December 16 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 December 16, 2020 meeting. This is not a comprehensive list of all considerations and approvals during the meeting. Allegany A request from the Maryland Historical Trust to approve a $100,000 grant to the Mayor and City Council of Cumberland under the African American Heritage Preservation Program to rehabilitate the Carver School (340 Frederick Street, Cumberland). The school was constructed in 1921, as the African American population of Allegany County grew and the original school on North Mechanic Street proved inadequate. The new school attracted students from outside Allegany County, including those from nearby areas of West Virginia. The school was renamed in 1941, when Principal Bracey held an election and students voted to name the school after Dr. George Washington Carver, who consented by letter to having the school named after him. The Grantee is required to provide 100% match for this project since it is a local jurisdiction (Item 9.D of the Secretary’s Agenda) Anne Arundel A request from the Maryland Historical Trust to approve a $45,000 grant to the Galesville Community Center Organization, Inc. under the African American Heritage Preservation Program to update the Galesville Community Center (916 West Benning Road, Galesville), formerly the Galesville Rosenwald School, which was built as an elementary school for African American children in 1929 and expanded in 1931. The school was one of fifteen schools in the county built with money provided by the Julius Rosenwald Fund; six of these fifteen schools remain to this day (Item 9.F of the Secretary’s Agenda) A request to certify matching funds and enter into a grant agreement for a $125,000 grant to the Board of Directors of the Robert A. Pascal Youth and Family Services, Inc. for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, and capital equipping of the Pascal Crisis Stabilization Center. The Grantee has submitted documentation of sufficient funds to meet the matching fund requirement for this project (Item 4 of the Department of General Services’ Office of State Procurement Agenda) Baltimore City A request from the Maryland Department of Health to approve a $1,450,000 grant to the Tuerk House, Inc. to expand and renovate the first floor of its main campus at 730 Ashburton Street, a 100-room former Lutheran Hospital building that the organization acquired in 1993. This project will increase long-term and intermediate residential capacity from 69 beds to 95 beds and serve an additional 150 individuals annually. Outpatient capacity will also increase, by an additional 160 individuals annually. Total project cost is $2,893,855.00 (Item 8 of the Department of General Services’ Office of State Procurement Agenda) A request from the Maryland Stadium Authority for approval to award Bid Package #2 for the Northwood Elementary School Replacement Project (5201 Loch Raven Blvd), representing the remaining trades packages on the project. This project is a part of the Baltimore City Public School’s 21st Century Building Initiative (Item 11 of the Secretary’s Agenda) A request to enter into a grant agreement for a $500,000 grant to the Board of Directors of Roberta’s House, Inc. for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, and capital equipping of a new grief support center. There is no matching fund requirement for this grant (Item 5 of the Department of General Services’ Office of State Procurement Agenda) A request to enter into a grant agreement for a $716,815.43 grant to the Board of Directors of the Young Men’s Christian Association of Central Maryland, Inc. for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, and capital equipping of the Weinberg Y in Waverly. There is no matching fund requirement for this grant (Item 7 of the Department of General Services’ Office of State Procurement Agenda) A request from the Department of Housing and Community Development for approval to provide a $256,000 loan under the Energy Efficient Homes Construction Loan Program (EEHCLP) to Brand LLC for the Marble Hill Affordable Home Ownership Project (1402 Druid Hill Avenue) The EEHCLP finances residential construction housing projects that achieve Low or Net Zero Energy Use and a HERS Index rating score of 50 or lower. The purpose of the program is to stimulate the production of housing that will produce substantially lower energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. This project entails the gut-renovation construction of one single-family, for-sale row home which is designed to meet Net Zero criteria. The Department has made a number of investments over the past several years and the loan will be repaid upon sale. The developer, Brand LLC and the builder Schreiber Brothers, a developer/builder are newer organizations with the primary mission objective of creating environmentally friendly housing affordable to lower income households. The architect, Common Ecology, Regenerative Design Studio, is located in Baltimore City and focuses on green and sustainable buildings (Item 8 of the Secretary’s Agenda) A request to enter into a grant agreement for a $283,185 grant to the Board of Directors of the Young Men’s Christian Association of Central Maryland, Inc for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, and capital equipping of the Y in Druid Hill. There is no matching fund requirement for this grant (Item 