The City of Frederick is continually committed to ensuring public facilities & services -- from roads & utilities to parks & recreation -- are consistent with local residential, commercial, and industrial needs in order to promote sustainable growth and maintain a premier quality of life.
We chatted with the City’s various Department Directors to learn more about some of the exciting projects underway or coming soon around Frederick…
Storm Water Management
Aiming to reduce the risk of flooding to property owners and critical roadways, the City has partnered with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to complete a flood resiliency study. The study will result in implementation strategies to convey water safely, mitigate risk to property owner investments, and offer quality treatment processing through new design standards & retrofitting.
Additional Water, Sewer, & Storm Drain Projects Underway & Coming Soon:
Monocacy Water Treatment Upgrade — Underway
7th Street Water Main replacement from Max Kehne Park to North Market Street — Underway
Relocation of Butterfly Water Storage to West Side Regional Park — Underway
West Patrick Street Sewer Pump Station — Under design review
Rebuild of Storm Water Pump Station — Underway
Infiltration & Inflow Reduction project —Underway
Christopher Crossing at Sanner Farm
This critical road improvement project extends the existing endpoint of Christopher’s Crossing Clover Ridge to the intersection of Walter Martz Road and Poole Jones Road. The new connection is vital to providing multiple safe & efficient connections from residential areas in the northwest to downtown Frederick and US 15.
The roundabout portion of the Christopher’s Crossing roadway construction project, which connects Poole Jones Road and Walter Martz Road, opened this January. The connection of Christopher’s Crossing from the existing terminus in Clover Ridge to the intersection of Poole Jones Road/Walter Martz Road/Christopher’s Crossing is scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2020 and is currently ahead of schedule.
Butterfly Lane Road Realignment
Photos November 22, 2019
This City project will provide additional capacity along Butterfly Lane and will greatly improve traffic issues along the MD 180 corridor by spacing the intersection of Butterfly Lane at MD 180 a greater distance from Himes Avenue. The project will also open critical land-bays in the development of Westside Regional Park at the adjacent City-owned property.
The work at Butterfly Lane is being completed in coordination with the State Highway Administration’s (SHA) work at MD 180 Swallowtail Drive to I-70 Ramps. The State project will construct a new bridge to join the existing MD 180 bridge over US 15 to carry additional travel lanes, add a second left turn lane at Solarex Court, and widen the shoulder to include a designated bike lane. More information on the SHA Project can be found here.
Photo from SHA
Additional Street MAINTENANCE Projects Underway & Coming Soon:
Mill and Overlay on Rosemont Avenue — Spring
Street Light Upgrades in Whittier Lake area — Underway
Street Light Upgrades Old Camp Road, Fredericktown Village Area — Planned
West Side Regional Park
Activating 135 acres of City-owned land, Westside Regional Park will offer critical open space and recreational opportunities to residents. With desperately needed sports facilities, the venue will serve community teams, enable Frederick to attract tournament play, and decrease travel demands on Frederick families – all while stimulating the local economy and improving public health and local quality of life.
Additional Parks & Recreation Projects Underway & Coming SooN:
Bocce Courts in Baker Park - Spring/Summer 2020
Replacement of Baker Park Bandshell seating — Winter 2020
Basketball Court Renovation at Stone Gate Park — Winter/Spring 2020
Baker Park Fountain Design & Rebuild — 2020
Sophie and Madigan’s Playground at West Side Regional Park — Summer 2020
Playground replacement at Kidwiler Park — Spring/Summer 2020
Airport Runway Extension
Frederick Municipal Airport’s (FDK) main runway is planned to be lengthened by 600 feet to 5820 feet in the summer of 2020. The extension will increase the safety margins for all aircraft and allow for a larger market share of corporate traffic to be able to choose Frederick as their access point to the National Capital Region.
FDK received $5 million in Federal and State grants to complete improvements in 2020 to better meet existing demands of approximately 90,000 aircraft operations per year and over 200 aircraft based at the airport.
