[{"_1":2,"_110":-5,"_111":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86,98],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6369536,"mediaKeyId","2154558-ec7b35fe581e358d256e2ac6ba5df64b","parentId",2154558,"title","Committee hears YMCA tour reports and public testimony calling for a YMCA in St. Mary’s County","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",4664000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2154558-ec7b35fe581e358d256e2ac6ba5df64b&start=4664&end=4664","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2154558-ec7b35fe581e358d256e2ac6ba5df64b/thumbnail_4664000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6369536/St-Marys-County/Maryland/Committee-hears-YMCA-tour-reports-and-public-testimony-calling-for-a-YMCA-in-St-Marys-County","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6369536-418390fb1816c82a084fedc5f34ee6bb/orig.mp4?Expires=1775060868&Signature=VqelV~zjuMEyXKkOZydkxTqS9dQVJyGnBpPzpQmyQoxonMEHaZTwVmHQ8d9gxPo944R0NyinfalYDm3u4y6W6ZYN4Wa~zz63GQ54No8JP5Vw3TSXmOXkLFmUH2pInWBJDEV2AFAx~1K0rDfZ4XRrsjeTz4FmyUr6~Tbh8A~~CJbJGqodLadYmudNvIqUKpIPiAG3NwfINV6E7hsFpjIDus8iGEbhWGn025JA6dMEqfx~aLHle6vbaxqat2SYsN8ZOs4QQcbW8SHrt5DZ5savjpoieuRdpbICWZxMW-SlqzoSid0KGWGbF~QDQx1tPzo2VDH8A2GFxKGwZ~4nmYqWNQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","St. Mary's County, MD","date","2025-01-27T19:57:38Z","article","Several committee members reported on visits to YMCA facilities and described programming, membership models and facility features they observed, while public commenters and committee members urged the committee to accelerate firm steps toward a YMCA in St. Mary’s County.

Beverly Johnston described two YMCA visits on Maryland’s Eastern Shore: a new facility in St. Michaels and a large, 86,000-square-foot center in Easton. Johnston said the St. Michaels site is co‑located on school property and includes a senior center partnership, fitness and multipurpose rooms, an aquatic center and a warming kitchen used to serve senior lunches. Johnston said the Easton facility offers multiple indoor pools, a teaching kitchen, a play area and a wide range of community programs; the Easton YMCA gives free memberships to sixth graders and offers sliding‑scale fees and scholarships.

Ashley (committee member) summarized a YMCA in coastal Georgia that is moving closer to a large high school campus and noted that not all smaller Y branches include full pool facilities; some act as multiuse gyms, meeting rooms and after‑school spaces.

Public testimony included a multi‑generational personal history from Susan Greer, who described how YMCA swimming lessons, camps and programs shaped her family over decades and called for a local YMCA to provide those same benefits. A resident speaker urged the committee to identify community needs first (childcare, youth programming, job training) rather than focusing solely on building size. Commissioner Mike Hewitt urged the committee to define the services the county lacks and to plan fundraising strategies, noting other jurisdictions have used donated land or seed funds to leverage building construction.

Several committee members and speakers stressed that a YMCA’s services can be distributed across satellite sites and partnered facilities — schools, libraries and churches — while a central facility is developed. Committee members also urged more outreach to residents in the northern end of the county and to underserved groups; staff and volunteers said they are coordinating public outreach and that a feasibility study will include community surveying.

