The Board of Public Works (BPW) considered and approved the following requests in the meeting held on June 17, 2020. This is not a comprehensive list of all considerations and approvals during the meeting.

• Allegany
  • A request from the Maryland State Library Agency (MSLA) for approval of $2,000,000 in general bond proceeds to the Allegany County Library System to renovate and expand the existing 8,720 SF LaVale Library. With the exception of a roof replacement completed 15 years ago, the facility’s entire infrastructure is more than 40 years old and woefully outdated. When finished, the project will nearly triple the size of the current building and result in a fully updated 24,000 SF facility that will serve as the new hub of the Allegany County Library System. (Item 8 of the Secretary’s Agenda)

• Anne Arundel
  • A request from the Maryland State Library Agency for approval of $2,500,000 in general bond proceeds to the Anne Arundel County Library System to construct a new 20,000 SF facility on the existing site of the 10,500 SF Riviera Beach Library.  The building opened in 1971 and is using the original HVAC system.  The library has encapsulated asbestos, so renovating the existing structure is not an option.  Previous funding was awarded to start construction.  FY 2021 funding is to continue construction.  This is one of four grants being awarded, which total $7,300,000.  MSLA’s County Library Capital Project Grant Program makes capital grants to county public library systems to support projects that address the State’s library needs (Item 8 of the Secretary’s Agenda)

• Baltimore City
  • A request from the Maryland Historical Trust to approve an $11,000 grant under the Historic Preservation Capital Grants Program to the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Maryland, Inc. to replace doors, paint and provide associated architectural, engineering, and consulting services at the Mount Clare Museum (1500 Washington Blvd, Baltimore).  This National Historic Landmark was a home for members of the Carroll Family and is now a house museum, with public meeting space, while the grounds are part of Carroll Park.  The mansion is a 1763-1767 five-part Georgian house with reconstructed wings and hyphens (Item 12.H of the Secretary’s Agenda)
  • A request from the Maryland Historical Trust to approve a $100,000 grant under the Historic Preservation Capital Grants Program to the Trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the City and Precincts of Baltimore to replace windows and provide carpentry, wall, painting and plaster services at the Lovely Lane United Methodist Church (2200 St. Paul Street, Baltimore). The church was designed by noted architect Sanford White and was built in the Romanesque Revival style, 1882-1887.  The entire exterior is constructed with gray ashlar rock-face Port Deposit granite.  The chapel has 27 original stained glass windows made by Louis C. Tiffany & Company (Item 12G of the Secretary’s Agenda)
  • A request from the Department of Housing and Community Development for approval to provide a $595,459 loan under the Shelter and Transitional Housing Facilities Program to FRP-Sage Center II to renovate five abandoned row houses (1201 to 1215 N. Milton Avenue) into a mix of two- and three-bedroom units.  The rehabilitation will create 11 beds for families in recovery who earn 60 percent or less of the Area Median Income (Item 7 of the Secretary’s Agenda)
  • A request from the Department of Housing and Community Development for approval to provide a $595,459 loan under the Shelter and Transitional Housing Facilities Program to FRP-Sage Center II to renovate five abandoned row houses (1201 to 1215 N. Milton Avenue) into a mix of two- and three-bedroom units.  The rehabilitation will create 11 beds for families in recovery who earn 60 percent or less of the Area Median Income (Item 7 of the Secretary’s Agenda)

• Baltimore County
  • A request to provide a $437,976.15 grant to the Manor Conservancy, Inc. from Rural Legacy Funds for the acquisition of a 58.20-acre conservation easement in the Manor Rural Legacy Area (Phillips Development LLC property).  Acquisition of this easement will protect productive tillable farmland and provide forested stream buffers to 430 linear feet along an unnamed tributary of Third Mine Branch that flows to Little Falls and the Loch Raven Reservoir.  The easement will be held by the Department of Natural Resources and the Manor Conservancy, Inc.  Easement value: $7,130.58/acre (Item 7A of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda).
  • A request to provide a $1,261,535.00 grant to the Land Preservation Trust from Rural Legacy Funds for the acquisition of a 174.69-acre conservation easement in the Piney Run Rural Legacy Area (Whedbee Farm property).  Acquisition of this easement will protect productive agricultural and forest lands and provide 3,000 feet of forested and grass stream buffers to Oregon Run and tributaries. Oregon Run ultimately flows to Gunpowder Falls, the upper portion of which is part of the Loch Raven Reservoir watershed.  The reservoir supplies Baltimore City with public drinking water.  The easement will be held by The Land Preservation Trust, Inc. and the Department of Natural Resources.  Easement value: $7,427.56/acre (Item 8A of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda)

