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.

Two New Greenways in Perry Hall

One of my priorities over the past two years has been to preserve open space in our communities.  During the 2012 rezoning process, at my request, the Baltimore County Council applied open space zoning to 54 acres in Towson, 47 acres in Parkville, and 72 acres in Perry Hall.  As a result, the Fifth District now has more land zoned for open space than any other County Council district.
 

I am very happy to announce that Baltimore County will protect more than 38 acres of forested land at two locations in Perry Hall, the largest dedication of open space in more than a decade in this part of northeastern Baltimore County.

The Seven Oaks Environmental Conservation Area.

The county will reclassify about eight acres of publicly-owned land in western Perry Hall as the Seven Oaks Environmental Conservation Area.  This is the wooded property in the 9200 block of Seven Courts Drive, north of the Seven Oaks Senior Center and southwest of Pinedale Drive.

Baltimore County will also preserve about 30 acres of publicly-owned land to the north and south of the existing Indian Rock Park, creating an almost-uninterrupted greenway from East Joppa Road to White Marsh Boulevard. This will become the Indian Rock Environmental Conservation Area.

Not only is this announcement important for the environment, but it is great for taxpayers.   The land was already owned by Baltimore County; the Indian Rock area, in fact, was the never-used alignment for Perry Hall Boulevard.   I did not want the property ever surplused for development, which is why this new status is so important.

Today's announcement is a very important milestone as we work to preserve green space in a fast-growing area of Baltimore County. 

A New Greenway in Perry Hall, at No Cost to Taxpayers

In the 1960s, Baltimore County had an ambitious plan for new roads that included the construction of Perry Hall Boulevard between White Marsh and Belair Road.   The road was never finished.   One section was built near Chapel Road at the Perry Hall Apartments, and another farther south at White Marsh Mall.   The two sections were never linked, mostly due to community opposition and environmental restrictions.

Today, some of the area between the sections has been built-out, but a lot of it remains undeveloped.   The original alignment for Perry Hall Boulevard is still owned by Baltimore County.  

The 2009 dedication of Indian Rock Park.

In 2009, the Perry Hall Improvement Association convinced Baltimore County to designate the 15 acres west of Perry Hall High School as Indian Rock Park.   The park is undeveloped, although there are plans to construct a hiking and biking trail.  Baltimore County has an opportunity to expand Indian Rock Park by adding the acreage north of Ebenezer Road that was once planned for Perry Hall Boulevard.  To the south, the county could add the publicly-owned land that stretches along Perry Hall Boulevard between Silver Spring Road and White Marsh Boulevard.

Imagine the possibility:  a slender, nearly unbroken chain of forests that stretches from East Joppa Road to White Marsh Boulevard, permanently protected from development.

Although there are no plans right now, I am concerned that at some point in the future, there may be an interest in selling the old Perry Hall Boulevard alignment to generate revenue for the county.   I will be downzoning this property to limit any future development, but the better opportunity is to add the land to Indian Rock Park.   And since Baltimore County already owns the land, it's an improvement that won't cost a penny for the taxpayers.

County to Extend Indian Rock Park Trail

One of my priorities has been to develop new trails and sidewalk connections throughout Baltimore County.  Trails and sidewalks not only offer an alternative to driving, but they encourage physical fitness.  In February, the County Council passed legislation I sponsored with Councilman Tom Quirk that created a Baltimore County Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee.  This panel will hopefully help us develop a more integrated transportation system.

I am very happy that the county has been awarded $30,000 to extend the trail at Indian Rock Park in Perry Hall.   The funding comes from the Maryland State Highway Administration's Recreational Trails Program.  Our office wrote the grant application with help from the Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks.  The Department will supply the 25 percent ($10,000) local match.   The county has generally not taken advantage of this funding source. 

Indian Rock Park is a wooded area west of Perry Hall High School.   The county created a short trail at the park in 2009, but the pathway is barely noticed from Ebenezer Road.   Currently, it forms a little loop several hundred feet in the park.  My goal has been to connect this looped path to Ebenezer Road, then extend the entire route to Silver Spring Road, where it will eventually become part of the Northeast Trail.  Neighborhoods will be actively consulted as the specific alignment is chosen.

I look forward to developing more transportation options for all residents of the Fifth District.