The committee voted to make Lexington Park its focus and to include the nearby 3.14‑acre parcel as a candidate study site. Several attendees volunteered to help with outreach and fundraising planning.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","11/21/2019 YMCA Exploratory Committee","oneSentenceSummary","Committee members reported on YMCA facility tours in Maryland and Georgia; public commenters, including longtime users of YMCA programs, urged the county and committee to accelerate feasibility and fundraising work and recommended partnerships and sliding‑scale pricing for low‑income families.","taxTitle","St. Mary's County, Maryland","taxId",51086,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_46":80,"_48":81,"_50":82,"_52":83,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":84,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":85,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6369539,"St. Mary’s Recreation and Parks outlines programs, facility budgets and gaps including lifeguard shortages",1273,1141000,2414000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2154558-ec7b35fe581e358d256e2ac6ba5df64b&start=1141&end=2414","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2154558-ec7b35fe581e358d256e2ac6ba5df64b/thumbnail_1141000.jpg","/articles/6369539/St-Marys-County/Maryland/St-Marys-Recreation-and-Parks-outlines-programs-facility-budgets-and-gaps-including-lifeguard-shortages","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6369539-5e5f2f9a2158dca5c7f46323860dcd30/orig.mp4?Expires=1775060868&Signature=ltUE23jEfAoJ6LMxFgTc1W25xmLKO9w1pUn0dQTbP-93zwS3GJbFl~muX9JoYdArDUlB0mnkERW9JzboCcAu--ZYjQaPx3DEJUtyDhghJcGWxk-QkLhj74ImcBhLIv8Pn-MMUA0xK7eBzZ3V-ZpF7N9CxKqxg-S67yRCdtSkzldSKxa20~Q22y15VIZQlLKm8Fo8EDj1Y0l8Mvzj1EkC0FFJZIcfFSJv-UT6Jo2-McthfrkAEjUrLQJct9kN-BeRu8534i9~j6S50WhhXrdSSCsUhboNDjDNUJHBD3Hm8ynDb4zKMdV8tpz0RKBdGJGJd2BeEYr3wxRY9XvVBznw0w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Arthur Shepherd, director of St. Mary’s County Recreation and Parks, gave a comprehensive overview of the department’s facilities, programming model and finances to the YMCA Local Exploratory Committee, describing how programs are funded, which sites run surpluses or deficits and where the department sees gaps that a community partner could help fill.

Shepherd said the department operates 21 parks, three waterfront parks, more than a dozen playgrounds and multiple indoor recreation sites. The department’s combined operating budget — general fund plus two enterprise funds (golf and recreation) — is roughly $10 million; 43% is general fund support while enterprise revenues cover about half the costs of enterprise programs. Shepherd said that local taxation supports roughly two cents of every tax dollar for recreation and parks, “about the national average.”

Shepherd walked the committee through individual facilities and their financial profiles. He said Carver Recreation Center runs programs including cheer and gymnastics and operates some programs at no cost for neighborhood children; its utility and hourly staffing costs are covered by user fees and program revenues, although some enterprise accounts are held separately. Margaret Brent Recreation Center’s air-conditioning added summer program capacity. Leonard Hall, the county’s busiest facility, produces significant fee revenue (Shepherd cited about $200,000 annual revenue for Leonard Hall) and hosts a wide range of indoor sports, summer camps and rentals. The Great Mills Pool has both indoor and outdoor seasons and recorded tens of thousands of admissions; Shepherd said indoor pool heating and water heating drive a larger operating deficit than outdoor pools.

Shepherd said the county contracts or leases some programs (for example, the county leases a gymnastics center) and that some leased operations are high‑revenue performers. He reported that therapeutic recreation and summer camp programs carry higher staff ratios and therefore higher per‑participant costs and that scholarship activity is concentrated in summer camps and youth sports.

Committee members pressed staff on staffing: Shepherd said the county continually recruits lifeguards and swim instructors and that lifeguard availability constrains swim lesson and class capacity at Great Mills Pool. He also said staffing patterns for before‑and‑after‑school programs require early morning and late‑afternoon shifts, which make hiring and retention challenging. Shepherd identified gaps in northern‑county facility access and said intergenerational, multi‑generational facilities are an unmet need.

Shepherd described collaboration with volunteer youth leagues and the public school system (the county operates before‑ and‑after‑school programs in school facilities under contract) and estimated the recreation enterprise fund balance at roughly $664,000 — a fund reserve that helps manage year‑to‑year swings in program revenue and costs.

