County buys land from The Mount for regional park

Feb. 25—Frederick County has purchased 152 acres from Mount St. Mary's University to develop a new north county regional park between Emmitsburg and Thurmont.

County Executive Jan Gardner announced the news Thursday morning during a press briefing.

The county purchased the land for $857,000, with $807,000 coming from a state-funded program for parklands. The other $50,000 will come from county recordation funding.

"We are excited to be moving forward with it," Gardner (D) said. "The need for the park in the north county has been on the priority list for some time ... This effort has been under discussion for more than a decade. So, it gives me great pleasure to see it become a reality."

The property to be developed adjoins the Mount St. Mary's athletic complex on the east side of U.S. 15. It straddles Motter Station Road.

A concept plan funded by Mount St. Mary's shows potential uses for the land, including turf sports fields, courts for basketball, tennis and pickleball, walking trails and a dog park.

"We are pleased to have offered the 152.7 acres for this regional park adjacent to the Mount St. Mary's sports complex and are deeply appreciative of the county's partnership in our shared commitment to expanding access to sports and recreational opportunities and fostering the growth of youth sports in northern Frederick County," Mount St. Mary's President Timothy Trainor said in a prepared statement.

Emmitsburg Mayor Don Briggs called the announcement "wonderful news." Briggs, a former rugby coach at Mount St. Mary's, said the town and university will put the fields and overall park to good use.

"It's just going to be a special place," Briggs said.

The land is currently zoned agriculture and features both forest and open land. It will continue to be leased as farm land until it is ready to be developed, Gardner said.

The entire process will be a years-long effort.

The Frederick County Division of Parks and Recreation will form a Master Plan Advisory Committee to develop a blueprint for the property. The committee will include representatives from local recreation councils and sports leagues, civic associations and neighboring property owners.

"As with any proposed park, the development of the north county regional park will have a public process with many opportunities for people to provide input into the plan," Gardner said.

The project will ultimately need the approval of the county's Planning Commission and parks and recreation commission.

County officials said more than 3 million people visited county parks last year, which was a 44 percent increase over the previous year. The increase was due, in part, to people looking for ways to get out of the house during the coronavirus pandemic.

"We are very proud of our parks," Gardner said. "Frederick County parks are truly gems."

Staff writer Steve Bohnel contributed to this report.

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