Joint committees advance Western County Recreation Center plan at Dillingham Park

A joint session of the county’s Planning, Housing & Parks and Health & Human Services committees voted unanimously to advance plans for a Western County Recreation Center at Dillingham Park, staff said, with design scheduled to begin in fiscal year 2028 and programming work to follow.

Committee leaders and department officials said the project — long advocated by local residents and the Fair Access Committee — is intended to combine recreation services with a small Health and Human Services (HHS) clinic suite to address demonstrated health needs in the Poolesville area.

David Dice, Director of the Department of General Services, said the project site will be on town‑owned property at Dillingham Park under a ground lease and that "the design on the project will begin in FY '28 and we'll proceed unfettered through design and construction from that point on." He told the committees DGS will continue coordinating with the Town of Poolesville and county recreation staff on final layout and site design.

Deputy Director Greg Ostend (DGS) described the planned HHS medical suite as "about 1,000 square feet total," containing exam rooms, plumbing and reception/intake space. Ostend said the facility’s medical equipment has not been fully specified yet but that an allowance for equipment is included in the county’s Capital Improvements Program (CIP) figure; exact furnishings and specialized items will be identified during the later design and procurement phases.

Council members used the session to press staff on access and equity issues for Up‑county residents who rely on nonstandard work hours and limited transit. The Council President urged planners to consider the local population, including farmworkers and low‑wage residents, when setting hours and service models, asking for Department of Transportation involvement. "I bet you they're not gonna be 9 to 5," the council leader said when describing likely clinic hours.

Committee members and staff discussed micro transit as a potential complement to fixed routes for the low‑density area; Council Member Sales and others said preliminary DOT interest exists and requested that DOT explore on‑demand options as programming develops. Sales also reminded the committees that a county health analysis showed the Poolesville ZIP code had among the worst health outcomes in the county, a finding staff said informed HHS’s and Recreation’s shared planning work.

Officials said community surveys, stakeholder meetings and an affordable‑housing feasibility study will occur before design begins, and that programming and operating‑budget details will return to the council for subsequent review. With those next steps in mind, the joint committees signaled unanimous approval by hand-raise to advance the project "as submitted," and staff said they will keep the committees informed as the project moves through design and construction.

The committee adjourned and planned to reconvene for the Planning, Housing and Parks meeting shortly afterward.