March 24 Board of Public Works Meeting: What Counties Need to Know

The Board of Public Works (BPW) considered and approved the following requests and recommendations in its March 24, 2021 meeting. This is not a comprehensive list of all considerations and approvals during the meeting.

  • Allegany
    • A request from the Department of Natural Resources to commit $150,000 from the Program Open Space funding allocated to Allegany County for new artificial turf at Mountain Ridge High School (Item 1A of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda)
    • A request from the Department of Natural Resources to grant $46,000 of Program Open Space statewide funds for the acquisition in fee simple of 20.94 +/- acres (Shaw property) in Allegany County.  The property, surrounded by Warrior Mountain Wildlife Management Area, is forested and will provide additional opportunities for hunting and other wildlife-dependent recreation. Acquisition of this inholding will improve boundary management. It will be managed by the Maryland Wildlife and Heritage Service (Item 8A of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda)
  • Anne Arundel
    • A request to certify matching funds and enter into a grant agreement for a $40,000 grant to the Board of Directors of the Eastport Elementary PTA, Inc. for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, and capital equipping of an outdoor play space at Eastport Elementary School, including installation of playground equipment and improvements to the grounds.  The Grantee has submitted documentation of sufficient funds to meet the matching fund requirement for this project (Item 5 of the Department of General Services’ Office of State Procurement Agenda)
    • A request from the Department of Natural Resources to provide a $830,277 grant to the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay to construct an approximately 885 linear foot living shoreline on West River with a regenerative stormwater conveyance system and climate-resilient natural features to protect infrastructure, improve water quality, and replace a hardened shoreline under DNR’s Coastal Resiliency Program.  The Coastal Resiliency Program was developed to address escalating risks to Maryland communities and public resources from extreme weather and climate-related events (Item 7 of the Secretary’s Agenda)
    • A request to enter into a grant agreement for a $125,000 grant to the Board of Directors of the National Cryptologic Museum Foundation, Inc. for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, and capital equipping of the Cyber Center of Education and Innovation.  There is no matching fund requirement for this grant (Item 4 of the Department of General Services’ Office of State Procurement Agenda)
  • Baltimore City
    • A request to provide a $231,501 grant to Worcester County from Rural Legacy Funds for the acquisition of a 112.03-acre conservation easement in the Coastal Bays Rural Legacy Area (Truitts Landing Farm, LLC property).  Acquisition of this easement will protect these productive agricultural and forested lands, adding to the contiguous block of 9,500 acres of conserved lands that extend to the Chincoteague Bay.  The easement will be held by the County Commissioners of Worcester County.  Easement value: $1,852.18/acre (Item 10A of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda)
  • Caroline
    • A request to enter into grant agreements for grants totaling $368,500 to the Board of Education of Caroline County for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, and capital equipping of the athletic track at Colonel Richardson High School. There is no matching fund requirement for this grant (Item 2 of the Department of General Services’ Office of State Procurement Agenda)
  • Carroll
    • A request to enter into a grant agreement for a $300,000 grant to the Mayor and Town Council of the Town of Mount Airy for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, and capital equipping of the Rails and Trails CSX Project. There is no matching fund requirement for this grant (Item 6 of the Department of General Services’ Office of State Procurement Agenda)
    • A request to provide a $215,299.02 grant to Carroll County from Rural Legacy Funds for the acquisition of a 40.57-acre conservation easement in the Upper Patapsco Rural Legacy Area (Brodbeck property). Acquisition of this easement will protect productive agricultural and forest lands and 1,794 linear feet of buffers along forested wetlands served by unnamed tributaries of the Patapsco River. The easement will be held by the County. Easement value: $5,108.55/acre (Item 11A of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda)
  • Charles
    • A request by the Department of Natural Resources to commit $25,000 in Program Open Space funding allocated to Charles County to complete the County’s 2022 Land Preservation, Parks and Recreation Plan, consistent with State planning requirements (Item 2A.1 of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda)
    • A request from the Department of Natural Resources to commit $17,050 in Program Open Space funding allocated to Charles County to acquire 3.73 acres for the new Mason Springs Park to provide water access to Mattawoman Creek for public kayaking and shoreline fishing (Item 2A.2 of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda)
  • Dorchester
    • A request from the Department of Natural Resources to commit $13,500 from the Program Open Space funding allocated to Dorchester County to purchase and install safety fencing at Cornish Park (Item 3A of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda)
