State Transportation Cuts Affect Baltimore County

For 15 years before my election to the Baltimore County Council, I worked in the transportation sector.    During my two years on the County Council, I have tried to advance long-needed funding for resurfacing and interchange improvements throughout the Fifth District.

Transportation does not garner the attention that other issues command, but it is critical to our way of life.   Crumbling roads and congestion impact both businesses and families.   Local governments like Baltimore County not only need to repair roads that were originally built in the 1950s and 1960s, but deal with bottlenecks that are clogged with traffic.   In my district, much of this congestion results from Harford County motorists who use Belair and Harford Roads for their commutes.

Unfortunately, recent state budgets have sharply cut the money Baltimore County and other local governments receive for road improvements.   In 2007, when Governor O'Malley was inaugurated, local jurisdictions shared $535.3 million in Highway User Revenues.  Baltimore County received $45.6 million of this amount.  

Within four years, local road funding had been cut by about $402.6 million, shrinking from $535.3 million to $132.7 million.   Excluding Baltimore City, all other jurisdictions shared a total of only $7.9 million in 2011!   Highway User Revenues have recovered slightly from 2011, but the amount is pitiful compared to the 2007 level when Governor O'Malley was inaugurated.   

These cuts have not received a lot of attention.   While Governor O'Malley crows about school construction money--and I commend him for that funding, which has been very helpful in Baltimore County--his administration deserves scrutiny for its treatment of local road needs.

Fortunately, County Executive Kamenetz proposed robust funding for resurfacing in the most recent budget.   Thanks to that funding, major routes throughout the Fifth District are targeted for resurfacing.  But imagine what could be done if Highway User Revenues were restored to the level that counties received before 2007!

50 Years for Perry Hall's High School and Library

1963 was a big year for Perry Hall. Not only did the fast-growing community celebrate the opening of its new high school, but civic leaders dedicated a new library—and all within one week's time.

Neither, of course, remain at an original location. The high school opened on September 3, 1963, at what is now Perry Hall Middle School. Five years later, a new campus opened a mile down Ebenezer Road, and the original building became Perry Hall Junior High School. For many years, Perry Hall was somewhat unique in that students simply walked further down Ebenezer Road as they became older:  from Perry Hall Elementary to Middle School, and from Middle to High School.

The original library on its last day.

The library opened five days later, on September 8, 1963. Prominent elected officials attended the opening, including then-Congressman Clarence Long and former County Executive Spiro Agnew. Many residents have fond memories of this branch, especially those of my age who attended children's programs in the basement. Over the years, however, it became obvious that the building needed to be expanded or replaced. It was not accessible to the disabled, and it was simply too small for the growing community. 
When I became President of the Perry Hall Improvement Association in 1999, we made it a priority to get a new branch built. The PHIA strongly supported keeping the branch at its Belair Road location, but that would have required buying the property (it was leased from a nearby family) and acquiring an adjacent parcel.  When that did not work out, the county relocated the library to its current site on Honeygo Boulevard in 2009. Because the Perry Hall Improvement Association negotiated a covenant agreement with the owner of the "old" site, that location has retained its residential characteristics.

I am proud of both Perry Hall High School and the Perry Hall library. Both are essential parts of our community. I hope you will lend a hand to the Perry Hall High School 50th anniversary efforts and also support our library's ongoing good work.

Long-Awaited Redevelopment at Towson Commons

When it opened in 1992, Towson Commons was seen as a catalyst for growth in Downtown Towson.  The complex at York and Pennsylvania Avenues included a 100,000-square-foot shopping area, a 10-story office building, and an 882-space parking garage, and it immediately brought new customers into Downtown Towson.   I can remember coming home from college just to catch a movie or browse the Borders bookstore.

 

By the late 1990s, however, Towson Commons seemed to be fading.   My personal opinion is that the opening of The Avenue at White Marsh, with its free parking and more advanced movie theatre, was a key turning point.   For the next decade, while the offices at Towson Commons remained strong, the retail component struggled.  The movie theatres closed in May of 2011.

Towson Commons.

Since I took office, I have been frustrated by Towson Commons.  Important redevelopment projects have advanced to the north, east, and south, but not at Towson Commons.   That is why I am thrilled by signing of a lease for a 50,000-square foot fitness center at Towson Commons, replacing the old movie theatre complex.   When I toured the renovation in December, it was amazing to see where the theatres had been gouged out for a future swimming pool.

I introduced legislation that will modify the parking requirements in Downtown Towson to help with this project.   No one expects, for example, a health club to need more parking than a movie theatre complex.

I believe this facility will succeed because we are bringing more workers into Downtown Towson, at places like the the newly-opened Towson City Center.  We also have a successful residential neighborhood, Towson Green, taking root only a few blocks away.

This is a very good announcement that bodes well for Towson's future.

A Preview of Important Milestones in 2013

Over the past two years, our office has worked to improve communities throughout the Fifth District, from Towson to Perry Hall.   Some of these projects are big, such as the additions at Stoneleigh and Hampton Elementary School or air conditioning at Seven Oaks Elementary School.  Other projects are small, but will have a measurable impact on our neighborhoods-- road improvements in Towson Manor Village and Loch Raven Village, for example, or new acreage at Honeygo Run Park in Perry Hall.   I would like to thank the County Executive and our state legislators for their help with a number of these initiatives.

My main focus in 2012 was preserving open space in our neighborhoods.  2012 was a rezoning year, and I used it as an opportunity to try to protect green space.  Acting on my recommendations, the County Council downzoned more than 417 acres, the most ambitious plan in two decades in this part of Baltimore County, and the most land ever downzoned in Towson, Carney, and Cromwell Valley.   The Fifth District now has more land zoned as open space than any other district in Baltimore County.  

It is impossible to predict exactly what 2013 may offer the Fifth District, but we do know there will be some important milestones.

In Towson, the newly-renovated Stoneleigh Elementary School will open in August.   More than $38 million has been invested in Towson's schools, but we need to work to make sure that all of our schools have adequate classroom space.   Redevelopment will accelerate in the Towson core, which means we need to address important needs such as security, maintenance, and traffic.   There will be a resolution of the Towson fire station issue and also changes to the magnet policy, which particularly impacts Cromwell Valley Elementary School.   I will continue to work with BGE to make sure electrical service becomes more reliable, particularly in places like western Towson, Campus Hills, and Hillendale Park.

In Loch Raven and Parkville, one of my biggest priorities will be the impact of the Hess settlement on the Yakona Road neighborhood.  Some road improvements will occur along the Joppa Road corridor, and we will hopefully have a new Baltimore NeighborSpace acquisition near the Harford/Joppa Road intersection, guaranteeing open space for the Carney community.

In Perry Hall, one of my main priorities will be the beautification of the commercial area at Belair, Ebenezer, and Joppa Roads.   Thanks to legislation passed by the County Council in 2011, this is now a revitalization district which offers special incentives to business owners.  The resurfacing of Chapel Road will be finished, and hopefully so will the trail along Indian Rock Park.   I expect progress on projects like the Perry Hall dog park and the renovation of the Perry Hall Mansion.   2013 is also the 50th anniversary for two local landmarks:  the Perry Hall library and Perry Hall High School. 

In closing, I want to wish you and your family a happy and healthy new year.    It is an honor to represent the citizens of the Fifth District.