Howard County Office of Sustainability Townhall (Wed. 10/23/24 @ 6:30 pm)

Howard County's Office of Community Sustainability will host a Sustainability Townhall in the Emerson Clubhouse on Wed., Oct. 23, 2024 at 6:30 pm.

The purpose of the Office of Community Sustainability is to coordinate a comprehensive approach that addresses environmental, economic, and social needs, to include managing the effects of climate change.

Come hear leaders of the department explain what they are doing and ask your questions. Learn what we can do as individuals and as a community to promote a healthy future!

To get started, go to their web page at Live Green Howard:

https://livegreenhoward.com

The overall goals of Live Green Howard are to:

• Increase Howard County residents’ knowledge about local sustainability issues.
• Increase Howard County residents’ participation in Howard County government and non-government sustainability projects.
• Collect Howard County government sustainability and environmental programs in one online location, LiveGreenHoward.com.

Howard County Sustainability Town Hall

Date: Wed: October 23, 2024
Time: 6:30 pm
Location: Emerson Clubhouse, 8400 Upper Sky Way, Laurel, MD 20723

Public Info Session: Gorman/Skylark Roundabout 10/22/24 @ 5 pm

Howard County has scheduled a public information session for the proposed Gorman/Skylark Roundabout, on Tue. 10/22/24 from 5-6:30 pm at Murray Middle School.

This is what you will find if you go to the link and search for 09J under Public Works:

https://apps.howardcountymd.gov/Signcode/

Sign Code: 09J

Project Name: Gorman Road/Skylark Boulevard Roundabout
Project Request: The goal of the project is to enhance traffic operations and safety for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists in North Laurel by converting the stop-controlled intersection to a single-lane roundabout. The project also includes marked crosswalks and bicycle treatments, which provide cyclists approaching the roundabout the option to exit at bicycle ramps and use the proposed pathway. The preliminary design plans will be available for public viewing, and County staff will be available to answer any questions and gather public comments. There will not be a formal presentation.
Project Address: Gorman Road/Skylark Boulevard Intersection
Project City: Laurel
Project State: 
Zipcode: 20723

Meeting Date: 10/22/2024 12:00:00 AM
Meeting Time: 5-6:30pm
Meeting Place: Murray Hill Middle School
Meeting Address: 9989 Winter Sun Road

DPW Bureau/Division: Engineering/Transportation & Special Projects
Contact Name: Caitlin Kovel
Contact Phone: 410-313-6142

Tell HoCo: Reporting Issues to Howard County

For those who may not be aware, Howard County allows residents to report maintenance issues to County Government via the Tell HoCo service on the SeeClickFix platform (available as both a web form and a mobile app).

• Tell HoCo

This service lets you report anything from trash along the road to broken traffic signs, and you get automated acknowledgments and updates.

Tell HoCo should be used for any County-maintained roads or facilities. (As an FYI however, all numbered roads are maintained by the State of Maryland.)

For example, here's a broken stop sign that I reported in the past few weeks that was fixed after about a week:

Tire tracks make it obvious what happened to this sign

Some of the Categories of items that can be reported to Howard County

Emerson Master HOA News

You may have seen the weekly newsletters from the Emerson Master HOA, but there are a number of significant items that I felt would be good to collect in one place:

1. Emerson has a new on-site General Manager, Jose Palacios, who has prior experience with managing a large HOA. Contact information has been updated on our web site.
• Steffanie Nollie will remain involved with Emerson as the Portfolio Manager, but now will guide multiple properties. 
• Lisa Fields is the assistant manager for Emerson HOA.
2. Demolition of the old Clubhouse was supposed to start last week and is expected to take 3-4 weeks.
1. The crews were to start at 7 AM which is the earliest permitted under Howard County noise regulations (quiet hours are 10 PM to 7 AM).
2. The Emerson Front Office will temporarily relocate to the Maryland main office down the road at 8920 Stephens Road, Suite 101. They will still be reachable at the same office number (301-317-4044).
1. Many issues that are the jurisdiction of Howard County can be reported via Tell HoCo or on the non-emergency line for police, fire, and EMS (410-313-2200).
2. Power, gas , and street lighting outages should be reported to BGE.
3. The Clubhouse rebuild will be led by Project Manager Antonio Cruz, who is also Vice President of Construction for Knott Realty. The General Contractor will be Whiting Turner. The Architect is DCS Design (Davis Carter Scott) and they have posted a web page with the design.
4. Emerson Master HOA Board:

Stephens Road Bridge Construction

The construction of the new Stephens Road Bridge, which raises it 8-10 feet out of the floodplain, is nearing completion.

Stephens Road will be closed during working hours 7 AM - 5 PM the next two days (Wednesday and Thursday, 11/3/21 - 11/4/21) for construction of the new traffic medians. Information is available on a voice recording by calling Howard County at 410-313-3638.

