Four municipalities in Carroll County are slated to receive an equal share of $603,675 in state grants to be put toward recreational and park projects.
The Board of Carroll County Commissioners will vote at its meeting Thursday on allocating Program Open Space funding in the amount of $150,918 each to New Windsor, Taneytown, Union Bridge and Westminster, in fiscal 2024, which begins July 1.
The meeting starts at 9 a.m., in Room 311 of the Carroll County Office Building, 225 N. Center St., in Westminster.
New Windsor Mayor Neal C. Roop said the town will allocate its funding toward three projects: new lighting at the New Windsor Skate Park on Old New Windsor Road; a basketball court at the Atlee Ridge walking path; and improvements to the spring house at the Sulphur Springs Park on Water Street.
“The spring house is located within Sulphur Springs Park, and dates back to the earliest days of the town,” Roop said in an email. “People would travel from far and wide to partake in the ‘healing’ benefits of the sulphur and spring water that flows beneath the structure.
“The town has been experiencing a problem with drainage and pooling of water around the spring house for years. This project is one of several phases to restore the historic spot to a place of proud prominence for tourists to visit on their travels through town. It will address the drainage problem by replacing the existing drainage pipe and inlet to allow water to flow away from the structure. It will also enhance the existing parking area.”
Lorena Vaccare, director of Parks and Recreation for Taneytown, said ithat the city plans to install lighting for the softball field at the Taneytown High School park and skate park on Roberts Mill Road near George Street.
“There is not any lighting there, and it puts a burden on the softball team,” she said. “They need these lights.”
The field is used by the Taneytown Monarchs Softball Recreation Program.
Vaccare said the town will also replace an aging tot lot at the Taneytown Memorial Park. The memorial park is accessible through Park Drive or Playground Road, from West Baltimore Street as well as Memorial Drive. It is the city’s largest developed park.
“The tot lot has reached the end of its lifespan,” she said.
Union Bridge Mayor Perry Jones said that town will use its allocation for improvements to the Union Bridge Community Center, on Ladiesburg Road.
“We’re looking to replace all of the playground equipment,” Jones said. “We also want to put in a permanent rubber [surface].”
Westminster is putting its share of the funding toward improvements to Westminster City Park, according to the county briefing document. The park is behind Longwell Avenue and includes a playground with restrooms, tennis courts, pavilions and ball fields.
With its funds the city will resurface the tennis courts and dedicate some to pickleball playing. The restrooms adjacent to the playground will also get interior renovations.
The $603,675 in funds come from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ Program Open Space. The program is funded by state property transfer taxes, collected when someone buys a house or land in the state. The program was designed to directly tie development to funding for open space and recreational facilities.
Each year the county receives funding from Program Open Space and is required to allocate 25% of those funds to its eight municipalities. The county allocates 25% of its Program Open Space funds to four municipalities each year.
For fiscal 2023, the total amount of funding allocated to the municipalities was $554,750. The money went to Hampstead, Manchester, Mount Airy and Sykesville.
Meetings of the Board of Carroll County Commissioners can be viewed live or streamed later at http://carrollcountymd.iqm2.com/Citizens/Default.aspx. They can also be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/user/CarrollCountyGov.
