New plans in Wicomico Co. bring potential park off of Connelly Mill Rd. back into conversation

WICOMICO COUNTY, Md. – The vision for a park off of Connelly Mill Road is included in Wicomico County’s 2026-2030 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP).

Park Potential Back in the CIP

Residents of nearby Shadow Hills say they’re excited to see the plans back in place. However, they say they’re not holding their breath until the dream becomes a reality.

“We see the park as a major asset for the Tri-County [area], and the whole Lower Shore, really,” said Shadow Hills resident Holly Campbell.

Wicomico County Executive Julie Giordano says the park was removed from CIPs past because of previous leaders’ decisions. She added that this time could be different, but nothing is set in stone.

“In 2030, it’s $150,000 to potentially do a study for the park to figure out what amenities we could have. It’s just to kind of get an overall feel as to what exactly we’re going to be looking for,” Giordano said.

Vision For Connelly Mill Park

Campbell says she and her neighbors have been waiting for another chance to advocate for their dream. The vision includes biking and hiking trails, as well as water features for the whole county to enjoy. They also hope to see an extension of the Naylor Mill Forest Trail from the Henry S. Parker Atheltic Complex.

“There are extensive trails at Henry Parker, and there is a creek in between. So, putting in a bridge across the creek would allow the trail systems to connect,” Campbell said.

Campbell and her neighbors have big dreams of what it could mean to the local community.

“[Connelly Mill] is right in the heart of the north side, where you have shopping, you have a lot of apartments and children that don’t have places to go. Just the sheer size of the park and the water features are something that you won’t find anywhere else.”

Current Constraints

Giordano shares a similar vision for the park. However, she says that those changes could be years down the line, if at all.

“We are still digging dirt there,” Giordano explained. “We’re saving taxpayers millions of dollars by pulling the dirt from there to use as cover for our landfill.”

A lot of other work would need to be done before the property could be opened to the public, Giordano says. Increased traffic would require potential roads and parking upgrades. Giordano added that the county is considering purchasing property adjacent to the Connelly Mill area to make those improvements.

Maybe the most concerning issue is that the property is plagued with major safety issues as it currently sits, like pits dozens of feet deep. Campbell shares those worries but says there are potential solutions that could open the park while keeping the dirt mining operation open.

“We think that fencing off the digging area would solve a couple of problems. It would allow the trail system to be opened up in the short-term, and it would secure the liability and the safety issues that go on around the pits,” Campbell said. “Putting in that bridge and fencing off the pits, we see as an immediate way to connect [Henry S. Parker with the Connelly Mill property.]”

Balancing Priorities

Part of that advocacy, Campbell says, will be to ask to have the project included in a more concrete document.

“We’ve learned that the key is not to have something on the CIP; the key is to have something in the budget,” Campbell said. “That way, a master plan could take place. Even if it’s a phased master plan, we feel like there’s an opportunity.”

Perhaps the biggest question, however, is where the money to pay for this project will come from. Giordano says that funding could be pulled from other pots by seeking state support, or by using local cannabis revenue, for example.

And, there are other projects to consider, Giordano says. Those include extensive changes at the Salisbury Airport, as well as Mason Dixon Sports Complex.

Possibly even more pressing than those issues, Giordano added, is that funding for major improvements to Fruitland Primary School could be hanging in the balance. More of those details will be revealed at the public hearing, she said.

“Unfortunately, that’s going to spin things in a different direction. So, we’re still going to continue forward with the school, but it’s going to take up a lot more resources than what we originally thought,” Giordano said. “We are focusing on trying to wrap up projects, or things that we’re in the middle of because we want to make sure we get those done.”

“The CIP is just a plan,”

Giordano is reminding Wicomico County residents that any changes at Connelly Mill are likely years away.

“[Connelly Mill is] not even guaranteed in 2030. So, I think people need to understand that the CIP is just a plan. That’s what the ‘P’ stands for—plan. So, we have things in that plan that maybe never will come to fruition,” Giordano said. “I wanted to make sure that the people of Shadow Hills, or the people of Delmar, saw that their voices did not go unrecognized and did not go unheard.”

The public hearing for Wicomico County’s 2026-2030 CIP will take place on Wednesday, November 13th at 6:00 p.m. at the Wicomico Youth and Civic Center.