SNOW HILL – A $1 million grant is expected to fund several parks projects in Worcester County next year.
New playgrounds at two county parks and improvements at the Worcester County Recreation Center are planned for 2023 following approval by the Worcester County Commissioners Tuesday.
The projects will be made possible with $1 million in Local Parks and Playground Infrastructure funding from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
Kelly Rados, the county’s director of recreation and parks, told the commissioners this week her department had been awarded $1 million in Local Parks and Playgrounds Infrastructure funding from the state. She said she was seeking commissioners’ approval of the projects to be funded.
Those include a retractable batting cage at the Worcester County Recreation Center, estimated at $75,000; bleacher replacement at the recreation center, estimated at $450,000; playground replacement at Bishopville Park, estimated at $225,000; playground replacement at Newark Park, estimated at $200,000; and replacement of the volleyball court at Newtown Park, estimated at $50,000.
Commissioner Ted Elder said that in the future, he’d like to see the department consider adding more bleachers to the Northern Worcester Athletic Complex near Berlin. He said he’d noticed that attendance had increased there.
“There are so many chairs you can’t hardly get through there,” he said.
Commissioner Josh Nordstrom asked if the replacement of the concession stands in parks in Snow Hill and Pocomoke could be accomplished with future grant funding.
Rados said department staff were reviewing all of the county’s recreation and parks facilities.
“We’re looking at all of our facilities… that way we can kind of build a timeline for when they’re due to be replaced,” she said.
The commissioners voted unanimously to approve the projects so they can be submitted to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources for approval.
Bid documents will likely be compiled this fall with project installation to take place in spring 2023.
