Leonardtown council discuss Splash In, streets and extra space

Splashing and streets were the main focus of the Leonardtown town council meeting held last Monday.

At the Sept. 11, 2023, town council meeting, the Splash In Car Wash, which is located at 40874 Merchants Lane, was allocated six additional equivalent dwelling units to expand in conjunction with the completion of the town’s wastewater treatment plant expansion.

The building permit is currently ready to be issued and the owners would like to make sure that if they complete the project they will be able to open the carwash, even if the wastewater treatment plant project is not quite finished.

“We have around 100 [equivalent dwelling units] remaining that really haven’t been allocated,” Town Administrator Laschelle McKay said at the Aug. 12 meeting. “We had allocated 17 in December 2022 for Southern Maryland Orthopedic facility and that is gone off the table, so I think that we will be fine if [the car wash can] get to completion.”

Council member Heather Marin Earhart asked how much longer until the wastewater project is completed.

“We are anticipating the end of the year. It could slip into January a bit,” McKay said. “But it’s far enough along that we know we’re going to get there.”

Where the streets have new namesThe streets at Meadows at Town Run (phases 1 and 2) have now been completed and all homes have been built, so the streets can now be entered into the town’s system.

The 13 streets include eight local roads, three public alleys and two minor collector roads.

Two crosswalks still have to be completed and the deed still needs to be reviewed and finalized by an attorney. Earhart asked if the sewer and water lines have also been completed, to which she was told they had been.

New space at town hallThe town is reorganizing and restructuring some departments in light of some recent employee changes and the need for additional offices to help run operations more efficiently.

Back in 2017, WM Davis built the elevator and fire sprinkler system at town hall as well as floor plan drawings of the building.

McKay asked the company to design and give an estimate of adding three additional office spaces on the second floor and received a proposal of $26,708.

“I would propose taking the funds from the end-of-year fund balance and bring a budget amendment forward next month if approved to proceed,” said McKay, who added the redesign was a simple build. “Our end-of-year fund balance was 62% so we have leeway there, and we had significantly more income that we didn’t budget for, so I think we’re going to be in a really good place.”

“I think that’s a good price,” Member Jay Mattingly said.

McKay said she had the plan but would still need to submit it to the fire marshal for approval.

Earhart asked about furniture for the offices, to which McKay said she was putting together a list of items.