7 of the Department of General Services’ Office of State Procurement Agenda) A request from the Maryland Historical Trust to approve a $88,000 grant to the Laurel Cemetery Memorial Project under the African American Heritage Preservation Program for predevelopment work, including architectural, engineering and consulting, fabrication and installation of permanent signage, and construction of a retaining wall at Laurel Cemetery (2401 Belair Road, City). Laurel Cemetery was incorporated in 1852 as Baltimore’s first nondenominational cemetery for African Americans and became known as one of the most beautiful and prominent African American cemeteries in the city. Descendants attempted to purchase the cemetery, but the owner prevailed against their legal challenges and leveled the cemetery for development in 1958. Much of the cemetery currently lies beneath the parking lot of the Belair-Edison Crossing Shopping Center and recent archaeological investigations have identified undisturbed burials in the unpaved portion of the cemetery. This area will be the subject of the grant project, which will include a retaining wall to protect the remaining burials from ongoing erosion impacts and the addition of a pathway and permanent interpretive signage (Item 9.A of the Secretary’s Agenda) A request from the Maryland Historical Trust to approve a $100,000 grant to African American Firefighters Historical Society, Inc. under the African American Heritage Preservation Program to acquire the Historic Oliver Community Firehouse (1220 East Oliver Street). The historic firehouse in Baltimore’s Oliver neighborhood, Truck House #5, is a two-story structure with two truck bays and a brick and terra cotta façade. It will be acquired from the City through the Vacants to Value program and rehabilitated as the International Black Fire Fighters Museum & Safety Education Center (Item 9.G of the Secretary’s Agenda) A request to enter into a grant agreement for a $1,500,000 grant to the Board of Trustees of the Maryland Science Center for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, and capital equipping of infrastructure improvements at the Maryland Science Center. There is no matching fund requirement for this grant (Item 2 of the Department of General Services’ Office of State Procurement Agenda) Baltimore County A request from the Maryland Historical Trust to approve a $91,000 grant to The Union of Brothers and Sisters of Fords Asbury, Inc. under the African American Heritage Preservation Program to renovate Lodge No. 1 (11646 Philadelphia Road, White Marsh). Lodge No. 1 is a two-story frame building that was built by Dr. Walter T. Allender in 1874 and donated for use as an African American school from the mid-1870s until 1922. The Grantee began using the second-floor room of the building in the mid-1870s as a lodge hall, and in 1922 took over the entire building (Item 9.M of the Secretary’s Agenda) A request from the Maryland Historical Trust to approve a $100,000 grant to Friends of Historical Cherry Hill A.U.M.P., Inc. under the African American Heritage Preservation Program to renovate the Diggs-Johnson Museum (2426 Offut Road, Granite). Originally the Cherry Hill African United Methodist Church, it served the local African American community until the 1970s, and was converted to a museum in the 1990s. The museum documents the history of the African American community of Baltimore County, in particular the enslaved and free African Americans of Granite, many of whom worked the area’s quarries (Item 9.E of the Secretary’s Agenda) A request from the Department of Natural Resources to commit $300,000 from the Program Open Space funding allocated to Baltimore County to design and construct a fitness focused playground at Northwest Regional Park, including a 40-yard dash area. The project also includes stormwater management, fencing, and other site amenities (Item 1A of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda) A request to enter into a grant agreement for a $350,000 grant to the Board of Directors of the National Center on Institutions and Alternatives Expansion for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, and capital equipping of the National Center on Institutions and Alternatives facility. There is no matching fund requirement for this grant (Item 3 of the Department of General Services’ Office of State Procurement Agenda) Carroll A request from the Department of Natural Resources to commit $47,400 from the Program Open Space funding allocated to Carroll County to install a new asphalt walking trail, benches and a picnic table at Chief Sites Memorial Park (Item 2A of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda) Cecil A request from the Maryland Historical Trust to approve a $35,000 grant to the Mt. Zoar African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church under the African American Heritage Preservation Program to renovate the exterior of the church building (440 Mt. Zoar Road, Conowingo) and conserving the church’s grave markers. Mt. Zoar AME was constructed in 1881, and the earliest known burial in the adjacent cemetery dates to 1848. More than 30 veterans are buried in the cemetery, including soldiers whose graves are marked with Grand Army of the Republic flag holders (Item 9.K of the Secretary’s Agenda) Dorchester A request from the Maryland Historical Trust to approve a $100,000 grant to the Good Shepard Association