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.