Shepherd invited committee members to tour multiple sites on planned dates and agreed to supply additional details requested by committee members, including facility capacity/utilization by season, square footage figures for leased gyms and a breakdown of Great Mills Pool revenue by swim team rentals versus general admissions.","Recreation and Parks Director Arthur Shepherd briefed the YMCA exploratory committee on county recreation facilities, budgets and programs. He outlined operating models, enterprise fund revenues and deficits at several sites, staffing challenges (notably lifeguards), and gaps in northern-county facilities and teen programming.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_46":92,"_48":93,"_50":94,"_52":95,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":96,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":97,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6369540,"County IT and economic development show layered map and 2015 Census estimates to the YMCA committee",372,152000,524000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2154558-ec7b35fe581e358d256e2ac6ba5df64b&start=152&end=524","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2154558-ec7b35fe581e358d256e2ac6ba5df64b/thumbnail_152000.jpg","/articles/6369540/St-Marys-County/Maryland/County-IT-and-economic-development-show-layered-map-and-2015-Census-estimates-to-the-YMCA-committee","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6369540-51820a66910a076d5ad779776905f0f8/orig.mp4?Expires=1775060868&Signature=Q7Kqg4jGix-~PzOHG45mYCRi3VxJVF3U4Wzco1gOwh9jnHzyx~6B4cnLxPtdYD0ivb~M8C0sot8FMFuyxuubXDktsdRB0D2pFoer0iPRQOOu6cNJNUSGCHnZ3wzRUy6J9MXLROJSuzg5dnv0YzE5l8gPgwx4ZQX45Ys-EnoeRYWXf2S9FKspJh9AqsQVJ1uP-0b6lWAnTQfikWgeaTg1rZGpkWxUe1wGc5U~KFdry0AVFF9TSwlp9nXgGEkC0v2BQtlXh3PCTwtHn4PRCiNTzw18eqgUuR9V6nT-f24iAXYDgVpscjMzU5grPANsNoXDgujjQkE1auVpXv5G6IjHKQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","County IT and Economic Development staff demonstrated an updated St. Mary’s County GIS map and demographic layers to the YMCA Local Exploratory Committee, showing school locations, county-owned parcels, water and sewer service, and American Community Survey (ACS) estimates down to the census block group level.

Bob Kelly, the county’s chief information officer, said staff added a school-location layer and a filter for county-owned parcels 15 acres and larger. Kelly also displayed an “AICUZ/Acus” overlay the committee had asked for to show areas the committee had generally discussed avoiding. He demonstrated that the map’s property pop-ups include acreage, state-recorded property (S stat) information, and links to permit and development records where available.

Chris Casalemas, director of economic development, and Sue Beath explained the demographic layers are based on the 2015 American Community Survey five‑year data the county used because ACS five‑year estimates provide the most granular small-area data. Casalemas walked the committee through population density, median household income and age‑group layers and demonstrated tools to change transparency and to pull detailed data, including counts for age groups and race/sex breakdowns for a selected block.

Casalemas said ACS five‑year estimates in the map are “pretty darn close” but cautioned the committee to account for the data’s date — it reflects 2015 estimates and the county population has continued to grow. He said the next census count and subsequent ACS updates would provide newer block‑level values but would not be available immediately.

Committee members asked whether the parcels on the map had been checked against zoning; Kelly confirmed the team validated ownership and checked zoning for county‑owned parcels shown. The committee also asked about water and sewer layers; Kelly said the county receives water/sewer GIS data and customer service data from the local utility (MetCom) and can show connections and service availability.

Committee members used the map to identify denser population pockets in Lexington Park, Leonardtown and parts of California and Golden Beach, and discussed how density correlates with walkability and suitability for a community center. Staff offered to add additional requested data and to distribute the map links for committee members to explore between meetings.

