Rec & Park Advisory Board Meeting
Originally Published: January 25, 2024
Annual Report, Leadership Elected, and More…
The first Recreation & Parks Advisory Board Meeting happened on January 4th. Topics covered include the election of officers, annual report discussion, Director’s updates, and a few park project updates. The Board elected Veronica Johnson as Chair, Glenn Larnerd Jr. as Vice Chair, and Donald DeGraves as Secretary.
Director Arthur Shepherd provided updates on a variety of topics. Shepherd began with sports participation, saying there are about 1K kids participating in youth basketball in grades 1-10, over 600 registered for youth soccer, and more than 400 signed up for the gymnastics academy. The Director also touched on pickleball, a popular sport, saying the department is looking to provide an indoor location at the Carver Recreation Center and potentially Margaret Brent. The Memo of Understanding (MOU) for the Maryland Stadium Authority to begin a sports complex study will go before the County Commissioners in late January. A daycare center for use by County employees, approved last year by the Commissioners, may be ready to open by Spring 2025.
Retrofitting LED lights has been an ongoing project, with Dorsey, Fifth District, and Lancaster Parks all on the list. Dorsey and Fifth District were first on the list because of determined need and the Department partnered with SMECO for the install. Cost savings, and rebates available for retrofitting, will benefit the County’s bottom line in the long term. Installation of delay switches on lights at Dorsey Park will serve as a pilot to judge cost savings from limiting surge demand pricing when all lights are turned on at once.
Waterfront and Trail Park project updates were also reviewed. Snow Hill, off Sandgates Road, has a number of improvements planned including a boat launch, trailer parking, a kayak launch and parking on Roslin Creek, sight line clearing and a retaining wall at the park entrance, and a playground and pavilion to be built this spring. Just south of Hermanville Road, Shannon Farm is a planned waterfront park behind the Homegrown Farmers Market. Improvements coming there include a boardwalk and pathway providing ADA beach access from the parking lot to the waterfront, additional parking, and two playgrounds–one at the parking lot and another at the beach. During the planning process, Commissioner Colvin argued for the second playground near the parking lot to also benefit those shopping at the farmers market. Director Shepherd noted this area was once a planned development with up to 400 homes, but the Navy helped fund the recreation park to prevent encroachment.
The Department of Natural Resources has approved the design and engineering phase of the Elms Beach Master Plan. This park is 45 years old, and this will be its first renovation. Final design won’t be in place until perc testing is completed, but additions will include expanded accessibility along all paths, more parking and bathrooms. Finally, the award for design and engineering of Myrtle Point Park was made in December 2023, with a kickoff meeting scheduled on site sometime in January 2024. The area will remain a nature themed park, with kayak access, trails, and other passive recreation uses. Staff noted the age of the Master Plan, saying it may need updated public input.
While not listed in Board Docs or R&P’s website, a draft of the Advisory Board’s Annual Report was provided to Informed St. Mary’s for review. Approved with a few grammatical changes, the Board unanimously agreed to send the 2023 Annual Report to the County Commissioners. The report covers highlights from the previous year’s budget, CIP projects in the works and completed, as well as items for continued action. These include execution of CIPs for a Sports Complex (RP1904) and Central County Park (RP2204); creation of MOU with YMCA of the Chesapeake; accelerating the light delay switch project; piloting a girls basketball division for 3rd & 4th grades; and assisting independent track & field athletes in the county.
I have previously suggested to the County Commissioners the addition of twice yearly meetings with each Advisory Board or Commission which would facilitate public feedback and Commissioner involvement in project execution. Annual reports, like the one described, would provide a great jumping off point for these meetings. Unfortunately, the Commissioners have not yet acted on strengthening their cooperation with these advisory bodies.
