The Town of St. Michaels was awarded a $35,000 DNR Grant for a Feasibility and Design Study to construct a 1.25-mile extension of the St. Michaels Nature Trail/Multi-Use Bikeway. The vision for this project was initiated by the St. Michaels Rotary Club, who helped build the original Nature Trail, which was completed in 2010.

Project partners include the Commissioners of St. Michaels, the St. Michaels Planning Commission, Rauch Inc., Environmental Concern, and the Rotary Club of St. Michaels. The proposed multipurpose ADA compliant bikeway/pedestrian trail will connect the southeast side of Town (near the high school) to the northwest side of Town, terminating at Perry Cabin Park. The trail will provide a safer route for pedestrians and cyclists to bypass the downtown area, thereby avoiding the busy traffic on the main thoroughfare. It will also provide a safe alternative means to get to/from school events and the ballpark.

As illustrated on the attached map, the trail extension will connect with Bradley Park on Railroad Avenue and continue northward to Perry Cabin Park. Disruptions to private property are anticipated to be minimal as the trail will be located on State Highway Administration easements.  Preliminary investigations including soil studies, wetland studies, and engineering studies will guide the design and engineering. 

Once the Feasibility and Design Study are completed the Town and partnering agencies will seek funding from various grants to construct the trail extension. We look forward to highlighting the Town’s natural beauty and serenity through this Nature Trail extension. As this project moves forward, please continue to visit this site on the Town’s website for project updates. Please click on the attached link for additional information regarding this Program. 

Kim Lamphier Bikeways Network Program    

Meetings and Updates:

July 8, 2023: Public Input Meeting 

The Town of St. Michaels and our consultants, RAUCH Engineering, held a public input meeting at
Bradley Park pavilion in St. Michaels on Saturday July 8^th, 2023, to provide the opportunity for the community to review a draft alignment drawing of the proposed trail extension plan and various design issues and options.

The project will extend the existing 1.3-mile nature trail by another 1.25 miles for a total of 2.55 miles. The plan is to extend it northward from Bradley Park in St. Michaels and terminate at Perry Cabin Park ballfields on the north end of town.  A feasibility alignment study and preliminary engineering work is currently underway. Additional final design and construction funding is yet to be determined.

We appreciate everyone who attended and/or provided feedback regarding the proposed design options. The consensus of the group was to include all three trail options at the top of the map. We will proceed accordingly. 

July 19, 2023: Public Update

The Nature Trail extension project is a multi-year project. At this time, we are working on preliminary feasibility drawings. We just submitted a grant application from the State to complete construction drawings which will take another year. After that, we will search for various funding sources for the actual construction. We estimate it will be 2 ½ to 3 years before it is actually completely built.  

September 14, 2023: Public Update

On September 14^th the Maryland Department of Transportation awarded the Town of St. Michaels $48,360.80 to complete final construction drawings for the 1.25 mile nature trail extension project. The trail will extend from Bradley Park to Perry Cabin Ballfield Park and include a shorter loop there, as well as an extension to the north that could be continued in the future as a county project (refer to the diagram at the top of this page). The work on the final construction drawings should begin in the New Year 2024. By next summer, we hope to begin fund raising for construction of the trail, which is estimated to require about 1 million dollars.

The Town of St. Michaels experienced a fire at the Marengo Street water pump station on December 3, 2023, deeming it currently inoperable. In order to keep our citizens abreast of the situation throughout this process, the Town will be issuing updates regarding the status of this facility and water capacities. Please click on the link below for updates and associated progress moving forward. 

March 20, 2024 Public Notification
February 12, 2024 Public Notification
December 14, 2023 Public Notification

The Town of St. Michaels extends our gratitude to our water customers for their patience during this repair process.

If you have further questions/concerns please do not hesitate to contact Rob Straebel, Town Administrator, at  410-745-9535. 

San Domingo Creek Park Master Plan

Click here to view the Master Plan 

Background Information

The Town of St. Michaels is excited to announce a final master park plan has been approved for the previously known Environmental Concern property located on Boundary Lane, adjacent to the nature trail.  The 7.6 acre parcel was purchased by the Town in late September.  Town officials, working with planning consultants Mahan Rykiel Associates, and with input from the community, worked diligently over a 6 month period to devise the final San Domingo Creek Park Master Plan by late January 2024.

The Town has applied for a Program Open Space Grant and is currently awaiting updates. 

