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Developers and county seek $650,000 MDOT grant to link Cheverly Hill to Anacostia Riverwalk Trail
Summary
Urban Atlantic and county staff told Cheverly council the Cheverly Hill (Hospital Hill) redevelopment remains on track through subdivision review and that they will apply for a Maryland Department of Transportation pedestrian grant (about $650,000) to build an interim connection to the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail; town match and right-of-way details remain unresolved.
Developers and county officials updated the Cheverly Mayor and Council on the Cheverly Hill redevelopment and plans to apply for a Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) pedestrian grant to create a temporary connection to the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail.
"We have received our second round of intake comments," Teddy Swift of Urban Atlantic said, describing administrative edits to the preliminary plan of subdivision and steady progress on interior demolition of the hospital bed tower in preparation for eventual renovation into multifamily housing.
John (Park and Planning staff) told the council the MDOT grant would fund short-term and engineering work to establish a safe pedestrian and bicycle connection. "We're applying for $650,000," Town Administrator Delaine Galloway said; she added that the town must provide a local match and that some staff time could count toward that match. Park and Planning staff later told the council informally the required match could be 20 percent, a higher figure than the 10 percent estimate staff initially cited.
Why it matters: the temporary connection would address a longstanding safety gap linking the Cheverly industrial/Leidell area to the Anacostia Trail, and could be paired later with permanent engineering work. Council members and staff pointed to nearby state and county projects (including an MDOT pedestrian safety action plan covering Kenilworth Avenue) as opportunities to coordinate and reduce costs.
Residents and local stakeholders raised practical concerns. Fred Price Jr., a Ward 4 resident, left his contact information to follow up on local investment opportunities. Resident Sean Maguire asked who would pay for the grant and the match; staff said MDOT funds originate from the Transportation Trust Fund and that the town is coordinating with partners and Park and Planning to assemble a match package.
What’s next: staff said they are working to submit the application by the grant deadline and will pursue letters of support from county and neighboring municipalities to strengthen the application. The planning timetable provided to council projects acceptance in mid-July for the subdivision review; formal town comment would follow county referral.
Budget and ownership notes: town staff flagged an unresolved local-match calculation (staff mentioned a $65,000 match/10% in one exchange while Park and Planning flagged 20%). Council members urged continued coordination with SHA/SHA-led corridor plans to avoid duplicative or conflicting construction.
The council did not take formal action on the grant application during the work session; staff said updates will be provided as the application and referrals proceed.
