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Freeland Community Association Meeting Wednesday January 18, 2012 - 7:30PM, Prettyboy Elementary School in the library. Freeland Community Association is holding a meeting to discuss the 2012 Comprehensive Zoning Map Process (CZMP), and what issues affect our area. Per Baltimore County law, the CZMP is held every four years, and during this time, any county resident may petition the rezoning of any property within Baltimore County. The process is described here: http://www.baltimorecountymd.gov/Agencies/planning/zoning/2012czmp/index.html While the Association has not petitioned for any rezonings, there are a number of properties on our area that have been petitioned for rezoning, and we will briefly discuss each one, the merits, the risks, and the potential impacts of these proposed changes. We will invite those involved in the petitions to discuss their intentions at the meeting. The current Log of Issues for CZMP can be found here, and is updated by the county as needed, until the process completes in August of 2012. We are included in the 3rd Councilmanic District: http://www.baltimorecountymd.gov/Agencies/planning/zoning/2012czmp/issuelog.html As of November 7, a total of 68 issues for District 3 have been posted online. The issues directly affecting our area are also being evaluated by our friends at North County Preservation, and you can see the results of their efforts here: http://www.northcountypreservation.org/czmp.htm We would also ask for members to renew their memberships with $20 dues for the year at this meeting, and encourage others to join by also contributing $20 to the Association. Hope to see you all there. Andy Rathgeber President, Freeland Community Association www.freelandcommunityassociation.org
Autumn 2011 State Highway Administration to host informational meeting on replacement of Middletown Rd bridge over I-83, Wednesday November 9 at Prettyboy Elementary cafeteria, 5:30 PMAny of you who attended the meeting hosted by the county last year regarding the Gore Mill Rd bridges will be familiar with the format of this meeting - it is up to us to ask questions and draw out the SHA representatives to understand what the project will entail.From the State Highway
Administration
CZMP 2012 Every four years, the county allows for the potential rezoning of any parcel of land within county boundaries. While the association has not sponsored or endorsed any proposed zoning changes, we do intend to weigh in on the process based on what others may have in mind. Open issues are posted at the Baltimore County website here: http://www.baltimorecountymd.gov/Agencies/planning/zoning/2012czmp/issuelog.html Look for the District 3 file to see what changes are being proposed in our area.
Project Information Meeting - Replacement of four bridges over Little Falls on Gore Mill Rd Baltimore County is planning on replacing four bridges where Gore Mill Rd crosses Little Falls. There was a meeting on Tuesday December 7 at 6 PM at Prettyboy Elementary. Baltimore County Public Works had information on hand and took comments from residents. These bridges cross the Little Falls , where the historic Gore Mill stands. Al Lintz restored this mill to working condition, and put his surrounding property into preservation. We owe it to Al to ensure his property is complimented by the improvements these bridges require. According to an account reported in the Baltimore Sun: “Design and construction will be based on national standards for rural roads. Those guidelines typically require widening of the bridges and the roads approaching them, said David Fidler, spokesman for the county Public Works Department. "These bridges were built for an entirely different kind of traffic," Fidler said. "We now have fire equipment and trash collection trucks that need much different roads specifications than were around in the 1920s." These federal guidelines are based on highway standards and should not apply to local, little-used roads.
Andy Rathgeber Freeland Community Association Hearing
Officer’s Hearing was September 30. Representatives of Freeland
Community Association, Sparks-Glencoe Community Planning Council and Pretty
Watershed Preservation Society were in attendance and offered testimony. We
are seeking to have the Hearing Officer impose conditions on this development
to limit its impact on the Prettyboy watershed. Older
News §
o
This video
offers some background on the issue from activists, community leaders and
representatives http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTaykp-kI94 o This second video
begins with comments from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnLQExkYuac The municipal
sewage sludge issue should be a matter of concern to us also, since our
watersheds are fed from these areas, and the current inability of local
governments to stop it means that our neighbors must fight their state
government to get relief . Some background information on the sewage sludge issue can be found at these links:
Legislation on allowing creameries as a "use by right" in RC zones passes County Council. This legislation was originally drafted as a direct result of Long Green Valley Association's opposition to the planned creamery operation on the Prigel farm. While our initial reaction was one of concern, because hard cases often result in bad law, the legislation that passed was ultimately a result of much hard work and compromise between the agricultural community and other community associations, but mainly due to the tireless efforts of North County Preservation Vice President Mike Pierce, who serves in an advisory role on the County Planning Board. Mike "took the heat" from many in the ag community, but successfully negotiated for the changes that make this bill a beneficial one for county agriculture, while addressing concerns related to scope, size, and environment. Hopefully, the passage of this legislation will usher an era of cooperation between communities and the agriculture industry that is essential to maintaining a rural environment in the north county for future generations. Some of the changes that transformed this legislation from a questionable draft to a more quality product are: 1. Defined "creamery" more clearly, including that it has to be on a dairy farm. 2. Eliminated allowance for special exceptions. 3. Clearly defined limits on source of milk used in production, included distance limits. 4. Added allowance for Agriculture Board to relax limits further in case of extended local production failure.
There is a well written and I believe fair and balanced article on the issue of the Prigel creamery at the Lancaster Farming website: http://lancasterfarming.com/node/1485
Read a little about the history of the Freeland Community
Association and how it all began. Click here to read the
rest of the message... |
Current Development Hearings & Meetings for our District
Applications received and permits issued Do a search on "sludge" within any month's issue
to see where applications have been sought or granted for the spreading of
sewage sludge on agricultural land. This issue is of great concern in
southern
Please support us with a yearly membership for only $20 Mail check to : Freeland Community Association PO Box 52 Freeland MD 21053 FCA Cookbooks still available! Our community cookbook "Country Goodness" is available at a reduced cost of $10 a copy. These make great and unique gifts and include recipes from community members and items of historical interest. Send an email or call 410-374-0525 for a copy.
Other important resources
Community Environmental Defense Services Excellent online resource for information on preventing or mitigating the impact of land use detrimental to the quality of life in your neighborhood.
a
not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting rural life in
Click here for details on the settlement to the Shelley's Fields Development Issue. The indoor facility and two fields have been eliminated. Covenants limit use and protect agricultural resources. Some neighbors have chosen to continue the battle. Please read our open letter to the community regarding these efforts
Not familiar with the Shelley's Fields Development Issue? Click here for a short history of how this all came about.
2010 FCA Board
Treasurer – Jeff Lambert Board Members - Deborah Maude One vacancy |
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