Town Hall With County Executive Johnny Olszewski To Be Held February 13th, 6:30pm at Timonium Fairgrounds

Dear Constituents,

I am looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible for the Third District Town Hall Meeting with the County Executive this Wednesday, February 13th at 6:30pm in the Fasig-Tipton auditorium at the Timonium Fairgrounds.

In preparation for this meeting, I previously sent you a draft document that would be sent to the new County Executive outlining what I felt were the most important needs for our district in the coming term, and asked You, residents of District 3 to add to this list. We received hundreds of responses and have added them to the draft.

The product of your input is below. It is lengthy, but thorough, and has been submitted to County Executive Olszewski for his administration’s review and action. Paper copies will be distributed to residents attending the town hall meeting. Obviously, we have tried to include as many of your ideas as possible. However, if you find that there is something missing that needs to be reported, it makes it all the more important that you have your voice heard at the upcoming town hall.

I will see you there.

-Wade


TO:  County Executive John Olszewski, Jr

FROM: Citizens of the Third Council District

Councilman Wade Kach

DATE: February 13, 2019

TITLE: Needs and Issues for District Three 

 

Hampton/Lutherville/Timonium

New Dulaney/Towson High Schools

Background: Dulaney and Towson High Schools are Blue Ribbon schools.  Renovations would result in facilities which would be obsolete not long after improvements would be complete.  These two schools need and deserve state of the art contemporary learning facilities.  The funding of schools is a County/State function.

The County Executive has asked County Delegation to the Maryland General Assembly to make an increase in the State School Capital contribution to the County a top priority. Currently and in the recent past, the State contributed $45 million a year for that purpose.

During the same time, the County has forward funded over tens of millions of dollars above the state contribution for school construction and renovation. The County Executive has proposed that the State contribute $100 million per year over the next five years in order to reimburse the forward funded money and continue the County’s extensive school replacement/renovation program. In order for us to achieve the goal of replacing desperately needed high schools the top priority goal of the County Delegation must be to secure the $100 million per year.

In the current Capital Budget there are funds that can be used for school planning. I am hopeful that the School Board will direct a portion of this appropriation for Dulaney, Towson and Landsdowne schools.

The County cannot afford to forward fund any more money for the building of new high schools. In fact, for the FY 2020 budget, projected expenditures exceed revenues by $81 million. This deficit is without any increase in salary for County employees or funds for any replacement high schools.

If the State agrees with the County Executive’s proposal there will be funding to complete the five replacement high schools from FY 2022 to FY 2025. However, if state reimbursement funding remains at the current level, the time period will be extended to FY 2026 to FY 2031.

As your County representative, I am more than ready and willing to help in this effort on the State level. Of course, I will continue be an advocate with the County government and the School Board.

The members of the Maryland General Assembly whose constituents are in the areas served by these two schools are:

Dulaney HS – 11th District: Delegates, Shelly Hettleman, John Cardin, Dana Stein; State Senator, Bobby Zirkin

42nd District: Delegates – Nino Mangione & Michele Guyton;

State Senator – Chris West

7th  District:Delegates – Rick Impallaria, Lauren Arikan, Kathy Szeliga

State Senator – J B Jennings

Towson HS  –  42nd District: Delegates – Nino Mangione, Michele Guyton and Steve   Lafferty

State Senator – Chris West

Springlake/Coachford

Girdwood Road Traffic Calming

Background: In July 2016. a grandmother and her granddaughter were killed by a driver while walking along the Girdwood Road sidewalk. It’s the worst, but not the last accident, on this stretch of road. Cars continue to ride onto people’s lawns, jump the curb and strike the tree. Residents and children from nearby high and elementary schools are at risk. Residents in this area have suffered 30 years of traffic accidents. The community appreciates the recent County efforts to date.  However, Baltimore County police data indicated that from August 2-10, 2018 there were 26,334 southbound vehicles on Girdwood Rd and this was prior this school year when traffic increases. Further action is necessary to increase pedestrian safety and reduce traffic volume.