Please visit this site regularly for additional updates related to this project. 

The Town of St. Michaels is pleased to announce our Sustainable Communities designation has been renewed for the next five years through November 20, 2028.

See attachments for more information: 
Sustainable Communities – Partnering to Revitalize Maryland Communities
St. Michaels Sustainable Communities Designation Renewal Letter

Sustainable Communities is a State of Maryland program that is run through the State’s Department of Housing and Community Development. Local governments that choose to participate can qualify for various grant funds for community development. A work group was recently approved by the Town Commissioners to evaluate the past activities and set a framework for the future for this program.

We have begun working on our program update and will be meeting for the remainder of this year to establish a set of goals for various community improvement related issues which include the environment, economy, transportation, housing, quality of life, local planning and land use. A unified report will be produced by the end of the year. There will be a public hearing on the results. The Town Commissioners will then consider changes based on your review and input and decide what to transmit as the final product.

Our first efforts focused on the environment. Some environmental attributes of the town that were identified includes access to water and the Chesapeake Bay, the work of the Climate Change & Sea Level Rise Commission related to mitigating flooding, the walkable community design of St. Michaels and access to nature and green space.

Some areas to work on included public facility improvements to the town’s water supply system to accommodate peak season demand and additional water access for the public. Also, completing the next 1.25-mile extension to the St. Michaels nature trail is a goal for the near future.

Some agency partners to carry out the goals include work with county, state and federal governments to secure funding sources. We will also reach out to consultants and non-profits like the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy and work with companies for activities such as installing new smart water meters to more accurately measure water usage.

Meeting Overview:
April 2023: Environment
May 2023: Economy
June 2023: Transportation 
July 2023: Housing
August 2023: Community Health and Quality of Life
September 2023: Local Planning and Staffing Capacity 

As the 2023 Sustainable Communities meetings come to a close, we want to extend our appreciation for the time and instrumental work the members dedicated to ensuring St. Michaels is a prosperous and thriving community for future generations. Steve Ball, Town Planner, is compiling a report generated from the data received to present to the Commissioners.

Click below to view the Presentation at the Commissioners of St. Michaels Meeting on October 25, 2023.
October 2023: Sustainable Communities Program Application for Designation Renewal

The Town of St. Michaels is making substantial investments into an aging water infrastructure that includes repairs and maintenance to the South Water Tower, changes to filter media in the Water Treatment Plant, and planning efforts to replace old commercial and residential water meters using Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) technology in early 2023.

At this time, the maintenance to the South Water Tower and the changes to the filter media in the Water Treatment Plant have been completed. In the future, the North Water Tower will undergo routine maintenance work to prolong the useful life of this tower as well as to ensure a safe and reliable drinking supply.

Currently, the water meter replacement project is underway, starting on May 8, 2023. The Town is utilizing approximately $675,000 in American Rescue Plan grant funding to replace residential and commercial water meters with AMI technology. “Smart meters” use wireless communication technology to read meters remotely without having to physically access the meters. The meter transceivers are used to transmit usage data and alert Town Staff to any water breaks through real-time data. The advanced meters are quickly becoming the standard for water utilities and will improve the overall efficiency of the water distribution system.

St. Michaels Water Meter Replacement Map & Notification

Depending on the condition of the existing water meter, the contractor may also replace the water meter box (barrel), lid and meter connection fittings. If the meter box needs to be replaced, the contractor will dig up and remove the old meter box. The contractor will restore the area when completed.

Following installation of the new meter, the contractor will instruct the customer on how to flush the water system.

For questions on information regarding the Water Meter Replacement Project, please contact:

Core & Main
Amanda Wetzel
845-453-2618

For questions or information regarding water meter billing, please contact:

Town of St. Michaels
Vickie Sharp, Water Department
410-745-9535

For questions or information for the contractor, please contact:

VEPO Solutions
VEPO Office Contact
877-860-8376

Section I (blue lines) of the meter installation will begin on the east side of Talbot Street between Perry Cabin Drive and Seymour Avenue, working from north to south. Section II (orange lines) includes areas west of Talbot Street, from Lee Street to Marea Terrace, working from north to south. Section III (green lines) includes areas outside of the Town from Seymour Avenue to Miles Lane including the Rio Vista area. Please see attached map above. We anticipate the project will be completed in mid to late summer.

5-24-2023 Please view map below for completed areas highlighted in red.