Yesterday the Maryland Board of Public Works approved a little over $7M in distributions to seven counties covering thirteen different projects. The vast majority of distributions went to Montgomery County for infrastructure improvements.
During a regularly scheduled meeting of the Maryland Board of Public Works, state officials approved the distribution of funds from prior year capital budgets, Program Open Space (POS), state agency grants, and Rural Legacy Funds. Of the $7M in approvals Montgomery County received $4.7M in distributions with the vast majority of those funds coming from state capital budget allocations in fiscal years 2023 and 2024.
More details on all approved projects are below.
Allegany
- A request from the Department of Natural Resources to commit a total of $148,285 from Program Open Space funding allocated to Allegany County for the following projects:
- Prichard Farm Community: $125,000 to create a new recreational area by constructing an entrance road, parking area, and pavilion.
- Cresaptown Sports Complex: $32,285 to replace deteriorating fencing and gates along Darrow Lane, installing a new fence around the Weber Field parking lot, and replacing barriers along the west side of the access road.
Anne Arundel
- A request to enter into a grant agreement for a $100,000 grant to Anne Arundel County, Maryland for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, and capital equipping of sidewalk improvements along Colonial Drive between Nursery Road and Hance Avenue. There is no matching fund requirement for this grant. The General Assembly previously approved this funding as part of the 2024 Capital Budget.
Baltimore County
- A request to enter into a grant agreement for a $200,000 grant to Baltimore County, Maryland for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, and capital equipping of streetscaping projects in downtown Arbutus. There is no matching fund requirement for this grant. The General Assembly previously approved this funding as part of the 2022 Capital Budget.
Carroll
- A request to enter into a grant agreement for a $1,000,000 grant to the Commissioners of Carroll County, Maryland for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, and capital equipping of the sheriff’s building, including a new facility. There is no matching fund requirement for this grant. The General Assembly previously approved this funding as part of the 2023 Capital Budget.
Frederick
- A request from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to provide a $178,014.00 grant to Frederick County from Rural Legacy Funds for the acquisition of a 62.86-acre conservation easement in the Mid-Maryland Frederick Rural Legacy Area (Ruppert property). Acquisition of this easement will protect prime agricultural fields and woodlands, as well as approximately 1,700 linear feet of forested buffers along an unnamed tributary to Grindstone Run, which flows to Catoctin Creek. The easement will be held by the County, which is paying administrative, compliance and incidental costs. Easement value: $5,663.83/acre
- A request from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to grant $206,091.00 of Program Open Space stateside funds to Frederick County for the acquisition of a 23.65-acre Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) easement (Mills property). Acquisition of this easement permanently protects water quality by retaining forested buffers along an unnamed tributary to Cabbage Run. Cabbage Run flows into Israel Creek in the Monocacy River watershed. As part of the transaction, the landowner will be donating 7.62 acres of the property into the easement for 31.27 acres of total protection. The easement will be held by the County who will be paying administrative and compliance costs.
Montgomery
- A request from the Department of Natural Resources to commit $473,280 from the Program Open Space funding allocated to Montgomery County for, among other things new playground and fitness equipment and a pavilion at Walder Park.
- A request to enter into a grant agreement for a $160,000 grant to Montgomery County, Maryland, for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, and capital equipping of connected school safety beacons. There is no matching fund requirement for this grant. The General Assembly previously approved this funding as part of the 2023 Capital Budget.
- A request to enter into a grant agreement for a $250,000 grant to Montgomery County, Maryland for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, and capital equipping of a sound barrier wall. There is no matching fund requirement for this grant. The General Assembly previously approved this funding as part of the 2024 Capital Budget.
- A request to enter into a grant agreement for a $1,000,000 grant to Montgomery County, Maryland for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, and capital equipping of infrastructure improvements to sidewalks on Route 198 from Dino Drive to McKnew Road. There is no matching fund requirement for this grant. The General Assembly previously approved this funding as part of the 2023 Capital Budget.
- A request to enter into a grant agreement for a $2,842,500 grant to Montgomery County, Maryland for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, and capital equipping of infrastructure improvements along Route 29, including lighting. There is no matching fund requirement for this grant. The General Assembly previously approved this funding as part of the 2023 Capital Budget.
Talbot
- A request from the Maryland Department of the Environment for new grant funding up to $875,750 to Talbot County for the planning, design and construction of an Enhanced Nutrient Removal upgrade for the Wye Mills Wastewater Treatment Plant.
