LA PLATA, Md. — Charles County officials unveiled a three-phase vision for the future Sports and Wellness Complex at St. Charles Towne Center during a March 25, 2025, briefing to county commissioners. Kelli Beavers, Director of Recreation, Parks, and Tourism, alongside Deputy Director Sam Drury and staff member Ben Yeckley, shared community feedback shaping the project. Phase 1 will transform the former Sears building into a natatorium, followed by a broader sports complex in Phase 2, and a Recreation, Cultural, Arts, and Entertainment District in Phase 3.
Community input began in January 2025 with an in-person event at the site, drawing over 300 attendees. A survey, conducted both at the event and online, garnered 2,178 responses, identifying top priorities for Phases 1 and 2: a competition pool, workout room, indoor track, and an amphitheater. Additional meetings occurred virtually on March 24 and in-person on March 26, with a final session set for May 8. The project, first proposed in the county’s Fiscal Year 2025-29 Capital Improvement Program, aims to enhance recreational offerings at the Waldorf shopping center, which has faced declining retail activity in recent years.
In legislative updates, Assistant Deputy County Attorney Danielle Mitchell briefed commissioners on the 2025 Maryland General Assembly session. House Bill 503, the Housing for Jobs Act, missed the crossover deadline but remains under discussion. The bill seeks to address regional housing gaps through state tools, though land-use concerns have stalled progress. House Bill 772, which passed crossover, mandates funding from county school boards to workforce development boards for student career counseling in middle and high schools. No updates were reported on Charles County’s local legislative package.
Several briefings shaped the meeting’s agenda. Deputy County Attorney Elizabeth Theobalds presented Proposed Bill 2025-03, correcting typos in the county code’s Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Medical Services tax rate section. Commissioners approved it, scheduling a public hearing for May 13 at 6 p.m. Jacob Dyer, Acting Director of Fiscal and Administrative Services, reviewed the Sheriff’s Office Retirement Plan’s asset allocation, which commissioners endorsed. Dyer also led the second Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Work Session, covering enterprise funds and fees for landfill, stormwater, and inspections, with weekly sessions planned before the budget’s April 29 unveiling.
Frances Sherman and Michelle Smith updated commissioners on the Keep Charles County Beautiful Campaign, featuring events like the Spring Litter Blitz with the State Highway Administration, the Alice Ferguson Foundation’s Potomac River Watershed Cleanup on April 5, and a county cleanup on May 17. Details are available at www.CharlesCountyMD.gov/Litterbug. A public hearing approved reallocating $315,000 from a Maryland Community Development Block Grant to fund Meals on Wheels, supporting elderly and homebound residents.
Commissioners also greenlit several items: a revised Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Calendar shifting the unveiling to April 29, a town hall to May 7, and adoption to May 20; a school board budget transfer; a new Building Services Technician position; letters supporting Comcast and Verizon’s Broadband Equity Access and Deployment applications; federal earmark requests for the Southern Maryland Rapid Transit Project; and updates to retiree health insurance policies. These actions reflect ongoing efforts to balance infrastructure, community services, and fiscal planning in Charles County.
