Published: May 09, 2008 11:40 pm         

County prioritizes $2.5M in potential projects funds

Requests made through Tri-County Council

The Allegany County commissioners have prioritized 11 projects that could receive funding through the Appalachian Regional Commission.

Funding areas are set up for both development and access roads. The county’s 11 projects totaled nearly $2.5 million, including $1.5 million in development projects.

David Nedved, of the county’s economic development office, said at Thursday’s county meeting that officials expect to receive about $1.5 million for area development and $820,000 for access roads. The funds are applied for through the Tri-County Council, which administers the funds.

Nedved said the top priority for area development should be the first phase of the Braddock Run sewer replacement, which will provide 4,000 linear feet of new sewer line west of LaVale. The ultimate goal, Nedved said, is to replace 11,300 linear feet of line from Clarysville to LaVale.

Two other projects Nedved and Matt Diaz, director of economic development, feel funding could be received for include four “smart” classrooms at Allegany College of Maryland and an upgrade to Frostburg State University’s nonlinear video lab. Each grant request is for $50,000. The agencies must apply for the funding through the county.

The city of Frostburg requested $400,000 for improvement to the Piney Reservoir transmission. Commissioner Dale Lewis asked if that project’s other funding is in place from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the city and the Maryland Department of the Environment.

Commissioner Bob Hutcheson said if that project’s not ready to go, then the next projects on the list — $23,500 for a lab upgrade at ACM and $150,000 for a high-definition video production lab at FSU — could be moved higher on the list.

Diaz said ARC grants are often used as a “gap funding tool” for larger projects such as this. If the project isn’t yet ready to move forward, however, the Tri-County Council bumps it from the list until next year.

“When the Tri-County Council takes a look at this project, they’ll probably ask this,” Diaz said.

Other projects on the area development list include $49,000 for the development of new nanosensors at FSU; $300,000 for a data capacity upgrade for schools within the Allegany County public school system; and $225,000 for the Allegany County Museum renovations to the district court building at 3 Pershing St.

The Evitts Landing access road will alter the entrance to Allegany College of Maryland and connect Willowbrook Road with Old Willowbrook Road.

Commissioner Jim Stakem said the issue at that location is about safety and not just traffic congestion.

The Braddock Road access road project, near Interstate 68 and state Route 36, is a forward-thinking project. Nedved said Frostburg officials are aware it’s unlikely to be funded this year.

The Tri-County Council is a federal-state partnership formed to support and spur economic development. It covers 13 states over 200,000 square miles including Garrett, Allegany and Washington counties. Garrett and Allegany counties are required to match half of ARC grants for area development and 20 percent of access road grant funding.

The council considers the applications based on three fundaments of each project — the readiness to proceed, the viability and the amount of grant funding being sought. The county will know how much each project is to receive by Oct. 1, the beginning of the federal fiscal year.

Contact Kevin Spradlin at kspradlin@times-news.com.