New City Website
Late last year, the City of Frederick launched an improved website — designed to make it easier for the community and others to access services, find information, and engage with local government. In addition to a clean enhanced feel, the refreshed site features a new audience-centric navigational structure and improved search capabilities. Other notable improvements include the ability to translate pages into multiple languages.
Additional online improvements have also been rolled out in the City’s most community-facing departments:
Local businesses (existing & prospective) are encouraged to explore the Department of Economic Development’s recently launched website: businessinfrederick.com — which provides a central location for local business resources, data, and news.
The City of Frederick Parks and Recreation Department will also be switching its registration software to a more effective & efficient system beginning March 2nd. This new registration system will enable patrons to create household accounts, manage current & past activities, fitness memberships, and park & facility reservations. This new system can be accessed at www.cityoffrederickmd.gov/webtrac.
Downtown Parking
The City of Frederick is currently coordinating two parking-related studies for the Downtown Area:
The Downtown Parking & Circulator Study is examining the existing downtown parking system to find ways it can be improved. Areas of focus include: determining whether to replace or retrofit the Church Street garage; whether there is demand for an additional parking garage and the most strategic location if so; and the feasibility & effectiveness of a proposed Downtown Circulator.
The Transportation-Land Use Connections Freight Study, sponsored by the Municipal Washington Council of Governments, will look at the issues of double-parking and loading zones in downtown to ensure City systems are functioning at top efficiency. The study will access the need, size, placement, & timing of loading zones to optimize downtown parking.
Police Headquarters
Currently using 25,000 square feet throughout four facilities, there is a strong need for an adequately designed and equipped Police Department Headquarters in Frederick. As the City’s population continues to grow, the FPD aims to remain an efficient, community-centered police force. A new headquarters, one roughly 50,000-60,000 square-feet after a recent space needs assessment is necessary to serve residents, recruit and retain officers and create a community anchor for the community.
New Roof at City Hall
Frederick’s iconic City Hall was built during the Civil War in 1864. The building originally functioned as Frederick’s Courthouse, and now serves as the main administration building for the municipal government. Plans are in place to replace the building’s aging roof to ensure the continued function & appearance of the historic building.
Golden Mile Bus Lane and Shared Use Path
The City is in the final design phase for a Golden Mile Bus Lane and Shared-Use Path from Baughman’s Lane to Waverly Drive. The project will help make the Route 40 corridor more accessible for transit riders, bicyclists, and pedestrians. The City secured $686,309 in MDOT funding last June for the development of the construction-ready designs.
EAST STREET’s Rails WITH Trails
The Rails with Trails project is to be the major North-South spine of Frederick’s bicycling network, eventually linking Walkersville, Clemson’s Corner, and central Frederick along a safe, protected pathway to 8th Street. Combined with the East-West spine along Carroll and Rock creeks, which links downtown with the East Side and Golden Mile, this phase of Rails with Trails will mark a major milestone in building out Frederick’s Shared-Use Path Network. The network is not only intended to serve recreational purposes but also encourage biking as a viable means of cross-City transportation.
The City of Frederick recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Maryland Department of Transportation, unlocking $479,000 in grant money from the Transportation Alternatives Program of the State Highway Administration. Together with $95,800 in city funds, the city will be able to design and build Phase 2 of Rails with Trails.
TRee Frederick: Canopy Project
To increase the tree canopy in The City of Frederick Sustainability Department has launched the 2020 Tree Frederick Program. The program offers a 50/50 cost share for trees for City residents. Sales closed in February and delivery dates are expected in April.
The initiative goes towards reaching a goal of 40% tree coverage by 2030. Increasing a City’s tree canopy has been shown to improve air quality, enhance wildlife habitat, reduce storm water runoff, lower crime rates, boost public health & property values, and strengthen communities.
Additional Sustainability Projects Underway & Coming Soon:
Addition of two EV Parking Spots at MARC Station Lot — Planned
Stream restoration with large focus on Carroll Creek at Renn Farm — Design Phase
The above article features a brief highlight of just some of the projects underway across the City.
Interested in learning more? Explore the City of Frederick’s website for comprehensive project information or tune in to Channel 99 to stay up-to-date with the latest projects.