County Executive Kevin Kamenetz on Thursday released his state transportation priorities, and the Towson area was not among them.
“As we have seen before, the County Executive failed to present a single solution to the transportation problems in Towson, the area his administration has aggressively promoted for growth,” said Councilman David Marks, who represents the Towson area. “Every transportation advancement over the past six years — bike lanes, planning for a circulator — came because the state government took a leadership role when the county government did not.”
Kamenetz focused on mass transit needs in the western part of the county, as well as on roads in mainly in White Marsh, Sparrows Point and Owings Mills.
State Sen. Jim Brochin said he thinks Kamenetz is punishing Towson because Marks did not approve a plan favored by the county executive for a large Royal Farms gas station at York Road and Bosley Avenue.
“I don’t always agree with David, but he did the right thing here. The Royal Farms math did not add up and it was a crummy deal for West Towson and anyone who travels in Towson,” Brochin said. “Kevin is the most vindictive person I have ever known. I don’t want to sound like Trump, but this is how he pays back David and it’s just wrong.”
The Kamenetz administration could not be reached immediately for comment.
In a letter to state Transportation Secretary Pete Rahn earlier this month, Marks asked that the state look at, among other things, the intersection of York Road and Burke Avenue and the intersection of Loch Raven Boulevard and Joppa Road. York and Loch Raven are both state roads.
Both of those intersections have been rated as “failing” because most of the time not all cars can get through on a green light and instead must wait through more than one signal.
In the letter, Marks also promoted the idea of the Towson circulator bus.
“It will be tough to sustain the development championed by County Executive Kamenetz with rotting roads like Bosley Avenue and Stevenson Lane,” Marks said. “But heck, the County Executive has at least developed some ideas about new transit at Lexington Market.”
Each of the comments published so far, in one way or another, reflect the sad fact that this administration is deathly allergic to planning and seems to have instructed his “Planning” Department to do no such thing. While there have been some limited planning efforts for Towson more recently, the last comprehensive plan for the Towson area is dated 1994. Hey, nothing has changed in 23 years. What’s to plan for? Just encourage and allow anything to be thrown up anywhere there is a space as long as the developers can make a killing: no matter what it looks like;, no matter how it fits into a cohesive downtown streetscape;, no matter how it relates to its surroundings and the environment; no matter the ability of the roads, sewers, and other already stressed infrastructure to handle the increased loads. The development drought lasted a long time for our county seat and there was a lot of understandable angst about that and a hunger for the investment and improvement that was needed. But this administration refused to take the time to prepare or plan for it. Then BOOM. It feels good and it should have been a good thing were done well. But because it is not being done well there will be a price to pay when things calm down, as they surely will. The opportunity to have an attractive and functional suburban center such as those being created in progressive communities throughout the state and the country is being… Read more »
Thank you David Marks for standing with a VERY large number of your Towson constituents who want their town to be developed right rather than fast. In 2016 that means green, walkable streets that feel and are safe for pedestrians and bicyclists. Urban design has recognized this and so does David Marks. Sadly the County has decimated and KK has dominated its planning and environmental staffs. A small minority in Towson, like Sam, may have made it past the 40’s but still has a long way to go to understand today’s development/preservation trade-offs and imperatives.
For 6 years Marks has been talking about a bike plan. The city started later and has added some really nice bikeways, that were developed “right rather than fast.” Towson? Still talking about. No action. Nothing on the horizon. Feel good to be less efficient and more inactive than Baltimore city? Towson Triangle? Walkable, mixed-use connection between Towson Core and the university, including road updates. Fought and killed by Marks and a few dozen residents. It was a walkable, green plan. The ever-so-loved Triangle is a pit of despair with zero environmental support from the fear mongers who care so deeply for it. I’m not sure if “disaster” or “complete embarrassment” better describes what’s happening on that stretch of state highway. It would be nice to see all those so opposed to change get off their couches and improve the embarrassment they so strongly adore. Most definitely won’t, but a call to action should at least cause some to look in the mirror. Towson Row? Walkable, mixed-use space with green space and an additional $55,000 handout paid to the GTCCA (http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/north-baltimore/ph-tt-towson-row-agreement-0120-20160118-story.html). No action. Pile of rumble. Nothing on the horizon. Wonder what the GTCCA has done with that money to improve Towson over the past 10 months? Nothing of note despite the promises. Surprise, surprise. Maybe Towson property owners will a check at the end of the year. Every plan has tradeoffs and stakeholders. It’s 2016, environmental impact assessments are completed and plans are modified to be responsibly. It’s absurd… Read more »
Actually, Sam C, our office was the one that helped write the application that secured the funding for the bike lanes. And we secured the funding to plan the Towson Circulator.
