Proposed project increases green infrastructure in Cambridge, creates sense of community

CAMBRIDGE, Md. – “This is a project for the community, and this is about building community,” Cephas said.

Vacant space in Cambridge will soon bring the community new life, as the town was recently announced one of the Chesapeake Bay Program’s ‘Targeted Outreach for Green Infrastructure Pilot Program’ recipients.

“Cambridge having a large, underrepresented community and also being so close to the water and very prone to flooding events made it a perfect candidate for this program,” Chesapeake Bay Program’s Chris Guy said.

The program looks to improve a region’s quality of life, increasing the presence of green infrastructure. Green infrastructure uses natural features such as rain gardens, wetlands, and other techniques to mitigate flooding and water pollution.

Green infrastructure installations have also been proven to improve overall public health and create wildlife habitat. The town’s proposed project is a community park off of Leonards Lane.

Cambridge Commission President Lajan Cephas says the repurpose will help with efforts to increase storm water management. “In that area there’s a lot of poling from storm water. So it kind of put the land in state where it’s like what do we do with this,” Cephas said.

Cephas tells us there’s also growing concerns for traffic and pedestrian safety in the area. “Another great component that this park is going to implement in that area is a walking trail so we can get the pedestrians out of the street and actually have them on city property and walking on a natural walking trail,” Cephas said.

The project has an estimated cost of nearly $1.6 million dollars. Yet, those we spoke with say it’ll be money well spent to not only tackles those challenges but create a sense of community. “And there’s a lot of kids in the area. A lot of times I hear people in the neighborhood saying we need something for the kids to do,” Cephas said.

In an effort to increase community engagement, there’s also plans for a garden, basketball court, and a skate park in the space.

The project is still in the engineering and design phase.

We’re told the goal now is to secure funding, which the project has already received support for state legislators and the National Parks Service.

To find out more details about the project, click here