Open Work Session: Program Open Space Conversion
Open Work Session: Program Open Space Conversion
Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at 10:00am
Huge Victory for Connelly Mill Park!
To the dedicated advocates who have worked so hard to Save Connelly Mill Park... we have great reason to celebrate!
On Tuesday, May 19, following the recommendation of Recreation Parks and Tourism Director Steve Miller, the County Council reached a consensus to move forward with a Program Open Space land conversion that could permanently protect all but 55 acres of the 234-acre Connelly Mill Park!
None of this would have been possible without the amazing community that came together to protect this precious place. Our progress is the result of collective action, including:
- Gathered over 1,300 petition signatures
- Ran effective letter campaigns and email communications with elected officials
- Organized successful tabling events and hosted two pivotal town halls
- Countless advocates showed up for County Council meetings, Open Work Sessions, Capital Improvement Program hearings, and participated in many other public forums
Through these actions, we achieved incredible milestones:
- Procured backing from the Mayor of Salisbury, the County Council, the City Council, the NRCAC, Wicomico Environmental Trust, Friends of the Nanticoke, Sierra Club, and other community leaders to protest the Safari at the Quarry and ensure no further destructive events were held
- Restored Connelly Mill Park to the Capital Improvement Plan AND the Tri-County Council Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy
- Secretary Josh Kurtz of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources toured Connelly Mill and discussed possible opportunities for Partnership Parks on the property
- Demonstrated the downfalls of the dredge spoil storage plan and offered viable, constructive alternatives resulting in the County Council affirming that Connelly Mill Park could not be used in such a manner
- Showed overwhelming support for the park through the County’s official Land Preservation Parks and Recreation Plan (LPPRP) five-year survey
But our work isn't over yet. Here are our next challenges and steps:
- We must ensure the 55-acre mining area excluded from this land conversion has a reclamation plan and is included in the final park plans.
- We need to make sure the land conversion is officially approved and finalized by the County Council.
We are entering a very exciting new phase! Upon State and County approval of the land conversion, a Park Master Plan Process will open to all county residents. We MUST stay engaged and attend every phase of its development to shape this precious public asset!
We were all a part of something generational, transformative, and amazing through this fight. Through our collective efforts, we worked to secure a lasting legacy for our children and grandchildren. These efforts will ripple out across generations to bring better physical, mental, and social health while protecting our natural resources and becoming an exceptional economic driver for our entire region!
We did this together. Let's bring this dedication, passion, and joy into the next phase of our journey as we work to shape the direction of what will surely become one of Wicomico County's most cherished public spaces!
Thank you all for everything you have done to bring us to this moment!
After months of waiting, the Program Open Space Land Conversion is finally being brought forward to the County Council!
On Tuesday, May 19, 2026, the Council will hold an Open Work Session regarding the conversion from the West Metro Core property to the Connelly Mill Property. Steve Miller, the Director of Recreation, Parks & Tourism, will be presenting this item.
The opportunity at Connelly Mill is a tremendous opportunity for a lot of reasons. It's a very unique one that I think would benefit both our residents and visitors to our county.
Connelly Mill is a unique property. We don't have a lot of properties like it that have elevations like it, that have features like it. And we have an opportunity to provide some amenities that we don't currently have...
Tuesday, May 19, 2026Where it sits, you have the opportunity to connect both to our Henry Parker Athletic Complex, which is a jewel in our park system, and also the City of Salisbury's Naylor Mill Forest, which they have a bunch of trails. And you have the opportunity to connect all three together and really make that a unique and very special opportunity.
Steve Miller, Director of Recreation, Parks, and Tourism
Why This Matters
Following much of our advocacy efforts, the community consensus is clear: residents prefer moving the Program Open Space designation from West Metro Core to Connelly Mill as originally proposed in 2021.
Moving this designation just makes sense. Connelly Mill Park is proposed to be left in a mostly natural state, requiring very little money to bring to fruition—whereas West Metro Core was slated to be costly sports fields that would require millions of dollars to establish. This remains a solid, fiscally responsible way to protect our watershed and move Wicomico forward today!
We encourage everyone to attend the meeting. We are keeping our fingers crossed for a favorable outcome at this Work Session. If all goes well, the next likely step will be scheduling a formal public hearing!