Plans for renovation of Warner Manor received a timely boost from the State Legislature this month as lawmakers approved a $275,000 grant to the County Parks and Planning Commission for the project.
The grant, which will require matching funds from the commission, was part of a 2010 omnibus bond bill sent to the governor as the Legislature adjourned for the year. The funds are designated for “the design, construction, repair, renovation, and reconstruction” of the historic Kensington landmark, the former summer home of Kensington founder Brainard Warner.
State Senator Richard Madaleno of Kensington led the successful effort to fund the grant. District 18 Delegates Ana Sol Gutierrez, Al Carr, and Jeff Waldstreicher led the effort in the lower House.
The funds will supplement a $250,000 state grant provided for Warner Manor by the Legislature last year. That money, combined with matching funds from the commission, allowed initial design work to begin on restoration of the circa 1894 mansion and carriage house.
A concept plan approved by the Parks Commission calls for restoring the two buildings and using them as office and storage space for county parks department staff, with public access to the manor after renovation. The surrounding 4.5-acre Legacy Open Space Park will remain open to public use.