under the African American Heritage Preservation Program to renovate the Bazzel Church (4136 Best Pitch Road, Cambridge). The Church is a vernacular Gothic Revival-style church dating to the late 19th or early 20th century. This gable-front, one-story church stands on brick piers and features lancet-shaped windows. Bazzel Church sits on the site of the original 1876 chapel, which later burned down, and at which Harriet Tubman’s family reportedly worshipped (Item 9.C of the Secretary’s Agenda) A request to certify matching funds and enter into a grant agreement for a $100,000 grant to the Board of Directors of Dorchester Post No. 91, Inc. for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, capital equipping, and improvements to the parking lot of the American Legion Post 91 building. The Grantee has submitted documentation of sufficient funds to meet the matching fund requirement for this project. (Item 9.C of the Secretary’s Agenda) Frederick A request from the Maryland Historical Trust to approve a $100,000 grant to the African American Resources-Cultural and Heritage Society Incorporated to create an African American heritage center (125 East All Saints Street, Frederick) within a commercial unit of a modern parking garage. The project includes accessibility improvements and reconfiguration of the restrooms so that the space can be used for exhibits, collections, and public programs (Item 9.B of the Secretary’s Agenda) Two requests from the Department of Natural Resources to grant a total of $548,000 in Program Open Space statewide funds for acquisition in fee simple of: 38.23 +/- acres ($300,000 grant for Red Eagle Ventures LLC property) (Item 11A of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda) 29.04 +/- acres ($248,000 grant for Warren Trust property) (Item 12A of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda) These mostly-forested Frederick County properties will provide access via Catoctin Hollow Road to the undeveloped areas of Cunningham Falls State Park. Hauver Branch (also known as Hunting Creek) passes through both properties and contains a wild brook trout population. Acquisition will increase public water access for fishing and preserve existing forest cover that protects the cold-water conditions for brook trout. Both properties will be managed by the Maryland Park Service. Garrett A request from the Department of Natural Resources to commit a total of $283,867.20 from Program Open Space funding allocated to Garrett County to install synthetic turf fields for $141,933.60 each at: Southern Garrett High School (Item 3A.1 of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda) Northern Garrett High School (Item 3A.2 of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda) Harford A request from the Maryland Historical Trust to approve a $25,000 grant to The Sgt. Alfred B. Hilton Memorial Fund, Inc. under the African American Heritage Preservation Program to construct a monument at Millard Tydings Memorial Park (352 Commerce Street, Havre de Grace). This project involves the construction of a monument near existing memorials to those who served and died in World Wars I and II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. The new monument will be dedicated to Sergeant Alfred B. Hilton, Harford County’s only Medal of Honor recipient, and will include permanent interpretive material about Sgt. Hilton and the role of his U.S. Colored Troops regiment in the Civil War (Item 9.J of the Secretary’s Agenda) A request to provide a $886,242 grant to Harford County from Rural Legacy Funds for the acquisition of a 147.71-acre conservation easement in the Deer Creek Rural Legacy Area (Alexander property). Acquisition of this conservation easement will protect productive agricultural and forestlands, and 4,200 linear feet of forested and grassed stream buffers along unnamed tributaries to Broad Creek. . The easement will be held by the County, which is paying administrative and compliance costs. Easement value: $6,499.87/acre (Item 13A of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda) Howard A request by the Department of Natural Resources to commit $25,000 in Program Open Space funding allocated to Howard County to complete its 2022 Land Preservation, Parks and Recreation Plan, consistent with State planning requirements (Item 4A of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda) Montgomery A request from the Maryland Historical Trust to approve a $100,000 grant to the Department of Natural Resources’ Maryland Park Service under the African American Heritage Preservation Program to renovate the Howard House (Elton Farm Roade, Brookeville). The stone house is currently in ruins, and the current project would restore the exterior to its original appearance for interpretive use. The Howard House is the last intact structure associated with Enoch George Howard, a former slave who purchased his freedom and eventually became a prosperous landowner. He eventually donated land to establish Howard Chapel and a community school (Item 9.H of the Secretary’s Agenda) A request to certify matching funds and enter into a grant agreement for a $250,000 grant to the Board of Directors of the Audubon Naturalist Society of the Central Atlantic States, Inc. for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, and capital equipping of an accessible trail at the Woodend Nature Sanctuary. The Grantee has submitted