Local recreation groups voice concerns over proposed park in Wicomico County

WICOMICO COUNTY, Md.- “We just wanted to be heard. That’s all,” Carroll said.

Hebron could soon be home to a new park on the grounds of the West Metro Core property.  Wicomico County Parks & Recreation recently held a public hearing on the proposed project back in April.

Local recreation organizations say the project looks over a huge community need. “When you see it, it’s obvious it was built for baseball and soccer was an afterthought. In reality it should’ve been the other way around,” Carroll said.

“It was a concern for us because we actually host soccer programs that play in Wicomico County recreation leagues.”

Sharptown Parks & Recreation Commission Chair Mark Carrol says there once was four designated soccer fields in Wicomico County at the Henry Parker Complex. They were removed back in 2017, leaving those who want to play without many options.

“They’re now playing in the outfields of baseball and softball fields which can only get you so far because at a certain point kids need to play on a field that’s a certain size unless you’re really altering the rules,” Carroll said.

Carrol adds that Sharptown has one of the most successful soccer programs in the entire county averaging over 100 players a season. “If there is a concern from the county that there is not enough interest in soccer to construct such a facility, I’d say those numbers would contradict that,” Carroll said.

We reached out to Wicomico Parks and Recs who issued the following statement that reads: “We are in the initial planning stages of a proposed park on Levin Dashiell Road. Part of that process is gathering public feedback and that process is ongoing. No final decisions have been made to this point.”

Sharptown Parks & Recreation Commission says another concern is that an advisory committee was made to consult on the first draft of the design. They say that didn’t include any surrounding recreation groups but did include a private baseball organization.

Now it’s important to note that the project in the preliminary stages. Wicomico Parks and Recreation tells us public input will be considered before any decisions are made.