The presentation gave the committee the spatial and demographic inputs the staff recommended using while selecting candidate sites for the feasibility study.","County IT and Economic Development staff demonstrated a GIS map with school locations, county-owned parcels, water/sewer coverage and American Community Survey data to help the committee assess population density and service access for potential YMCA siting.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":101,"_43":102,"_45":103,"_46":104,"_48":105,"_50":106,"_52":107,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":108,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":109,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6369541,"YMCA exploratory committee selects Lexington Park site for feasibility study, votes to focus on Lexington Park",2844,6020000,8864000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2154558-ec7b35fe581e358d256e2ac6ba5df64b&start=6020&end=8864","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2154558-ec7b35fe581e358d256e2ac6ba5df64b/thumbnail_6020000.jpg","/articles/6369541/St-Marys-County/Maryland/YMCA-exploratory-committee-selects-Lexington-Park-site-for-feasibility-study-votes-to-focus-on-Lexington-Park","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6369541-1df19c0f24adb0822b9709600c021fcd/orig.mp4?Expires=1775060868&Signature=AQENnrylfJNxPr2YK7IjE0eIVZuwyBMU6s-T4wEQv~gHBZ~DU5wpRCgQUARBkvYEuBMevvuRNqIc8y6dM4ShRlAuJmNvSqsy4G5LkFRjGUNYUhylh9BqD0L075qQeysmdlABGkqvchDwBp1NlL0zhbvtOteD74X4FxTRCnaTVxrtDdBbeGkoT8IEQkQtaKHgf0ftNYmGk~JGbvzWwSyiC6X~rs4FK5LDX8pEb0k60MacVEXlhMOgxOOd4FkHe1nlpZYEk2NGGoAlbv4flJaeCvoZelmtIh1UPQWxH-7Ssqh5BAZRG21XO2a4B9X6aj3PBeMP1iL6vWuS2FGihPuccQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The St. Mary’s County YMCA Local Exploratory Committee voted Thursday to include a 3.14-acre parcel adjacent to the Lexington Park library as one of the properties to be studied in a county-funded feasibility study for a potential YMCA and formally adopted Lexington Park as the committee’s focus area.

Committee members approved the site by motion; the motion was seconded and carried without recorded opposition. The committee also approved routine items on the agenda, elected a chair and vice chair and set three future meeting dates.

The committee’s decision followed a presentation by a committee member who described Lexington Park as the county’s largest population center and argued the site near the library would leverage existing assets — the elementary school across the street, nearby parks and recreational facilities, churches, and other community infrastructure — to expand program options and shared parking opportunities.

The committee recorded the motion that the 3.14-acre parcel be one of the properties examined in the feasibility study, and then moved to make Lexington Park the group’s focus. Both motions passed. Committee members discussed the constraint that large, single-site parcels free of Air Installation Compatibility Use Zone (AICUZ) restrictions are scarce in Lexington Park and acknowledged the benefits of planning for satellite locations and partnerships with schools, churches and Parks and Recreation.

Committee members and staff noted the county has allocated $75,000 in the current fiscal year to support a feasibility study and that the county’s capital improvement plan (CIP) contains a placeholder project for a community/recreation center pending the study’s outcome. Committee members discussed that large capital projects in the county are often financed over time and that partial funding or partnership-led fundraising would be necessary for construction.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to approve the meeting agenda — approved (motion and second; “Motion carries.” recorded).
- Motion to approve minutes of the Oct. 17, 2019 YMCA Local Exploratory Committee meeting — approved (motion and second; recorded as carried).
- Motion that the 3.14-acre parcel adjacent to Lexington Park Library be included as one of the properties studied in the feasibility study — approved (mover: “Kathy”; second: not specified; outcome: approved).
- Motion that Lexington Park be the committee’s focus area — approved (outcome: approved by voice vote).
- Election of Bennett Wilson as committee chair — approved (voice vote).
- Election of Michael Brown as vice chair — approved (voice vote).
- Adoption of future meeting dates (Thursday, Jan. 16; Thursday, Feb. 20; Thursday, March 19) — approved (voice vote).
- Motion to adjourn — approved.

Committee members emphasized next steps: finalize a short list of candidate sites (the chosen parcel will be one), provide any additional site suggestions to staff for mapping, and review a draft scope for the feasibility study at a future meeting so the county can issue the study contract and begin community surveying. Staff said they will update maps and distribute follow-up information to the committee.

The committee’s actions do not themselves commit the county to construction. Committee members repeatedly described the feasibility study as the next step to test market demand, determine building size, estimate costs and identify funding options.","The St. Mary’s County YMCA Local Exploratory Committee voted to add a 3.14-acre parcel adjacent to the Lexington Park Library to the feasibility study and adopted Lexington Park as the group’s primary focus area. The committee also approved a set of procedural items, elected officers and set future meeting dates.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee hears YMCA tour reports and public testimony calling for a YMCA in St. Mary’s County

St. Mary’s Recreation and Parks outlines programs, facility budgets and gaps including lifeguard shortages

County IT and economic development show layered map and 2015 Census estimates to the YMCA committee

YMCA exploratory committee selects Lexington Park site for feasibility study, votes to focus on Lexington Park