MEMORANDUM
TO: City Council
FROM: David J. Deutsch, City Manager
SUBJECT: Status Report/Council Poll
DATE: February 7, 2008
Status Report
1. MD 197 Location/Design Public Hearing
As Council is aware, the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) will
be conducting a Location/Design Public Hearing on Wednesday, February 13,
2008 at 7:00 p.m. at Tasker Middle School for the MD 197 project. Attached
is a copy of the Project Planning
Study public notice document that contains
details about the proposed alternatives under consideration. At Council's
request, Ms. Felicia Alexander, SHA Project Manager, mailed separate notices
to 102 property owners adjacent to the project area and provided specific
information about the right-of-way and noise abatement processes (see attached).
The public notice document indicates that the official record on the project
will close on March 26, 2008. To meet this deadline, staff has scheduled
a City Council public hearing in order for Council to craft a position
statement. The City's public hearing will be held at your regularly scheduled
City Council Meeting on Monday, March 3, 2008. (It is also important to
remember that those who participate in the City's hearing are not automatically "on
the record" with SHA; interested parties must also register their
concerns with SHA by the close of the record on March 26th.) Today, staff
received a full response to questions asked by Council at the January 14,
2008 Worksession (see attached letter dated
February 5, 2008 from Ms. Alexander).
Copies of all comments received from the Alternates Public Workshop and
the SHA Open House, as well as other project correspondence too voluminous
to reproduce are now available for viewing in the Planning Department's
file.
2. Bank of America at Hilltop Plaza
To update Council, in January 2008, the City issued a building permit for
a new, freestanding 4,500 square foot Bank of America building at Hilltop
Plaza. The existing bank branch will relocate to the new building when
completed. Chainlink fencing was recently installed in the parking lot
where the Bank of America construction area is located north of the existing
McDonald’s restaurant. The fencing does not obstruct access to Hilltop Plaza. This is an as-of-right
development in the C-S-C (Commercial Shopping Center) zone that does not
require any special site plan review by the County or the City.
3. City Hall Project Outreach Meeting
Yesterday, the first outreach meeting was held for the City Hall Project.
Over 700 notices were distributed to residents living in proximity to the
site. Twenty-six residents attended the meeting, along with Councilmembers
Polangin, Trouth and Turner. Architect Melanie Hennigan from Grimm & Parker
provided a Power Point overview of the project and solicited comments and
concerns from the residents. The tone of the meeting was positive. One
resident said he was “ecstatic” about the project. Other comments
from the residents related to concerns about traffic, noise, property values,
impact on the path around the lake, the views of the building from the
nearby condominiums. Six people said they just did not want the site built
on at all. The architect responded to residents’ comments.
Ms. Hennigan acknowledged their concerns. She stressed that the building
and the site will be designed carefully to respect the environment and to minimize
any impacts. Staff also provided a brief historical overview of the project
regarding the Space Needs Assessment and the Location Study. There will be
another meeting tonight and yet another on February 21, 2008.
4. Environmental Advisory Committee Meeting
On Wednesday, February 6th, the newly formed Environmental Advisory Committee
(EAC) held its first meeting. Councilmember Diane Polangin attended a portion
of the meeting, which was guided by Planning staff. The Committee reviewed
procedures established by Council for City Committees, as well as the purpose,
functions and responsibilities for their Committee outlined in R-59-07.
In addition, staff presented a brief orientation to the Environmental Infrastructure
Action Strategy Plan. The EAC agreed to meet on the first Wednesday of
each month at 7:00 p.m. The Committee will discuss election of officers
and a possible work program at the next meeting.
5. Annual Maryland Bicycle and Pedestrian Symposium
On Wednesday, February 6th, staff attended the 11th annual Maryland Bicycle
and Pedestrian Symposium, held at the Miller Senate Office Building in
Annapolis and sponsored by One Less Car. (One Less Car is a statewide advocacy
organization for bicyclists and pedestrians that: promotes bicycling and
walking as viable modes of transportation as integral parts of a comprehensive
transportation system; encourages bicycling and walking for health, tourism
and recreation; and educates the public on the rights and responsibilities
of cyclists and pedestrians.) The City has been represented at this symposium
for quite a few years. Staff once again had several exhibits set up and
distributed brochures, including the City's Trails Master Plan Map. During
the daylong event, a number of speakers addressed the group, including:
State Delegate Jon Cardin; John Porcari (Secretary, MDOT); Michael Jackson
(Director, Office of Bicycle and Pedestrian Access, MDOT); and, Stephanie
Yanovitz (Acting Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator, SHA).
6. City Hall Project Financial Advisor
In accordance with the City Charter, staff has issued a Notice of Intent
to Negotiate to obtain the services of a Financial Advisor for the City
Hall Project. A Financial Advisor is generally used when a jurisdiction
is contemplating a borrowing of any significance. The advisor would be
expected to provide guidance concerning the type of debt financing to be
used and to help navigate through a process that is quite complex. This
practice is also recommended by the Government Finance Officers Association
(GFOA).
Attachments
MD
197 Project Planning Study Public Notice document
2/5/08
SHA Letter from Felicia Alexander