Charles County is working through conditions of approval for the new La Plata library, with no timeline when construction will start or an approximate opening date, according to officials.
The library will be relocated in town to 208 Washington Street with entrances and exits at Talbot Street and North Maple Avenue, according to a town of La Plata planning commission resolution.
Despite the unclear timeline, the new library is a “priority” for the town of La Plata and county government, officials from both local governments told Southern Maryland News.
“We want to deliver this community asset to our residents as quickly as possible,” Chuck Stevens, town manager, said. “But at the end of the day, this is a very large-scale major site development project.”
The project was approved by the town of La Plata planning commission in February with conditions of approval, Stevens said. The county is working to meet almost 40 conditions of approval, including traffic and stormwater mitigation.
“It happens with projects of this size and scale across the nation,” he said. “It’s not unusual.”
The county does not have a timeline for getting through permitting and when construction will start, Deborah Hall, acting county administrator, said.
However, Stevens said grading permits could be issued soon.
“I’m not a betting man, but if I were a betting man, I would say grading would definitely occur in summer, early fall 2026,” he said.
The Maryland State Library Agency granted the county $1 million for construction of the library last month, Jacob Dyer, director of fiscal and administrative services, said. In total, the planned budget is more than $23 million. The rest of the funding will come from the county.
About $16.5 million has already been appropriated, and there will be $7.3 million allocated over the next several years, Dyer said. Most of the money is going in fiscal years 2028 and 2029.
The current library is not ADA compliant, and the county has out-grown the space, KennthWayne Thompson, executive director of Charles County Public Library, said.
“A brand new La Plata library will better serve our community,” he said.
There will be more technology housed at the new library and it will be more spacious with programs for children and senior citizens, town of La Plata Mayor Jeannine E. James said. The library will be a gathering place in the community.
“It is going to be state of the art,” she said. “It will hit all walks of life and all generations.”