  • Frederick
    • A request from the Department of Natural Resources to commit $807,000 in Program Open Space funding allocated to Frederick County to acquire 152.39 acres of property for a new regional park in the northern part of the county (Item 4A of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda)
    • A request to enter into a grant agreement for a $300,000 grant to the Mayor and Town Council of the Town of Mount Airy for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, and capital equipping of the Rails and Trails CSX Project. There is no matching fund requirement for this grant (Item 6 of the Department of General Services’ Office of State Procurement Agenda)
  • Harford
    • A request to enter into a grant agreement for a $500,000 grant to the Board of Directors of the Baltimore Area Council, Boy Scouts of America, Inc. for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, and capital equipping of infrastructure improvements at the Broad Creek Memorial Scout Reservation in Whiteford.  There is no matching fund requirement for this grant (Item 1 of the Department of General Services’ Office of State Procurement Agenda)
  • Howard
    • A request from the Department of Natural Resources to commit $1,071,701 from the Program Open Space funding allocated to Howard County to design and construct additional parking, sidewalks, pathways, basketball courts, a skatepark, stormwater management facilities, landscaping, and ancillary structures at Blandair Regional Park (Item 5A of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda)
  • Kent
    • A request from the Department of Housing and Community Development for approval to provide a $2,165,000 loan 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. The loan will be made to Brookmeadow Preservation, LP to assist in the rehabilitation of 67 garden-style apartment units located at 150 and 160 Flatland Road, Chestertown. The project will offer a mix of affordable one-and two-bedroom units (Item 5 of the Secretary’s Agenda)
  • Montgomery
    • A request from the Maryland Department of Health to approve a $246,975 grant to Housing Unlimited, Inc. to assist with the acquisition of a townhouse located at 10202 Kindly Court, Montgomery Village. The property will be used to provide housing for three individuals with psychiatric disabilities. The contract sale price of the property is $328,500 (Item 9 of the Department of General Services’ Office of State Procurement Agenda)
  • Prince George’s
    • A request from the Department of Natural Resources to commit $125,399 in Program Open Space funding allocated to Prince George’s County to acquire 2.74 acres (Bischoff Property) to add to Sandy Hill Park (Item 6A of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda)
  • Queen Anne’s
    • A request from the Maryland Environmental Trust to ratify the donation of a perpetual conservation easement on 586.967 acres in Queen Anne’s County (Aspen Institute property on Carmichael Road, Queenstown) (Item 13A of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda)
  • Washington
    • A request from the Department of Natural Resources to grant $296,206.68 of Program Open Space stateside funds to Washington County for the acquisition of an 84.48-acre Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) easement (Hood property). Acquisition of this CREP easement permanently protects water quality by requiring approximately 800 linear feet of forested and vegetative stream buffers to unnamed tributaries to Antietam Creek.  As part of the transaction, the landowner will be donating 4.91 acres of the property into the easement for 89.39 acres of total protection. The easement will be held by Washington County and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (Item 7A of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda)
    • A request from the Department of Natural Resources to grant $120,000 of Program Open Space statewide funds for the acquisition in fee simple of 21.61 +/-acres (Bast property) in Washington County.  This completely forested property is associated with the Battle of South Mountain and will be managed by the Maryland Park Service as an addition to South Mountain State Battlefield.  The mature hardwood forest on the property provides habitat for numerous Forest Interior Dwelling Species.  Acquisition will buffer the Appalachian Trail, provide public access for historical interpretive tours, and protect habitat that contributes to the Atlantic Flyway, a major North-South flyway for migratory birds in North America (Item 9A of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda)
  • Worcester
    • A request to provide a $231,501 grant to Worcester County from Rural Legacy Funds for the acquisition of a 112.03-acre conservation easement in the Coastal Bays Rural Legacy Area (Truitts Landing Farm, LLC property).  Acquisition of this easement will protect these productive agricultural and forested lands, adding to the contiguous block of 9,500 acres of conserved lands that extend to the Chincoteague Bay.  The easement will be held by the County Commissioners of Worcester County.  Easement value: $1,852.18/acre (Item 10A of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda)

Upcoming Meeting Dates:  April 7, 2021 and April 21, 2021.

Useful links:

BPW Website

March 10 BPW Meeting: County Approvals

Stay tuned to Conduit Street for the latest.