Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Councilwoman Cathy Bevins denies that a bill passed Monday night affects the Middle River Depot project and could thwart a referendum attempt.
A bill passed by the Baltimore County Council Monday appears to provide an alternative development option for the owners of a Middle River industrial property that is the focus of a zoning referendum effort. The council approved the bill by a vote of 6-0 with Councilman Ken Oliver abstaining. Oliver said he abstained from a vote because a referendum involving the property has not yet been decided by voters. Bevins last week said the bill was about finding creative uses for large manufacturing buildings on the east side of the county that can't be torn down because of their historical designations. "Not only does it create a blight for the community but it's a reminder of the jobs lost," Bevins said of the warehouses, adding that her bill "…
Friday, November 9, 2012
Two groups funded by developers, including David S. Brown Enterprises and David Cordish, seek to overturn zoning for the Solo Cup and Middle River Depot properties.
Two groups funded by high-powered developers, say they have nearly 170,000 signatures in their effort to force two zoning issues to the 2014 ballot. The Committee For Zoning Integrity Inc. said in a statement that they have delivered an additional 83,435 signatures in their effort to challenge zoning decisions in the 2nd and 6th Council Districts. “We have successfully completed the signature gathering phase, with citizen interest in fixing the rezoning process in Baltimore County far exceeding our expectations,” Stuart Kaplow, an attorney for the Committee for Zoning Integrity Inc., said in a statement released Friday morning. “A referendum restores the sense of empowerment and guarantees integrity by direct participation in the decision …
Thursday, October 18, 2012
The county executive is expected to cite budget constraints and continue to request money for MARC-oriented development in Middle River and intersection upgrades near the Solo Cup property in Owings Mills.
County and state budget outlooks have not changed in the last year and because of that, County Executive Kevin Kamenetz's transportation requests will seem like a repeat. Kamenetz is scheduled to speak to a panel of state Department of Transportation officials this afternoon in Towson and outline his priorities for the coming year. As with last year, Kamenetz is expected to avoid pie-in-the-sky requests and wish lists and instead ask for continued focus and funding for just two projects—intersection improvements along Reisterstown Road near Painters Mill Road in Owings Mills and more transit oriented MARC development in Middle River. "It's really a continuation of the priorities he outlined last year," said Ellen Kobler, a county …
Monday, October 15, 2012
First deadline for turning in signatures closes at the end of business Monday.
Two groups that are attempting to force some zoning changes to the 2014 ballot submitted an addition 16,000 signatures Monday. The groups, the Committee for Zoning Integrity and the Committee for Zoning Transparency, delivered the additional signatures to the Baltimore County Board of Elections. On Friday, the groups delivered more than 70,000 total signatures—34,000 signatures for the petition on the 6th district zoning issues and another 36,662 on the 2nd Council District. The additional signatures delivered Monday come as the first deadline passes for the referendum effort. Opponents of the bills, backed by developers including David Cordish and David S. Brown Enterprises, must submit at least 28,826 verified signatures of Baltimore …
Friday, October 5, 2012
Community leaders claim referendum on zoning decisions would "render the work of communities and the council vote meaningless."
A loosely formed group of community associations said Friday that it has formed a coalition to fight developers attempting to force two county zoning bills to referendum. The Don't Sign It! Coalition plans to begin a public education campaign to oppose a group calling itself the Coalition for Zoning Integrity, which is backed by David S. Brown Enterprises and The Cordish Companies. Cheryl Aaron, zoning chair for the Greater Greenspring Association and an organizer of the Don't Sign It! Coalition, said the attempt to overturn zoning decisions made by the County Council in August is bad for communities. "Communities don't have the resources to file referendums and hire lawyers and organizers to go out and collect signatures," Aaron said. "It…
Buzz Beeler
10:38 am on Friday, April 12, 2013
gill and junaid take your spam and put it where the sun does not shine. more ›