LA PLATA — Charles County residents have asked for 46 sidewalk projects, but only seven are moving through design right now, and the first of those are not expected to reach construction until 2027 or early 2028, Public Works staff told the county commissioners Oct. 20.
The seven active projects add up to about four miles of sidewalk, Capital Project Management staff said during the department’s regular highlights briefing. The other 39 requests wait on a list. As three active projects move into construction, staff plans to move three more from that list into design, keeping a steady pipeline rather than starting everything at once.
How a request becomes a project
Requests come in through SeeClickFix, email, public meetings and commissioners. Staff keeps them in a running list and ranks them with a prioritization matrix that scores:
- Connectivity, or how well a segment links to existing walkways and destinations.
- Community benefits.
- Planning and equity priorities.
- Right-of-way and permitting complexity.
The top-ranked projects move into design and then construction. Staff credited the county’s planning division for gathering community feedback for the program.
Why it takes years
The core problem, staff said, is fitting sidewalks onto roads that were never designed for them. Many county roads lack the width. Stormwater rules can require curb and gutter, which adds more width. Utility poles, large trees, wetlands and protected species can sit in the path. And because sidewalks are long and narrow, a single project can require easements or land purchases from many property owners.
Even neighborhood habits can complicate a project, staff said, since residents who are used to parking along the road shoulder cannot park on a new sidewalk.
One commissioner said that is why the county asks developers to build sidewalks with new construction, even on stretches where few people walk today. Retrofitting later, the commissioner said, means negotiating with private landowners and working around retaining walls, citing Washington Avenue in La Plata as an example.
Keeping residents informed
Deputy Director Freda Hertling said the department heard complaints at public meetings from residents who learned about sidewalk work in places like Bryans Road and Southampton only secondhand. In response, the county launched online project pages where residents can follow each project and where staff will engage property owners about any needed right-of-way.
Two buildings on schedule
The same briefing covered two other county construction projects:
| Project | Status | Estimated completion |
|---|---|---|
| Charles County Animal Care Center | Interior mechanical, electrical and plumbing work; drywall up; sewer line done, water tie-in underway | February 2027 |
| Pinefield EMS station | Mechanical, electrical and plumbing rough-in; about 90% dried in; stormwater work next | May 2027 |
Staff said a delay in demolishing an old Department of Natural Resources building and its slab at the EMS site has been worked through.
The briefing also included an update on the long-delayed La Plata library, which the Chronicle is reporting separately, and the county’s work on a U.S. 301 project that will require moving a median and adding a traffic signal. Staff said that work will be timed with the State Highway Administration to limit disruption on the busy highway.
For roadwork elsewhere in the county, see the Chronicle’s earlier report on Longmeade residents seeking a full repaving.