Photos of the construction are also available on Howard County's Web Site:

• Stephens Road Bridge (Project J-4202) Construction Photos (10/7/21)

From Howard County Transportation Department Web Site:

Content

Update (Aug. 2021)

Phase 2 of the capital project (construction of western half of the bridge) is currently underway. The bridge deck concrete pour is complete; remaining work includes: superstructure, roadway fill, paving and sidewalk along the southbound portion which is to be completed by the end of August. 

Vehicular traffic is scheduled to be shifted to the newly built portion of roadway in early September to allow the contractor to build the sidewalk along the northbound portion and finish grading of the shoulder areas.  In early October, the contractor will complete the concrete median areas. This project also includes rehabilitation and grading of the existing storm water management facility behind the Hammonds Promise Overlook community. The entire project is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2021.

Recent construction photos can be found here:

• Stephens Construction Photos

Replacement of the existing bridge over the Hammond Branch of the Little Patuxent River.  Included in the project is continuous sidewalk construction along both sides of Stephens between Whiskey Bottom Road and Gorman Road.  Bicycle accommodation along roadway is also included.

• Estimated cost of project: $5-10M
• Actual construction start: Summer 2020
• Estimated construction completion: Fall/Winter 2021

Displays presented at 3/7/2018 public meeting can be found here: 

• Display 1: Stephens Road Improvements
• Display 2: Stephens Road Typical Section

Howard County, MD Ranked #8 in US Healthiest Counties

US News and World Report has ranked Howard County, MD (where our Autumn Walk at Emerson community is located) as the #8 healthiest county in the United States, from among almost 3000 communities rated in 2021.

This is the highest ranking in Maryland with Montgomery County coming in second at #65. (Though two counties in Northern Virginia, Falls Church and Loudon are #3 and #4 respectively.)

To read more:

• Howard County, MD at US News & World Report
• Howard County Ranks #8 as 2021 Healthiest Community (Patch.com)

Columbia, MD #5 on Money's Best Places to Live for 2020

Autumn Walk at Emerson is located adjacent to Columbia, MD which has perennially been a top pick in Money Magazines "Best Places to Live in America" lists for more than a decade, including taking the top spot in 2016. Columbia and Howard County define much of the quality of life for our community including the top-rated schools, a safe environment, and a diverse community.

For 2020, Columbia was ranked #5 in the US (and tops in Maryland). Their introduction to Columbia states:

"A mainstay on our Best Places to Live list, Columbia ranked 20th last year and took the top spot in 2016. This suburban town’s enduring appeal is the result of its racially and economically diverse population and its proximity to both Baltimore (15 miles away) and Washington, D.C. (22 miles). It helps that housing in the community is relatively affordable for the region."

These factors are among the reasons many of us chose to live here: proximity to jobs and amenities in a welcoming community with good schools.

Autumn Walk at Emerson News 8/24/20

1. Stephens Road Bridge Project: Closure next week o/a 8/30/20
2. Night Hours: After 10 PM
3. Welcome new neighbors!
4. Landscaping & Maintenance
5. Clubhouse Plans Revealed 8/27/20
6. Emerson Food Trucks: Wed, Fri, Weekends
7. Emerson Upgrades & Initiatives (driven by Emerson Community volunteers)
8. Hammond High School: $76M Renovation/Expansion Has Begun

News Items August 2020:

1. Stephens Road Bridge Project: Closure on/about Sunday 8/30/20 

• Stephens Road to close for about a week to relocate water/sewer lines during work hours (7 AM - 4 PM)
• Afterwards, construction of new bridge to begin, may take as long as 2 years
• Project lifts the bridge out of the floodplain (raising it 7-8 feet). Will also widen Stephens, add sidewalks, and add a median for traffic calming.
• Will have two spans, so for the most part should always have one span open without major detours
• Full info at bottom

2. Day/Night Hours: After 10 PM

Howard County Charter Review Commission

Although the Howard County Charter seems like a dry topic, there are a number of important items being considered for possible inclusion on the ballot in 2020, including:

• Changing the number of Howard County Council Districts (for example, from 5 to 7)
• Giving the Council the ability to delete, or increase or decrease, line items in the Executive's budget
• Requiring that the County either limit future proposed projects to the funding projects for future years (such as schools and swimming pools), or at least state what the expected revenue will be in those years

Input can be provided directly to the Charter Review Commission at any time via email:

• charterreviewcommission@howardcountymd.gov

The meetings are also open to the public and there may be an additional 4th Public Hearing later this year.

Just a sampling of the topics that have been considered this year are listed below:

Water Meter Replacement Program

Howard County is expecting to replace 45,000 meters located inside homes to upgrade them to a new technology over the next 3 years.