Requests:

A.  Girdwood Rd needs stop signs similar to those already provided to two other communities, the Old Lutherville community and on Tally Ho Rd. in The Fields of Seminary community.

B.  We need an open minded traffic engineer assigned to Springlake/Coachford to work with the community on an overall traffic management and safety plan as was done in Old Lutherville.

C.  Ongoing maintenance of installed traffic calming areas is needed.  White lines along installed safety crosswalks and brickwork on traffic calming islands on Girdwood Rd. are all deteriorating already.

D.  Signage restricting the weight of vehicles/trucks using the streets in the community.

Springlake/Coachford

East Padonia Road  (between Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens and Cranbrook Road) need the following:

Requests:

1. Traffic calming measures  – See attached rendering – this includes a narrowing on the hill  between Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens Pet cemetery and 224 E Padonia Road with a crosswalk. See attachment #1

2. Painted parking lines along that section of E. Padonia Road between 224 E Padonia and 300 E Padonia Road

3. Painted bike lanes.

4.  Resident Permit parking from 6:00 am to 4:00 PM Monday – Friday between the address of 224 E Padonia and 300 E Padonia Road. In order to establish permit parking in this area, the interested parties must provide the Department of Public Works (DPW) the addresses, and then, DPW will create the petition.  Once the petietion is signed by the required number of property owners then a study will ensue.

Springlake Pond/Park

-Background: The pond was once a signature-gathering center for the community where State and County fishing contests were held.  It is now overgrown with invasive plants, snakes, and duckweed that overcome the increasingly shallow water.  The former County Environmental Director was not invested in restoring the health of the pond, and wished to convert it to an official “wetlands”, in essence reducing it to a swamp.

Requests:

A.  A professional is needed to clear the drain for the pond both beneath the surface of the water and in the tunnel through which it drains.

B. The community is requesting an underwater bubbler system similar to that placed in many other county ponds.

C.  Treatment is needed to remove the duckweed from the pond.

D.  A fully functioning fountain needs to be provided by the pond drain.  It needs efficient maintenance and to be activated/deactivated on a regular schedule.

E.  The assignment of officials from the County Departments of Park & Recreation and Environment to work with Community on a long-term plan for the restoration and conservation of the pond and park areas.

Old Lutherville (Norman Avenue through Melanchthon Avenue), expedited installation and expansion of storm water system.

Support of the Small Watershed Action Plans (SWAP) which address our Lutherville needs, especially along Roland Run.

Charmuth Road Speed Cameras

Relocate the speed camera to bump out at Conamara Court and Charmuth Road. Its current location is at top of the hill and because of this, it is ineffective and in controlling traffic speed. The County refuses to move it.

Pine Valley/Valleywood

The community requests the repaving of the streets in Pine Valley/Valleywood community.   It has been many years since they were repaved and many of our streets are in dire need of repaving.

Mays Chapel

County water treatment facility eyesore needs greenery behind Gurteen Court

Lutherville/Timonium Police Presence

Background:  The area has suffered a rash of car and home break-ins. Drivers regularly speed past both the elementary and high school, and the swimming pool park area, endangering children.

Requests:

A. The community requests regular police cruiser drive through and radar traps.

B. The community requests police cruisers at rotating key intersections during school arrival and dismissal hours.

C.  The community requests speed cameras by schools, the pond/pool, and Girdwood, Chantry, and Hartfell Roads on a regular, rotating basis. (State law only permits speed cameras on roads adjacent to school property, therefore Hartfell and Chantrey Roads do not qualify)

Residential Development Moratorium for Lutherville/ Timonium/Cockeysville

Background: Fill development persists in the Lutherville/ Timonium/Cockeysville corridor. Overall infrastructure is already severely taxed. Roads, schools, library/recreation facilities, emergency services, waste management facilities are examples of quality of life areas which are increasingly overburdened/diminished.

