenced in the project summaries but the transcript does not provide award decisions or detailed budget worksheets.
