(3/5) The Emmitsburg Town Council approved, at their March 2 meeting, a contract with Knepp/Canvas Sky, LC, to paint the exterior of the pool-house with a marine-themed mural.

The overall mural will feature several forms of sea-life, including whales, porpoises, sharks, fish and sea turtles.

Prior to the approval, Town Planner Zach Gulden said, "I've been working with the Frederick County Arts Council for many months now," resulting in the town having a potential to" put a new mural on all four sides of the pool house."

"If approved tonight," he said, "this will be done in time for our grand re-opening with the interior renovations and exterior renovations."

Gulden said the Frederick Arts Council submitted a request for qualifications for artists, and that "many qualifications" were received. "We all (Frederick Arts Council, the mayor, Town Manager Cathy Willets and Gulden) went over it and picked three different proposals, and then we asked those three to submit actual designs."

Following the receipt of those proposals, the town planner said the Frederick Arts Council (the mayor, Town Manager Cathy Willets) and he, as well as town staff, then selected the final design, the town planner noted.

Gulden stated, "I also took this to the sustainable local board (Sustainable Community Board of the Town of Emmitsburg) and it was approved by a five-to-zero vote. They absolutely loved the design and they think it's going to fit well in our community."

Regarding the longevity of the paint," he stated, "Since we partnered with the arts council, they have an agreement with the artists for so many years. It is painted with a special paint on the exterior, which the arts council actually comes out and takes test samples, so they ensure it is high quality, so that if somebody would come around and spray paint something, it would fall (come) right off."

He additionally said, the public works director is going to be adding some parking stops out-front to ensure no one would run-into and scrape the paint.

The mural and associated expenses have been estimated to cost $7,200 ($600 material costs by artists, $200 attributed to miscellaneous, and $500 in travel expenses), according to Knepp/Canvas Sky.

Gulden said, "This (mural) will be paid for 100-percent by community legacy funds so no tax dollars will be used on this project. "It is a significant project," he stated. "It's valued at $35 thousand to $40 thousand."

According to the approved proposal submitted by Knepp/Canvas Sky, "Approximate time for artists to perform mural is up to 40 days with weather permitting. Temperature must be about 50-degrees Fahrenheit... Artist work will begin approximately in the month of April... and be completed by mid-May."