Request: A moratorium on future residential development between Rt. 83 and Dulaney Valley Rd. See attachment #2. (County Law regarding restricting development)

W Padonia Road, Mays Chapel Road and Greenpoint Road traffic calming and increased speed enforcement needed.

E. Seminary Avenue  Traffic Calming between Milldam and Aintree Roads

Traffic Calming Along Chatterton Rd

Timonium Heights (adjacent to the Alms House behind the Library) needs water and sewer services. To bring public water and sewer to the area, the residents need to contact Metro Services.  Fifty-one percent of the neighbors must express an interest in hooking up. It takes about 3-5 years for installation, the cost is split among the neighbors who wish to hook-up and is included in their tax bill over a 40 year period. The cost will be transferred to anyone buying the home.

Seminary Avenue, creation of a Commercial Revitalization District south (areas surrounding Heaver Plaza).

Replace Water Main on Seminary Avenue west of York Road.

Phoenix/Jacksonville

Manor Road (from Donerin Way to Green Glade Road) traffic control/safety

More signage necessary to make the public aware of blind curves

The community proposes reflectors on the center lane, rumble strips on the sharp curve on Manor Rd. just north of Green Glade Rd, warning of the possibility of vehicles turning left onto Green Glade.

Jacksonville VFC assistance from the County for renovations

Jacksonville Senior /Recreation Center the facility needs to be enlarged

Additional 90 foot baseball fields are needed

Cockeysville/Hunt Valley/Sparks

County Home Park, The County intends to convert the water retention ponds to wetlands, but this decision must be re-evaluated with community input to make sure that this decision is both environmentally sound and acceptable to the community.

Traffic Calming  along Old Bosley btw Bosley and Pot Spring

Padonia and Deereco Rd Intersection – significant traffic backups

Crosswalk York and Warren Roads

Old Cockeysville Streetscape (State of Maryland responsibility, but please advocate as CE for funding in next year’s State Budget)

The State Senator and Delegates who represent this area are:

42nd District: Delegates – Nino Mangione& Michele Guyton; State Senator – Chris West

York Road between McCormick Road and Loveton needs to be relocated or replaced as the only major route to Sparks. Growth in the Loveton Business center has been stymied due to this section of York Road which is windy and dangerous. This area is a bottleneck which goes from four lanes to two lanes north of the Hunt Valley Town Center and then back again to four lanes at Phoenix Road (State of MD responsibility, please advocate for the appropriation of planning funds to address this issue).

The State Senator and Delegates who represent this area are:

42nd District: Delegates – Nino Mangione and Michele Guyton; State Senator – Chris West

York Road from Hillside Road to Beaver Dam Road, establishment of a Commercial Revitalization District.

Bike Lane expansion between I-83 and Glyndon

Speed camera on Greenside Drive near the library and Padonia Elementary.  My office has contacted Cpt. John Young regarding a traffic study on Greenside at Padonia Elementary
Carney/Parkville/Glen Arm

Loch Raven High School, currently there are various options discussed by Baltimore County Public School board as to whether an addition or a new school needs to be built.

The members of the Maryland General Assembly whose constituents are in the areas served by this school are:

42nd District: Delegates – Nino Mangione, Michele Guyton and Steve Lafferty;

State Senator – Chris West

8th District: Delegates – Eric Bromwell, Joseph Boteler, Harry Bhandari

State Senator – Kathy Klausmeier

Carney Park & Ride, advocate at State level, where appropriate, for much needed improvements to the park and ride. The Bus stop is in extremely poor condition. The pavement is responsibility of the County and bus shelter State. Coordination between the State and the county is essential to resolve this problem.

(a) The lighting at the Carney Park & Ride is inadequate and should be addressed (County or State?)