documentation of sufficient funds to meet the matching fund requirement for this project (Item 6 of the Department of General Services’ Office of State Procurement Agenda) Prince George’s A request from the Maryland Historical Trust to approve a $20,000 grant to the Prince George’s African-American Museum and Cultural Center at North Brentwood, Inc. under the African American Heritage Preservation Program for predevelopment services necessary for future development at the Prince George’s African-American Museum and Cultural Center (4519 Rhode Island Avenue, North Brentwood). Through exhibitions and educational programs, the Cultural Center shares untold stories of Prince George’s County African Americans. The current pre-development project will involve the design of facility renovations and an addition to provide support space and affordable housing space for African American artists (Item 9.L of the Secretary’s Agenda) St. Mary’s A request from the Department of Natural Resources to grant $375,000 of Program Open Space statewide funds for the acquisition in fee simple of .34 +/- acres (Huseman property) in St. Mary’s County. This property is adjacent to St. Clement’s Island Museum (near St. Clement’s Island State Park) and will be managed by the Maryland Park Service in partnership with St. Mary’s County. Acquisition will allow for expansion of the museum in an area with limited opportunities to do so. St. Mary’s County supports the acquisition to expand capacity, develop outdoor interpretive areas, and further accessibility plans (Item 10A of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda) Washington A request from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to grant Program Open Space stateside funds to Washington County to acquire the following Conservation Reserved Enhanced Program easements that will be co-held by the County and DNR: $228,147.64 for a 65.11-acre easement (Draper property). Acquisition will permanently protect water quality by requiring approximately 6,600 linear feet of forested and vegetative stream buffers to Lane’s Run, a tributary to Licking Creek and the Potomac River. The landowner will also be donating 2.51 acres of the property into the easement as part of the transaction (Item 7A of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda) $290,537.15 for a 77.41-acre easement (MC 3220 LLC property). Acquisition permanently protects water quality by requiring approximately 6,000 linear feet of forested and vegetative stream buffers to unnamed tributaries to the Potomac River. The landowner will also be donating an additional 4.15 acres as part of the transaction (Item 8A of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda) $102,046.72 for a 30.03-acre easement (Zimmerman property). Acquisition permanently protects water quality by requiring approximately 3,200 linear feet of forested and vegetative stream buffers to Little Tonoloway Creek and associated unnamed tributaries. The landowner will be donating an additional 3.46 acres of the property as part of the transaction (Item 9A of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda) A request from the Maryland Historical Trust to approve a $99,000 grant to The John Brown Historical Foundation, Inc. under the African American Heritage Preservation Program to rehabilitate the Kennedy Farmhouse (2406 Chestnut Grove Road, Sharpsburg). The farmhouse was used as headquarters by John Brown’s band in planning their famous raid on Harper’s Ferry, and also served as living quarters for its five African American members – Dangerfield Newby; Lewis Leary; Shields Green; John Copeland, Jr; and Osborn Anderson. The raid on Harper’s Ferry is considered a pivotal moment in the lead-up to the American Civil War (Item 9.I of the Secretary’s Agenda) A request to certify matching funds and enter into a grant agreement for a $25,000 grant to the Mayor and the Town Council of the Town of Boonsboro for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, and capital equipping of the Town’s parking lot. The Grantee has submitted documentation of sufficient eligible in-kind donations to meet the matching fund requirement for this project (Item 1 of the Department of General Services’ Office of State Procurement Agenda) A request from the Department of Natural Resources to commit a total of $230,000 from Program Open Space funding allocated to Washington County for the following projects: Hagerstown City Park: $135,000 to construct a new restroom facility in the train hub area (Item 5A.1 of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda) Antietam Creek Waterway Trail: $45,000 to construct access points to Antietam Creek on both sides of Mt. Aetna Road to allow watercraft to move around the dam. The project also includes a small parking lot, signage, and park amenities (Item 5A.2 of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda) Fairgrounds Park: $50,000 to install lighting and electrical improvements at the Park’s BMX track (Item 5A.3 of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda) Wicomico A request from the Department of Natural Resources to commit $28,854 from the Program Open Space funding allocated to Wicomico County to replace four sets of deteriorated bleachers at two youth baseball fields at the Fruitland Recreational Complex (Item 6A of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda)

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