$3.4M Approved for Counties by Board of Public Works

The Board of Public Works this week approved $3.4M in funds to be distributed to four counties for five projects, including a little over $1M for the expansion of the Calvert Marine Museum campus.

On Wednesday, the Board of Public Works approved $3.4M for counties with funds coming from Program Open Space (POS), state agency grants, prior year capital budgets, and the Rural Legacy Fund. The largest distribution went to Calvert from POS with a $1,092,500 allocation to acquire a little over an acre of waterfront property for the expansion of the Calvert Marine Museum campus.

See all projects below.

Anne Arundel

  • A request to enter into a grant agreement for a $100,000 grant to the Board of Trustees of the London Town Foundation, Inc. and Anne Arundel County for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, and capital equipping of Historic London Town and Gardens.  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 from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to provide an $891,655 grant to Anne Arundel County from Anne Arundel South Rural Legacy Area for the acquisition of a 136.27-acre conservation easement in the Mid-MD Washington Rural Legacy Area (Parks property).  Acquisition of this easement will preserve productive agricultural fields, woodlands, and wetlands. The easement will also protect over 3,000 linear feet of forested and vegetative buffers along Lyons Creek, and associated headwater tributaries, in the Middle Patuxent watershed.  The easement will be held by the Grantee.  Easement value: $8,028.78/acre

Calvert

  • A request from the Department of Natural Resources to commit $1,092,500 in Program Open Space funding allocated to Calvert County to acquire 1.1 waterfront acres (Back Creek Holdings Property) to expand the existing Calvert Marine Museum campus.  Future property plans may include extending the boardwalk and improving the green space for recreation and educational purposes.

Montgomery

  • A request from the Department of Natural Resources to commit $1,000,000 in Program Open Space funding allocated to Montgomery for, among other things, a new playground, basketball court, community garden, pavilion, outdoor fitness equipment and a walking path at Stonehedge Local Park.

Washington

  • A request from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to provide a $371,588.26 grant to Washington County from Rural Legacy Funds for the acquisition of a 61.3-acre conservation easement in the Mid-Maryland Washington Rural Legacy Area (Stoner Family Farm property).  Acquisition of this easement will protect valuable farmland and forest lands.  In addition, the easement protects water quality by preserving 840 feet of forested stream buffers along unnamed tributaries to Marsh Run, which flows directly to the Potomac River.  The easement will be held by Washington County.  Easement value: $5,902.12/acre