(b) This Park & Ride also needs better signage prohibiting (i) illegal dumping and (ii) overnight parking (e.g., there have been numerous occasions of overnight and several-week parking of oversized tractor trailers, RVs, school buses, etc.).

(c) The Park & Ride also attracts vagrants and homeless people who take up residence on and adjacent to the Carney Park & Ride.  Perhaps signage and a discussion with Baltimore County police Precinct 8 would help to alleviate this on-going problem.

(d) Please note that the community’s communications with MTA regarding all of these problems seems to indicate that the MTA only maintains the bathroom that is located at the Park, but does not maintain the pavement, bus shelter and trash cans.

The State Senator and Delegates who represent this area are:

Delegates – Nino Mangione and Michele Guyton; State Senator – Chris West

Cub Hill Road Speeding Issue

Cub Hill Road right turn lane from Cub Hill Rd onto southbound Harford Rd is dangerous

Jennifer Branch Headwaters, clean up the section of the Jennifer Branch headwaters of the Gunpowder River to the west of Harford Road.  The headwaters of the Jennifer Branch starts in the backyard of 2905 Jomat Avenue and the community has been advocating for the complete restoration of this section of the Jennifer Branch for several years.  This project should not be just a clean-up, but a complete restoration of the headwaters and stream area (as was done (i) to the Jennifer Branch on the east side of Harford Road and (ii) to several areas of the Jennifer Branch located in District 5).

Cromwell Valley Park (CVP)

The Farm Fields at CVP must be mowed regularly to maintain the overall farming and wildlife theme originated by Gov. William Donald Schaffer when DNR purchased the property.  Up until a few years ago, the County Maintenance facilities mowed one-third of the farm fields every year.  For the last two years, resources for mowing have been diverted elsewhere and CVP is in danger of losing its agriculture identity.  Now, all fields need to be mowed this coming winter and then the County needs to resume mowing one-third of the fields each year.

The one-lane Entrance Road to Willow Grove Farm and Nature Center needs to be widened and parking facilities improved to accommodate the large increase in park attendance.  The road needs to be at least two lanes wide so traffic can have one lane entering and one lane leaving the park.  Present parking facilities cannot handle the daily attendance of school groups or summer camp drop-off and pick-up.  School busses get stuck in the mud and overflow parking areas need to be closed due to erosion of the dirt field and the potential of flooding.  Uncut farm fields block the line of sight for entering and leaving vehicles.  These are safety issues now and potential Liability issues in the future.   All due to lack of proper County maintenance!

The Merrick Bank Barn needs immediate repair and continued seasonal maintenance.  Water is seeping through the foundation and over the years, this has caused cracks and movement in the supporting walls.  Bug infestation has already occurred and eventually mold will become a hazard.  Currently, this facility is used for field trip programs and summer camp presentations for as many as 100 schoolchildren (plus parents) per day.  This is a wonderful facility for education purposes but it will not last if it is not maintained properly.

Full Time Naturalist – Because of the number of volunteers needing supervision, the number of public programs conducted each week, and increased attendance at programs, one part time employee and the park manager cannot get the job done properly.  The part time assistant position needs to be a full time Naturalist position

Glen Arm Road traffic calming

Northern Baltimore County

Nine month Solar Moratorium needed for all solar projects which utilize Prime and Productive Land. During this period of time, an intense study of current county solar policies on RC land is necessary and recommendations must be developed for a responsible path forward

Broadband expansion/County business:

Both Hereford Middle and High School students have received computers which are taken home to do assignments.   The lack of internet services to most of north County places these students at a significant disadvantage.  In addition, many institutions of higher learning offer online courses.  Again, the lack of internet in large portions of northern Baltimore County restricts the option of taking online course.  This is a significant disadvantage since institutions of higher learning are expanding to online learning.  Finally, in many cases, conducting business from home now requires access to the internet.

