Town of Cheverly - July 12,2018 Town Meeting

July 12,2018 Town Meeting


	Town of Cheverly Meeting Minutes July 12, 2018 Call to Order Meeting called to order at 8:00 pm in the Cheverly Community Center. In attendance: CMs, Ivey, Eldridge, Stewart, Garcia and MacKenzie Pledge of Allegiance Agenda/Approval/Changes Mayor Added item for discussion of Capital Plaza Shopping Center. Minutes – Town Meeting 6/14/18 Approved Minutes – Worksession 6/21/18 Approved • CM Stewart Motion to excuse CM Riazi. Seconded CM Ivey. Approved 5-0. Town Administrator’s Report Mr. Warrington we have started our FY19 Capital Improvement Program with the repaving of the upper part of Lake Avenue. We are prepping to have our first electronic car charging station down at the Department of Public Works. It is down by the ballfields. CM Eldridge can we get a reminder out to have people water the trees? Chief’s Report Chief Robshaw our crime rate was good for last month. We had 2 B&E’s a couple of weeks ago and we had neighbors identify the subjects and we made arrests on the next day. One of the biggest crimes in the region is gas station thefts, where they steal vehicles and/or take purses out of cars while people are pumping gas. Take your keys with you and make sure your purse is not easily reached. We have 2 mini-street meets due to a staff shortage. One will be on the 18^th at the Cheverly Methodist Church and on the 28^th during the Cheverly Community Market. The Chief’s Advisory Meeting met this week and we are working on a grant for youth and for Public Safety Day. We have 2 students in the Anne Arundel academy and one in the Prince George’s County Academy. CM Eldridge are the hit and runs on this crime report are these pedestrians or bicycles? Chief Robshaw no these are when someone finds that their vehicles have been hit and no one is around. Baltimore-Washington Parkway Discussion Mayor we want to have a public hearing to get citizen input on the new proposal from Governor Hogan. A letter of agreement to transfer the BW Parkway from the Department of Interior to the State of Maryland would include the State adding lanes and allowing truck traffic. Ms. Dembrwoski 6205 Lombard the BW Parkway goes through some extremely sensitive environmental areas. It is basically a park and doubling the road would destroy the area. It was never meant to be a highway and it was to be an alternative to Route 1. It is a unique road. Mr. Orlant 2601 Cheverly Avenue I see expanding the highway is a short sighted solution. Expanding it won’t give traffic congestion reduction. We have to increase our transit density and improve our mass transit. We need to fund Metro and the Purple line. Ms. Graves 2601 Cheverly Avenue and I was disabled by a car and we have too many cars in this area as it is. I could only see doctors in DC because I could not drive and could only get to doctors in DC via mass transit. Another issue is pollution and adding lanes will result in more air pollution. Ms. Shiela Salo 5607 Greenleaf Road the Parkway proposal will remove trees and vegetation that removes pollution. The 2012 study noted that there are areas that are environmentally sensitive. The 2012 study noted that neighborhoods were divided with the original Parkway and this would add to this division. We recommend that the Mayor and Council continue to try to protect this federal parkland. Ms. Barbara Solden Forest Road in Ward 2. I think we are struggling with a park with a roadway running through it and how do we address the mandate that created the park. What are the nature of the commuters and where are they going? How many of these drivers are just going to BWI or just going to Baltimore? If we can off load these drivers, would we alleviate the congestion? Perhaps a direct route to the airport. Ms. Denise Ryan Ward 1. I am here to offer myself as a resource. I have 20 years of experience with land resources and spent the last few years as Deputy Director of the National Park Service in the Obama administration. This is not just a local issue. The Parkway belongs to all Americans. The National Park Service is under funded by Congress and this is why they are considering moving it to the State. The 2012 study and on page 72 there are conclusions that should be considered and page 59 of the study notes that congestion will not be alleviated. It will be a lot of money and energy spent for nothing. I ask that the National Park Service and Department of Interior be required to apply the environmental impact requirements prior to transfer. Mr. Andre Sekowski Ward 1 on Belleview Avenue. None of the conclusions of the 2012 study criteria were positive. You will not get anywhere faster, just more cars on the road. I think letters to our Congressman for another study would be effective. Studies take several years to do. Mr. Dan Smith Ward 1 on Cheverly Avenue. I would concur that this is a terrible proposal. We need to do all we can to