The County Council unanimously approved $750,000 in improvements to Woodstock Equestrian Park in Beallsville on Tuesday.
The special appropriation will fully fund the design of the second phase of development at the 872-acre park, according to Mike Riley, deputy director of the county parks department. The appropriation will also pay for some of the improvements, including, at a minimum, an outdoor riding ring, grading for two smaller rings, a well, an expanded parking area and the renovation of an existing structure that will store equipment, Riley said at a County Council public hearing on March 3.
The rest of the second phase will eventually include a beginner's cross country course and the renovation of other historic buildings in the park.
Four people, including Riley, testified in favor of the appropriation. Jenny Searles, 10, of Gaithersburg, a member of the Montgomery County Horse N Around 4-H Club, said she and her friends often ride at the park.
"One of the parents in my club told me that when she was my age, she was safe crossing roads and riding along them to get to trails," Searles said. "But now, with traffic and population, she would never allow her daughter to explore like she used to. At Woodstock she can allow her daughter to explore the woods freely with her friends."
The appropriation is comprised of $500,000 in state bonds and aid and a $250,000 donation from the William Rickman family, one of two property owners who donated and sold the parkland for Woodstock to the county.