• Frederick
  • A request from the Maryland Historical Trust to approve a $40,000 grant under the Historic Preservation Capital Grant Program to the Frederick County Landmarks Foundation, Inc. to rehabilitate the Schifferstadt Architectural Museum, including replacing the windows, doors, roof, and gutters (1110 Rosemont Avenue).  This museum, one of the earliest known homes in Frederick, is a National Historic Landmark, and is an outstanding example of a Georgian-period house, influenced by German-American culture and building traditions (Item 12.J of the Secretary’s Agenda)
  • A request from the Maryland State Library Agency for approval of $300,000 in general bond proceeds to the Frederick County Library System to construct a new 15,000 sf library facility in Middletown to replace a 2,917 sf building that opened in 1991.  The new library will be within walking distance of all area public schools and adjacent to a new single family home subdivision with 81 residences (Item 8 of the Secretary’s Agenda)
  • A request from the Maryland Historical Trust to approve a $15,000 grant under the Historic Preservation Capital Grants Program to the Mayor and Council of Brunswick to stabilize and relocate the B&O Westbound Tower to a parcel next to the railroad tracks (S. Maple Lane and E. Potomac Street). The Tower was constructed in 1910 and was a typical building type for the B&O Railroad at that time.  The grantee is required to provide a 100 percent match for the project (Item 12A of the Secretary’s Agenda).

• Caroline
  • A request from the Maryland Environmental Trust to ratify the donation of a perpetual conservation easement on 174.62 acres in Preston (Coulbourne property on Choptank Road) (Item 9A of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda)

• Cecil
  • A request to provide a $593,302.52 grant to Cecil Land Trust, Inc. from Rural Legacy Funds for the acquisition of a 159.11-acre conservation easement in the Fair Hill Rural Legacy Area Rural Legacy Area (Bare, et al property).  Acquisition of this easement will protect productive agricultural and forest lands and provide 5,000 feet of forested and vegetative stream buffers to North East Creek, tributaries, and wetlands.  The easement will be held by Cecil Land Trust, Inc. and the Department of Natural Resources.  Easement value: $4,678.32/acre (Item 6A of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda)

• Dorchester
  • A request from the Maryland Historical Trust to approve a $13,000 grant under the Historic Preservation Capital Grants Program to The Friends of Stanley Institute, Inc. to rehabilitate the exterior of Christ Rock Church (2403 Rock Drive, Cambridge).  This church, along with the Stanley Institute School, is the focus of the African-American settlement that arose at Christ Rock, just after the Civil War.  The church, constructed in 1875 and altered in 1889 and 1911, is gable-ended with a square entrance tower, and now serves as a cultural center focusing on the African-American experience in Dorchester County (Item 12.D of the Secretary’s Agenda)

• Montgomery
  • A request from the Department of Housing and Community Development for approval to provide a $800,000 loan under the Rental Housing Works Program, which finances rental housing to be occupied by individuals with incomes at or below 60% of the area median income.  The loan will be made to Knowles Manor Senior Housing, LLC to assist in the construction of a 94-unit housing development for seniors, located at 3906 Knowles Avenue, Kensington.  The apartments are a mix of one- and two-bedroom units (Item 5 of the Secretary’s Agenda)
  • A request from the Maryland Historical Trust to approve a $100,000 grant under the Historic Preservation Capital Grants Program to Save Our Seminary at Forest Glen to replace the windows, paint, and provide carpentry repairs at the National Park Seminary (9615 Dewitt Drive, Silver Spring). The Seminary was built as a summer resort in 1887 and served as a finishing school for girls from 1894 to 1942, before being acquired by the United States Army to house wounded World War II soldiers. The Seminary continued to serve as an Army medical facility until 2004 (Item 12.I of the Secretary’s Agenda)
  • a request from the Department of Natural Resources to commit $542,550 in Program Open Space funding allocated to Montgomery County for an “acquisition” project in the County. Specifically, these funds will be used to acquire 1.03 acres to add to Ridge Road Recreational Park in Germantown (Item 1A of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda)

