(2/10) On Feb. 7, the Town Council addressed aspects of the Thurmont Boulevard project, which would connect Frederick Road and Moser Road and provide numerous benefits to the municipality. With the project in discussion for at least 35 years, the town is eager to move forward into planning and construction.
The proposed roadway is approximately half a mile long and described by Town Manager Jim Humerick as "an infrastructure project with connectivity and accessibility components." Not only will the road provide an additional pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicle connection, it will also address aging water and sewage infrastructure and create new environmental opportunities.
Thurmont Boulevard will likely ease traffic on both Frederick and Moser Roads, especially that which is created by tractor trailers, dump trucks, and utility vehicles. The new road will provide many residents with an easier way to get to and from Route 15; furthermore, this "shortcut" will also lessen response time of emergency services, which not only serve Thurmont but many surrounding communities.
The construction of Thurmont Boulevard also opens an opportunity for expansion of the Thurmont Trolley Trail, a popular recreational path which follows the old Frederick-Thurmont railbed. Currently, the trail has only been developed in Thurmont, but hopes that it will eventually extend all the way to Frederick are long in the making. Humerick pointed out that the Frederick trails master plan already includes this connection as an eventuality. Humerick said the boulevard would provide an excellent opportunity to place interpretive signs and observation points to educate residents and visitors on the trail. "It would be good for local citizens, the economy, and businesses."
The total cost for the project is $5,288,735, which includes a 15% contingency plan as well as water line upgrades, accoding to the town’s CFO Linda Joyce . According to Joyce, the town is in a good financial position to pursue the Thurmont Boulevard project, with debt at a low and a healthy fund balance. "This isn’t going to impact future capital projects--we have the funding to do that," said Joyce, who also reassured commissioners that taxes would not be raised to support the project. In addition to town funds, Humerick is already pursuing potential grant money through the office of Congressman David Trone.
In addition to apprehension about cost, opposition to the project has primarily consisted of concern that it will predicate future development of the area. Randy Cubbedge, Chairman of the P&Z Commission, emphasized that roadwork does not automatically imply development and that the power lies with town officials.
If approved, construction on Thurmont Boulevard will not begin until at least September 2024, with the road expected to open for use about a year later. Commissioners are hopeful that the project’s benefits will be reaped far into the future.
Cubbedge said, "For at least 35 years citizen planners, residents, appointed elected officials have agreed the proposed route of Thurmont Boulevard is a project that will have area-wide benefit--one that reaches beyond the borders of the municipality of Thurmont."
