SALISBURY – A waterfront park in Wicomico will expand with the acquisition of neighboring property.
On Tuesday, the Wicomico County Council voted 6-0, with Councilman Bill McCain abstaining, to acquire three parcels along Cove Road for the purposes of demolishing existing buildings and converting the land back into public open space. Marilyn Williams, the county’s land development coordinator, noted the purchase would allow Wicomico to expand Cove Road Beach, a shoreline park along the Nanticoke River.
“FEMA wants us, and really any municipality that participates in the National Flood Insurance Program, to go after properties like this …,” she said. “It really started out as doing something to remove these structures from the flood insurance program and stop all the repetitive damage to the properties. It never really started out as an acquisition of the Cove Road property.”
Officials noted the three parcels, totaling 29 acres, contained two homes. Williams said the prior owner had initially worked with the county to secure Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants for the purpose of raising his home.
“His house would flood, and it was becoming more frequently flooded with all of the higher-than-normal tides,” she explained.
While the owner passed away in 2018, Williams said the county has since received a $188,819 grant from FEMA and a $67,750 grant from Program Open Space to acquire the parcels, remove the existing buildings and convert the property into public open space.
“This is a frequent flooding property and frequently has insurance claims against it,” she said.
In a public hearing this week, nearby residents came before the county council to support the proposed acquisition. Cove Road resident John Laferty noted that the expansion of Cove Road Beach was needed.
“I think the county would be foolish not to purchase those houses,…