• Prince George’s
  • A request from the Department of Housing and Community Development to provide the following loans:
    • $2,500,000 under the Rental Housing Works Program, which finances rental housing that will be occupied by individuals with incomes at or below 60% of the area median income; and
    • $555,000 under the Partnership Rental Housing Program, which finances rental housing that will be occupied by individuals with incomes at or below 50% of the statewide median income.
    • The project includes construction of 137 elderly housing units (located at 2901 Toles Drive, Suitland) in a six-story elevator-serviced mid-rise structure.  There will be 120 one-bedroom units and 17 two-bedroom units, which will range in size from 646 to 857 square feet, and include seven units designated for individuals with disabilities.  The project site is currently undeveloped vacant land located northwest of the intersection of Suitland Road and Silver Hill Road, which is part of the master plan for Suitland Town Center (Item 6 of the Secretary’s Agenda)
  • A request from the Maryland Historical Trust to approve a $100,000 grant under the Historic Preservation Capital Grants Program to the John M. and Sarah R. Walton Foundation, Inc. to rehabilitate His Lordship’s Kindness (7606 Woodyard Road, Clifton).  Rehabilitation includes replacing the windows and doors, painting, carpentry improvements, and electrical upgrades.  This property is a National Historic Landmark and is known for its landscape, several original outbuildings, and the main house, Poplar Hill.  The two-story, five-part brick house is an exemplary example of Georgian architecture (Item 12.F of the Secretary’s Agenda)
  • A request from the Maryland Historical Trust to approve a $76,000 grant under the Historic Preservation Capital Grants Program to the George A. and Carmel D. Aman Memorial Trust to repair the buttress and perform a structural analysis at the south elevation at Bostwick House (3901 48^th Street, Bladensburg), which was damaged by a 2012 microburst weather event.  The two-and-a-half-story brick house, built in 1746, is one of the town’s four pre-Revolutionary structures, and overlooks the Anacostia River at the former Port of Bladensburg (Item 12B of the Secretary’s Agenda)

• Queen Anne’s
  •  A request from the Maryland State Library Agency (MSLA) for approval of $2,500,000 in general bond proceeds to the Queen Anne’s County Library System to renovate and expand the Kent Island Library from 10,000 to 22,000 sf.  Since the facility opened in 1989, the population of the service area has increased by 60%, with additional growth of 25% projected through 2035.  The current facility is inadequate to support the needs of the community and limits programming, materials and meeting space.  This grant is one of four being awarded, which total $7,300,000.  MSLA’s County Library Capital Project Grant Program makes capital grants to county public library systems to support projects that address the State’s library needs (Item 8 of the Secretary’s Agenda)

• St. Mary’s
  • Requests to provide two grants to the Patuxent Land Trust from Rural Legacy Funds in the Huntersville Rural Legacy Area:
    • $362,468.81 for the acquisition of a 65.88-acre conservation easement (Kurzmann, et al property). Acquisition of this easement will protect productive agricultural and forestlands and provide 5,360 feet of forested stream buffers to Persimmon Creek, a tributary of the Patuxent River. Easement value: $4,810.70/acre. (Item 4A of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda); and
    • $661,638.26 for the acquisition of a 114-acre conservation easement (Moran property). Acquisition of this easement will protect productive agricultural lands, forestlands and natural habitat, as well as provide 2,250 feet of forested stream buffers to Cole Creek, a tributary of the Patuxent River. Preserving this land from development provides additional resiliency to the effects of climate change on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay. Easement value: $5,371.21/acre. (Item 5A of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda).

• Washington
  • A request from the Maryland Environmental Trust to ratify the donation of a perpetual conservation easement on 20 acres in Smithsburg (Blue Mountain Farm LLC property on Welty Church Road) (Item 10A of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda).

• Worcester
  • A request from the Maryland Historical Trust to approve a $45,000 grant under the Historic Preservation Capital Grants Program to the Berlin Heritage Foundation, Inc. to replace the roof and provide associated architectural, engineering and consulting services at the Calvin B. Taylor House (208 N. Main Street, Berlin). This house is an 1832 front-gable dwelling with Federal and Greek revival architectural features, the type and style of which are distinct to Berlin and Worcester County.  The most well-known of its occupants, Calvin B. Taylor was a teacher, lawyer and founder of the Calvin B. Taylor Banking Company.  Today the property houses a museum and has been meticulously restored and furnished to reflect domestic life in the 1830s (Item 12C of the Secretary’s Agenda)
  • A request to provide a $949,116.25 grant to Worcester County from Rural Legacy Funds for the acquisition of a 734.37-acre conservation easement in the Dividing Creek Rural Legacy Area (Barnes property).  Acquisition of this easement will protect agricultural fields, woodlands, and marshlands with over 3 miles of forested buffer along the Pocomoke River and Dividing Creek.  Preserving land from development provides additional resiliency to the effects of climate change on the Eastern Shore.  The easement will be held by the County Commissioners of Worcester County.  Easement value: $1,204/acre. (Item 2A of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda)

• Wicomico
  • A request to provide a $761,304.44 grant to Wicomico County from Rural Legacy Funds for the acquisition of a 217.49-acre conservation easement in the Quantico Creek Rural Legacy Area (Phillips property).  Acquisition of this easement will protect 121 acres of productive agricultural land, 48 acres of upland forest, and another 48 acres of riparian forest and marsh providing 2,975 linear feet of a wooded buffer along Quantico Creek.  Preserving this land from development provides additional resiliency to the effects of climate change on the Eastern Shore.  The easement will be jointly held by the Department of Natural Resources and the Lower Shore Land Trust.  Easement value: $3,329.50/acre (Item 3A of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda)

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