We also stood with many Towson residents who thought it was unacceptable that developers paid virtually nothing in open space funding. Because of our efforts, and the work of others, park projects are advancing throughout Towson.
Two excellent new housing developments are under construction right now in Downtown Towson. I supported both.
The County Executive been a champion of redeveloping Towson. But he is the one who has the executive authority and the budgetary power to guarantee the infrastructure will be in place to support this growth.
Thank you for the reply, Councilman. The Cinemark project and adjacent housing development are welcome improvements to the Core, in addition to some of the school projects you supported in the surrounding neighborhoods. The Towson Row project would certainly improve a deteriorating southern end of the Core and improve Towson’s safety, walkability, and tax base. The open space payment to the GTCCA ended the open complaints, but now the project is at a standstill. As a community, let’s push to get Towson Row and a viable Towson Triangle project back on track. I, and many, would be interested to learn about how the funds paid to the GTCCA are being used to promote open space and what kind of oversight is administered. I fully support open space and local improvements, but think transparency is needed when a group receives a payment and drops its issue with a proposed development. It seems odd that community funds would not go to a county office responsible for open space projects and management, where Towson residents would see how the dedicated funds will improve the area. Let’s cross our fingers and hope that this was a wise precedent that will benefit Towson residents and taxpayers. I understand the county funding mechanics and have also witnessed nearly a decade of obstructionism. At some point, which seems to be now, investment from any executive is going to be directed towards other parts of the county willing to embrace improvements. It will be a shame if we… Read more »
Maybe the county doesn’t see the need to invest in roads in an area where nearly every development plan is shot down in favor of blight and commercial decline.
The continuing abandonment and deterioration of commercial space along York Road, especially at the northern and southern gateways, should be addressed in part with road improvements. The good old days of 1940s curb cuts, lack of businesses and business access, and narrow lanes is off track in 2016. Just look at the total disaster occurring along York Road between Burke and Towsontown. Anytime proposals for state highway improvements, York Road, are introduced, fear mongering, anti-university folks, and pro-blight protesters get their way and shut down progress. Roads and development go hand in hand. The state and county promote Smart Growth, not regressive decline.
The vocal minority, supported by Marks, fights hard to eliminate the prospects of growth and development, without compromise. Marks recent roads proposal, that would allow only a few individuals to interfere with public right of ways and stop needed work, doesn’t seem to align with his pleas here to get work done in Towson.
You cannot shut down nearly every project and then wave your finger at the county commissioner for not concentrating the county’s resources on more developments that will ultimately be denied in a non-democratic manner.
It’s a shame we have a County Executive who never outgrew his terrible twos.
I think this is a continuing scheme to subvert adequate public facility guidelines. It has been clear for some time that roads in many areas of the 5th district are not being maintained as pay back against David Marks. His crime is attending community meetings, standing with the neighborhoods and speaking for smart growth.
Is there evidence of a scheme?
Our executive quotes the transportation 2016 basic services map says there is no traffic problem in Towson http://resources.baltimorecountymd.gov/Documents/Public_Works/basicservices/2016/transmap2016pdf.pdf
It’s probably as accurate as the sewer map that says Towson has development capacity to add more sewerage into the Jones Falls Sewershed http://resources.baltimorecountymd.gov/Documents/Public_Works/basicservices/2016/sewermap2016.pdf
At the Towson Row groundbreaking I heard our executive promise “lots more is coming folks”. I believe him.
Is this revenge for Marks’s speaking out on the Royal Farms thing? Didn’t Kam promise to cut out Marks’s district if that didn’t go through?
Sure did.