• Howard County has contracted with Keystone Utility Systems which will mail residents and businesses to schedule an appointment to access the meters.
• Keystone's meter replacement personnel will have uniforms and Howard County-issued photo IDs.

When you receive your notice:

• Call 1-877-587-2279 to schedule an appointment.
• Appointments are available Monday - Friday from 8 am to 5 pm.
• Saturday appointments are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
• Ensure that the meter is accessible by clearing obstructions around the water meter area.
• Have someone 18 years old or older present to admit the water meter installer.

For more information, visit the Bureau of Utilities' water meter replacement page:

• http://bit.ly/HoCoWaterMeterReplacement

Stop Sign Repair: Tell HoCo

Howard County has a service called Tell HoCo that lets residents track and report issues that require the County's attention.

You can quickly report an item needing repair or some other County action, without needing to know the specific department or office to route the request to.

A dispatcher will log in the request and assign it to the appropriate group, and you can then track the issue on the web site (as well as see what other items have been submitted in your area).

When someone hit a stop sign on our street in the middle of the night this summer, it was propped back up but not replaced.

We finally submitted a Tell HoCo ticket over 2 months later - and it was replaced within 3 days.

Special Emerson Town Hall with HoCo Executive 9/24/19

Emerson held a Special Town Hall with Howard County Executive Dr. Calvin Ball in the Emerson Clubhouse on Tuesday, September 24, 2019 from 7 PM to 9 PM.

Dr. Ball also brought many of his senior leadership team and Department Heads with him to answer a wide-ranging set of questions (posted below for easy reference).

The video feed was also broadcast live to the external Emerson Facebook Page and to the Emerson Forum:

• https://www.facebook.com/emersoncommunityassociation/videos/2317221785208611/

Some highlights:

Howard County Focus on the Route 1 Corridor

Savage County Association (SCA) and Howard County Citizens Association (HCCA) are hosting all of the candidates for Howard County Council in Districts 1 and 2, as well as our District 3, in an open forum to discuss the revitalization of the Route 1 Corridor.

Date: Monday, Oct. 22, 2018
Time: 7 PM
Location: Carroll Baldwin Hall, 9035 Baltimore St., Savage, MD 20763

Expected attendees are:

• District 1: Raj Kathuria, Liz Walsh
• District 2: Opel Jones, John Liao
• District 3: Christiana Rigby

You can get reminders and updates by clicking the "Interested" button on the Facebook event:

• Howard County Focus on Route 1

Howard County has awarded a $300K contract to RKG Associates, a DC-based consultancy, to assist in revising the Master Plan for the Route 1 Corridor (which the Department of Planning and Zoning considers to be the part of Howard County east of I-95).

To see the scope of the work envisioned by DPZ, you can read the RFP for this contract:

• Master Pan for Route 1 Corridor Consulting Services (RFP No. 14-2018)

A summary of the RFP's goals:

Forest Conservation Easements

One of the distinguishing characteristics of Howard County is the extensive 2600 acres set aside as green open space that supports a wide variety of wildlife and also plays a critical role in floodwater management.

(According to Howard County, soil beneath a mature forest can absorb 14 times the stormwater of a mowed grass lawn.)

Reforestation Areas
Since the 1970s new developments in Howard County have been required to set a certain percentage of their land area aside for open space.

Included within that preserved land are forest conservation easements managed by Howard County Recreation and Parks, though this only directly affects a few of our houses in Autumn Walk.

Sometimes also called reforestation areas, these tree-filled lands are embedded within our communities, but as a rule neither homeowners nor HOAs are permitted to alter them.

Storm Damage (Maintenance of Reforestation Areas)
Last month Winter Storm Riley's highly unusual sustained winds of over 30 mph (with gusts over 70 mph) toppled trees in the rain-softened ground throughout the region, as well as taking off shingles, siding, and other exterior items.

The question arose prior to the storm of who can address storm-related issues in the reforestation areas:

Autumn Walk (Early) Spring Update

80-degree days in February make it feel like Spring has already arrived, so here's a quick (Early) Spring 2018 Update:

• Autumn Walk Welcome Committee
• Spring Clean-Up
• Autumn Walk Entrance Sign Construction
• Stephens Road Bridge Project

If you have any other ideas or see issues that need to be addressed, please contact us at autumnwalkhoa@gmail.com.

1. Welcome Committee

The new Autumn Walk Welcome Committee put together a lovely basket for our newest neighbors Melody and Jim, to make sure they are welcomed to our community.

Maryland Homestead Tax Credit

There are two Maryland programs that can provide tax relief on your property taxes.

