'A long time coming': Woodsboro on its way to getting first town hall
Jun. 10—Since 2018, the town of Woodsboro has been run out of a 12-by-24-foot trailer.
The small, narrow building is tucked deep inside an industrial park off Woodsboro Road, across the street from the town park. It neighbors the sewage and water plant that serves the municipality's roughly 1,350 residents.
Woodsboro Burgess Heath Barnes stood on the concrete lot in front of the trailer late Thursday morning. He gestured at the sign labeling it as the town's office.
"This is the Taj Mahal of Woodsboro," he said with a grin.
It's looking like that will change. Plans are in the works to bring a town hall to Woodsboro — a first for the municipality, which was incorporated in 1929.
The town last week closed on the purchase of 605 S. Main St., a three-quarter-acre property that has a small building that locals refer to as "The Hut."
Most recently, The Hut housed J R Sports Bar and Restaurant. That business closed earlier this year, said Barnes, a Republican candidate for state delegate in Maryland's 4th district.
Tearing down the little building, which has been in Woodsboro "forever and ever and ever," will be bittersweet, the burgess said.
"But it's progress," he said. "We need the building. We need the space."
In late 2018, Barnes's predecessor and the Board of Commissioners decided to buy a narrow plot of land a few doors down from the one the town recently purchased.
With a width of only 64 feet, the size of that property was not ideal for a town hall, Barnes said. It also presented permitting challenges.
The town will first offer to sell the lot back to its previous owner, before opening the sale to the public, he said.
Last month, Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, signed off on a $400,000 grant to help with the Woodsboro town hall project. State Sen. Michael Hough, a Republican, secured $200,000 through the Senate. Del. Jesse Pippy, a Republican, secured $200,000 through the House of Delegates.
There is no estimate yet on how much the town hall project will cost, Barnes said.
Having this money freed up the town to take out a loan and purchase a lot bigger than the first one it bought, he said.
The town paid about $270,000 for the property at 605 S. Main St. that will be used for the town hall.
Next steps for the town include requesting bids to demolish The Hut and revisiting design plans for the town hall, Barnes said.
The town is planning for the building to include three offices up front and a meeting room in back that can seat about 40 people. That's where Woodsboro will host its Board of Commissioner meetings.
The town will also offer the space to community organizations, such as the Lions Club, Barnes said.
The burgess is excited for what the town hall will mean for Woodsboro's already tight-knit community. The property where the building will be constructed is near the center of town, across the street from the post office.
Community members will be able to stop by to pay water bills, pick up permits and get information about town events.
"I think it'll just make us feel like more of a town," Barnes said of the town hall.
Until four years ago, the Board of Commissioners and burgess rented part of the Woodsboro Volunteer Fire Company's fire hall to hold meetings. When the department sold the fire hall, the town was left in limbo, Barnes said.
Now, the commissioners and burgess hold monthly meetings in the cafeteria of St. John's United Church of God on North 2nd Street.
The church has been good to the town, Barnes said. It didn't even want to charge the commissioners to use the space.
But having a town hall would be great for Woodsboro, Commissioner Dana Crum said.
It would let the Board of Commissioners and burgess hold impromptu meetings, if needed. It would be a place for signs with reminders about upcoming events and where residents could stop by to pick up town bulletins and get information.
"A town needs that," Crum said. "I'm really excited about it. It's been a long time coming, and I can't wait."
Follow Angela Roberts on Twitter: @24_angier
