Kent County approves submission of MDOT grant for an ADA‑compliant trail at Turner's Creek Park

Kent County commissioners voted to allow staff to submit a Maryland Department of Transportation Recreational Trails Program grant application to build an ADA‑compliant nature trail at Turner's Creek Park.

Joanne McNamara, the county’s director of grants and contracts, told the board the project would convert an existing natural path into an ADA‑compliant paved trail so residents with mobility aids could access nature trails. She said higher fuel and paving costs mean the county will seek a larger grant request this year but intends to keep the county match at or below $25,000 by using volunteer prep days and braiding other funding sources.

“We anticipate asking for more funds this year than we have before,” McNamara said, adding officials plan to structure the 20% match to include in‑kind county resources and volunteers so the expected county match would remain at about $25,000 or below.

A commissioner moved to approve submittal of the grant application; the motion received a second and passed by voice vote.

The approval authorizes staff to complete the application and pursue matching funds from program open space or other sources if the grant is awarded. The meeting record did not include a final project cost estimate, the exact grant amount requested, or an MDOT application ID.