LEONARDTOWN, Md. – During their May 7, 2024, meeting, the St. Mary’s County Board of County Commissioners unanimously moved to adopt the Formal Application Packet for the Program Open Space Conversion of 2100 Great Mills Road and to submit it to the Department of Natural Resources.
The proposal involves the conversion of approximately 5.1152 acres of open space, primarily comprising the site of the Great Mills Pool, to accommodate the planned YMCA facility.
According to a memo from Deputy County Attorney John Sterling Houser, “The St. Mary’s County YMCA is planned to be located on the portion of 21100 Great Mills Road encumbered by these covenants, and upon completion of the new facility the Great Mills Pool will be operated by the YMCA. Because the YMCA is a membership-based organization it cannot be recognized by the Department of Natural Resources as a ‘public’ recreational amenity.”
“Natural Resources Article § 5-906(f) forbids conversion of land acquired or developed through POS funding from conversion to any use other than public recreation without prior authorization from the State of Maryland. Accordingly, 21100 Great Mills Road must be converted to a non-POS property before control of the site can be given to the YMCA.”
To make way for this development, the proposal seeks to repurpose the designated open space, originally acquired with assistance from the Program Open Space (POS) initiative, which aims to preserve and develop recreational areas across Maryland.
The conversion entails finding replacement properties that match the size, value, and recreational potential of the land being repurposed. Notably, the county retains ownership and control of both the existing and replacement properties, with only a transfer of covenants involved in the process.
The application still needs approval from the Department of Natural Resources. According to Houser, it could take approximately 4 to 5 months for the state to process this request.
To watch the full meeting, click here.
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Seriously? Great Mills Road? Thanks for always thinking of the northern end if the county too. Like with the pool? Oh no, wait….that’s in Great Mills too.