protect these large forest sites. I think we should strive for the Town to be a catalyst to address this problem. Ms. Dana Hall 59^th Place a benefit as a Federal employee is the subsidy I get in order to use the Metro and get to work. If we can get incentives in order to motivate people to use public transportation. Ms. Caryolyn Kneipp Ward 3 this is an obscene idea and I hope we can find a way to make it stop. CM Stewart read a statement for the record on the subject to be part of the record. Mayor we are currently reaching out to other communities to amplify our voices. CM Eldridge the State always complains about not having funding to maintain the infrastructure and now they are going to add to that cost. 70% of people in Prince George’s County have to leave the county to go to work. So, these funds should be used for more jobs in Prince George’s County. CM MacKenzie I have heard from constituents and they are all opposed. Someone asked about left lane enforcement for passing in order to keep traffic flowing. Noise is also an issue that the State has not addressed for Route 50 and this proposal will add to the noise pollution. CM Ivey I also oppose this project. This is not going to get the job done as noted in the feasibility study. CM Stewart I oppose this and I am still collecting feedback from my constituents. CM Garcia I do agree that I am opposed as well. Mayor if you look on our website you can find a News and Announcements where you can read the 2012 Study that I encourage you to read. Please look at the Workshops and if you can attend, please do so. It is important to know what they are trying to do on 270 and 495 because that is what they are going to do to the B-W Parkway. CM Eldridge I feel we need to address the transfer of ownership, which is the item on the table right now. Keeping the ownership with the National Park Service is very important. Recreation Council CM MacKenzie the Rec Council is on summer break. Their next meeting is in September for the building utilization. Green Infrastructure Committee Sheila Salo how are we doing on our Baywise yards? Ward 1 is ahead on yards certified. Go to our website at www.greencheverly.com to become Baywise Maryland Yardstick certified. Go to our website to find the information to get your yard certified. This Saturday we will be at the Market. Be wise, be Baywise. Cheverly Day Committee Mayor the Cheverly Day Committee is on summer break. Planning Board Report CM Eldridge the Planning Board talked about the Parkway. The next was the tree removal at the corner of Tuxedo and Kenilworth Avenue and that was part of their development plan. We talked about the Pointe and the Request for Proposals for development for a hotel. We discussed Capital Plaza and there were questions regarding the status of the Craftsman Press site. Citizen Input Capital Plaza Mayor I had a meeting this afternoon and there is a July 19^th meeting to finalize the DSP with the County and the Nelis Corporation. Our position on this is to support development at Capital Plaza. They are building 11,000 square foot buildings with businesses contained within. This development will break-up the concrete jungle and the buildings are four sided so they will look good from front and back. They will be planting shade, ornamental trees and shrubs to be 40% over the requirements. This is a very positive step. CM Stewart what ever happened to the proposed Pollo Comparo? Mayor I can tell you that Royal Farms is still moving forward on that site. Pollo Comparo tried to get this done and it was very difficult in getting through the zoning process and after $80,000 and 9 months they said we are out. Introduction O-4-18 Amending the Personnel Section Healthy Families Act Mr. Warrington the State has passed legislation regarding leave and the Town must amend its current Personnel code in order to be in compliance. We were very close to being in compliance, but this will be passed in September and will make us whole. CM MacKenzie we will also be looking a maternity and paternity leave. Mayor and Council Announcements CM MacKenzie The Farmer’s Market will be Saturday. We will be having story time at 10 am. We are also be doing CPR night on infants and youth on the 18^th. CM Stewart Peace Camp is Monday July 23-27^th beginning at 9 am. Go to www.lfp.org to register. CM Ivey on July 29^th at 2pm there will be a second ward celebration on Valley Way, but all are invited. Mayor at the August 9^th meeting we will be having a presentation regarding the traffic study we commissioned last year. For the Worksession we have the following items: Discussion – Taking a Position on the BW Parkway, Discussion – Changes to the Rental License Procedures, Update to Curbside Composting, Discussion – Building Use Requirements, Discussion – Employee Survey. Town of Cheverly Summary of Action July 12, 2018 MOTION CM Stewart Motion to excuse CM Riazi. Seconded CM Ivey. Approved 5-0.