1. Maryland Homestead Tax Credit

The Maryland Homestead Tax Credit limits the amount by which your property tax assessment can increase on your principal residence to 10% or less each year. (The limit in Howard County is presently set to 5% per year.)

Rising Assessments

What this means is that when your house is reassessed (roughly every 3 years), even if the value of the assessment increases sharply, the amount of the property tax you pay will be limited to increasing by no more than 5% a year in Howard County. Typically the increases are phased in over a 3-year period.

The law was enacted to prevent sharply rising property values from causing financial difficulties for long-time residents, especially retirees on fixed incomes.

But You Must Apply

The caveat is that the Maryland Homestead Tax Credit is not applied to your residence unless you submit an application. But once approved the credit is automatically applied each year afterwards.

If you're unsure of the status of your Homestead Credit, you can check your property in the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation SDAT Real Property Database.

You can apply by mail or online:

• Application Form (PDF)
• Online Application

2. Homeowners' Property Tax Credit Program

A separate, much less well-known program called the Homeowners' Property Tax Credit limits your property taxes on your primary residence based upon income thresholds.

Since your net worth must also be below $200,000 (not including your residence and retirement accounts) and combined gross household income must be below $60,000 this program most likely would have the biggest benefit if you suffer a sudden, unexpected financial issue such as job loss.

Also, this affects only the taxes from the first $300,000 of assessment valuation.

The maximum property tax varies as household income increases:

Howard County Performing Comprehensive Review of Zoning Regulations

Howard County Department of Planning & Zoning (DPZ) sponsored a very informative session on the comprehensive review of Zoning Regulations on Wed. Mar. 29 at North Laurel Community Center (NLCC).

There will be a year-long process of public engagement and feedback sessions, plus written input will be welcomed.

More information (and eventually a feedback submission link) will be at:

https://www.howardcountymd.gov/regulationassessment

• In Phase 1, zoning documents will be examined over the next year with the intent to recommend ways to:

- simplify the code,
- make it easier to read and understand, and
- make sure it has the right tools to either preserve the existing character of zones (e.g., the rural west) or help a zone achieve its intended goal, as defined in Howard County plans approved by the Council.

• In Phase 2, the regulations would be rewritten.

• Specific to our area, a Route 1 planning study will also be done at the end of the year running concurrent with the zoning regulations review.

---

Details:

1. HoCo will conduct a new Route 1 study to plan revitalization in late 2017 or early 2018. 

Overview: Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (APFO) Recommendations

One of the topics of the November meeting of the Southern Howard County Civic Association (SHCCA) covered the recommendations provided to the Howard County Executive by a task force convened in 2015 to consider changes to the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (APFO).

APFO was enacted in 1992 to slow the exploding growth of housing in Howard County, and to ensure that public infrastructure (schools and roads) were capable of handling growth.

It defines criteria ("tests") for determining when developers must provide funds or mitigations to prevent school overcrowding and road congestion.

There wasn't sufficient time to completely cover the topic, but highlights are provided below and Howard County's Department of Planning and Zoning (DPZ) Jeff Bronow is willing to meet with the community again if there is interest.

Highlights:

Howard County Officials to Discuss Route 1 Revitalization and APFO on Nov. 1

(Please note that although both topics are on the same agenda, APFO addresses congestion from new housing in all of Howard County and not just the Route 1 Corridor.)

Howard County officials will be the guests at the next meeting of the Southern Howard County Civic Association (SHCCA) on November 1st at 6:30 PM in the North Laurel Community Center (NLCC).

• Howard County Department of Planning and Zoning (DPZ) 
• Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (APFO) Task Force 

There will be two topics:

• 7:00 PM: Route 1 Revitalization
• 7:45 PM: Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (APFO)

Date: Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016 [add to Facebook calendar]

Time: 6:30 PM

Location: North Laurel Community Center (NLCC), 9411 Whiskey Bottom Road, Laurel, MD 20723

At this meeting Howard County will provide an overview of the review committee's recommendations for the first major changes to APFO since 1992, which govern what contributions developers must make for schools, roads, and other public infrastructure to account for the increased burdens created by growth.

The committee spent hundreds of hours over the course of 2015-2016 discussing the changes and this is your chance to understand the recommendations in a condensed form.

These recommendations are expected to form the basis for discussions between the Howard County Executive and the County Council when they consider making changes to the law over the next year.

To learn more about APFO, go to Howard County's web site at:

https://www.howardcountymd.gov/About-HoCo/County-Executive/Adequate-public-facilities-ordinance-task-force

Related Posts:

• Howard County Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (APFO) Overview (1/12/16)

"No Parking" Signs

The Howard County Fire Marshal is expected to install "No Parking" signs along the traffic island within the next month. This will create fire lanes to ensure that emergency vehicles can get through.

Once the signs are installed, cars can be ticketed for parking along the islands.