Federal, state and county leaders assembled Friday afternoon at the Lexington Park United Methodist Church to announce the official start of the long awaited “streetscape” project. Rep. Steny Hoyer (D -Md.) attended while in the county, just days before his healthcare reform-focused town hall meeting in Waldorf Sept. 1.
Inclement weather moved the event indoors, where Master of Ceremonies, President/CEO of St. Mary’s County Community Development Corporation Robin A. Finnacom briefed the crowd on the history and importance of the project. She said this effort exemplifies “the state’s obligation to thinking beyond the pavement.” Finnacom thanked those in attendance that participated in the original concept plan that came together in 2001.
The St. Mary’s County Board of County Commissioners spoke showing their enthusiasm for the project. Commissioner Daniel H. Raley, whose District 4 includes this three-quarter mile stretch of Great Mills Road said, “This road is important not only to Lexington Park…but to the thousands of people that ride this road every day getting to and from work at Pax River.” Raley thanked his fellow commissioners for coming up with $450,000 in county funding for the project and remarked on Hoyer’s support, saying despite intense issues on a national level, the congressman, “always remembers the district he represents”.
Capt. Andrew Macyko, the sixth Commanding Officer of NAS Patuxent River since the project’s inception, spoke on behalf of the U.S. Navy and acknowledged the relationship between the community and the base. The streetscape project, Macyko said, “is evidence of how strong that partnership is.”
The Maryland Department of Transportation’s Acting Secretary Beverly K. Swaim-Staley referred to Rep. Hoyer as “our champion” for helping bring in the necessary funding to kick off the $7.5 million community improvement. She informed the public that the State Highway Administration will hold a pre-construction workshop Sept. 17 and encouraged those soon-to-be directly affected by the proposed two-year project to attend.
Finnacom introduced Delegate John Bohanon and acknowledged the critical role he played in getting the project salvaged when it was nearly postponed in 2005. Bohanon explained, “This will complete that triangle of Chancellor’s Run Road, Rt. 235 and Great Mills Rd. corridor [which is] so key to moving traffic through the area and so key, frankly, to the commerce and businesses and citizens.”
BOCC President Frances Jack Russell introduced the Fifth Congressional District Representative, calling Hoyer, “…an effective leader [and a] committed consensus builder who knows how to get things done.”
Hoyer joked about his age and razzed Commissioner Mattingly, then shared his optimism about the recent upswing in the economy. Hoyer called the Great Mills streetscape project “an investment” and stated, “We have to continue to invest in making our country, our state and our communities better.” He explained that while funding for this project is not comparable to the billions being handled in Washington, it is a “very large sum
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