The possibility exists for Baltimore County to go into the internet business.  Such action has the potential to be a money maker. Other rural jurisdictions have done this. County owned broadband lines have been installed in North County. BCPS plans to convert all schools and libraries to the County system, eliminating Comcast as the provider. These existing lines could be used to expand internet to people in North County.

or

Request that Comcast and or Verizon agree to serve more homes in northern Baltimore County.  See attachment #3 (Home density report for northern Baltimore County).

Recreational Facilities, none currently exist in Northern Baltimore County. Athletic fields, 90 ft ball diamonds, and indoor recreational facilities.

Hereford Senior Center, permanent construction, similar to the Jacksonville Senior/Recreation Center

Baldwin Animal Shelter:

Building a sound barrier next to animal shelteris required by law.

In 2018, County funds for this project were appropriated ($300K) and an equal amount in State grants were approved in the 2018 General Assembly Session

Remove the current leadership running the animal shelter, and encourage cooperation between the shelter andthe Animal Advisory Committee.

Upperco and Glyndon Volunteer Fire Companies, assist in replacing their facilities.  Replacement buildings are needed to support the services provided.  Both VFC serve very large areas.

Hereford High School, restore the option of the “block schedule”.  (Baltimore County Board of Education)

Hereford Middle School, address traffic congestion when school is dismissed in the afternoon.  (Baltimore County Board of Education)

Baltimore County Police Substation in Northern Baltimore County. More police presence in the Jacksonville/Phoenix/Monkton area – speeding issues and both commercial and residential armed robberies in last month or so.Rural parts of Northern Baltimore County, further expansion of traffic calming and speed enforcement in the communities.

Western Run – the banks are in ruins all along the Western Run. There is a ton of debris and trees in the Run which is causing the flow of water to be obstructed and many areas. I think that this has caused some of the flooding as well.

Stop sign for Rayville Road

Evaluate at the condition of Dairy Road wooden bridge.

Funding for land preservation programs

Shrubbery along roads needs trimming for better visibility of road signs after very rainy weather and lots of lush growth.

Advocate for Replacement of Phoenix Rd Bridge over Gunpowder (City Jurisdiction)

Traffic Calming Along Matthews Drive

Finish repairs of small bridge on Corbett Rd
Countywide Issues

Animal abuse issues should be investigated quickly and efficiently. The animal shelter on Manor Road should be closely monitored to make sure the animals are getting the best care possible.

Greater investments in social workers, guidance counselors, and public health facilities in our public schools.

More Dog Parks

Olympic Class Aquatic Facility

More resources to Fight Opioid Epidemic

Streamline and modernize the permit approval process.

Construct additional indoor tennis and pickle ball courts.

 

Roads for Resurfacing

 

Andrea Avenue

Belfast Road (in Timonium)

Bradford Road

Briarwood Farm Court

Charington Road

Charmuth Road

Cinder Road

Cooper Road

Dulaney Valley & Loch Raven Blvd intersection

Cub Hill Road

Daventry Drive

Elizabeth Court

Gailridge Road

Gibbons Avenue

Gorsuch Road

Hereford Road

Hillary Way

Hillford Road

Intersection of Joppa Roads and Harford Road

JM Pierce Road

Kampman Court

Kaufman Rd btw Bentley and York Rd

Kinkaid Court

Knolton Road

Madison Avenue

Matthews Drive

Northwood Road

Old Spring Court

Orchard Hills Streets

Phoenix Road. (from York Road. east to Carroll Road)

Piney Hill Road

Placid Avenue

Pot Spring Road

Powers Avenue

Presway Road

Purlington Rd

Reuter Road

Ridgeley Road (both East and West of York Road)

Seminary Avenue

Sherwood Road

Stockton Road

Strabane Court

Sunburst Road

Tenbury Road

Thornton Road

Treber Court

Valleyfield Road

VanBuren Avenue

Walter’s Lane

Waltham Woods Road

Wardman Road

Wellington Road

West Timonium Rd btw Jenifer and Mays Chapel

William Court

York Avenue