Projects: Community Enhancements

While enhancing and preserving overall characteristics of the community are addressed throughout the Community Plan, this section focuses on specific upgrading and face lifting opportunities. Essentially, two areas present themselves for upgrading types of improvement:

• The public domain areas such as the roads, roadsides and bridges as well as the light rail corridor.
• The small-scale commercial centers throughout the community.

Over the years the roads, bridges and light rail corridor have been upgraded with maintenance efforts. However, further coordination between the community, the county, the state, and the MTA would provide even greater impact. Examples include standardization of the materials used in fencing, guardrails, sidewalks, curbing, and regular maintenance plans. The commercial centers would benefit immeasurably from a coordinated revitalization effort. Currently, many of these commercial centers are pursuing a “village center” strategy with help from supportive county and state agencies. This has resulted in enhancements such as pedestrian-friendly streetscapes, multi-material crosswalks, lighting and street furniture such as benches, trash receptacles and planters.

Summary of Goals:

• Seek the support of county and state programs including those provided by the County Office of Community Conservation and the State Highway Administration’s Office of Environmental Design.
• Foster cooperative ventures between the community, local businesses and government agencies.
• Continually monitor the community for opportunities for improvements.

Issues & Actions:

Issue #1: Opportunities for community enhancement are not seized due to a lack of awareness and/or a lack of knowledge about how to pursue such opportunities

Action 1.1 [RRLRAIA board] Establish an Enhancement Committee (EC) to identify and pursue community beautification and revitalization projects and funding.

Issue #2: Commercial centers are increasingly congested, often lack a cohesive appearance, and are not pedestrian friendly. Some areas such as Lake Falls, Ruxton Village and Charles Street Village have initiated efforts to revitalize and upgrade the commercial centers. Following is a brief description of current revitalization efforts and prospects:

Ruxton Village Center/Graul’s Market: (Bellona Avenue from Malvern Road to Berwick Road) Exploratory meetings have taken place to determine resources and to propose several improvements to the village area. Because the village lies along both county and state roads as well as the light rail track, a combined effort between the county, the State Highway Administration, the MTA and the community is warranted. The Baltimore County Office of Community Conservation has agreed to coordinate this joint effort and future meetings are currently scheduled which involve the above mentioned parties, as well as local businesses and residents. Improvement efforts will be focused on:

• Creating a cohesive, attractive village center
• Developing a pedestrian friendly village core
• Designing safer traffic flow — ingress/egress and parking
• Installing continuous sidewalks & crosswalks linking businesses
• Introducing street furniture (benches, planters, trash receptacles, lamp posts)
• Landscaping select areas throughout village center and particularly along light rail track

Charles Street Village Center/Eddie’s Market: (Charles Street from Stevenson Lane to Bellona Avenue) Community members have hired a planning consultant and sponsored several meetings with county officials, SHA and business owners. The SHA is working with a community task force to explore possible improvements to Charles Street including:

• Creating a cohesive, attractive market center
• Discouraging “big box” development
• Improving exit/entrance configuration
• Limiting late night hours
• Reducing crime
• Establishing attractive landscaping
• Improving pedestrian and bicycle access
• Conforming to Scenic Route/Scenic Byways guidelines

Lake Falls Village: (Falls Road and Lake Avenue Intersection) The Greater Falls Road Neighborhoods Task Force, Inc. (which concerns itself with improvements to Falls Road from Northern Parkway to the beltway) is the impetus behind enhancement efforts at the Lake and Falls Road intersection. This group of associations is working to create business/neighborhood dialog and coordinate state/county/city-funding aimed at:

• Conforming to Scenic Route/Scenic Byways guidelines
• Keeping signs attractive and to a minimum
• Encouraging landscaping which brings cohesiveness to the area
• Limiting late night hours
• Reducing crime
• Expanding its friendly outdoor cafe scene
• Improving sidewalks and crosswalks
• Creating usable bicycle lanes and trails
• Establishing an attractive Robert E. Lee Park entryway
• Erecting a Robert E. Lee Park mural
• Studying the MTA’s push for a larger light rail station parking lot
• Creating an east-side Falls Road bicycle and pedestrian lane, linking Lake Falls Village and the Bare Hills Commercial Village
• Reducing Falls Road speed limit between Lake Falls Village and the Bare Hills Commercial Village

The Bare Hills Commercial Village: (Falls Road from Clarkview Road to Old Pimlico Road) This hodgepodge commercial center is located on Falls Road (a state road designated both a county Scenic Route and a state Scenic Byway) and is eligible for enhancement assistance from SHA and MTA, as well as county improvements. The Falls Road Scenic Route Group has joined with the Greater Falls Road Neighborhoods Task Force to encourage:

• Reducing and coordinating signage
• Encouraging facade improvements
• Encouraging attractive renovation
• Improving landscaping and buffering
• Creating pedestrian access
• Discouraging zoning variances along Falls Road
• Conforming to Scenic Route/Scenic Byways guidelines

Riderwood Village: This small commercial center has recently been cosmetically refurbished.

• Revitalization might be limited to landscaping and sidewalk upgrades.
• Planning assistance would have to come from Baltimore County Office of Community Conservation or a private consultant paid for by the businesses and/or community.

Action 2.1 [EC] Track progress of task forces involved in revitalization or beautification projects and evaluate any requests for assistance from such groups. Make recommendations to RRLRAIA board regarding such requests

Action 2.2 [EC] Maintain and distribute list of resources for neighborhood associations and task forces attempting to sponsor enhancement projects

Issue #3: Effective neighborhood and community associations are an essential factor in any community revitalization effort. Having a community facility for meetings, offices and resource files would enhance the RRLRAIA ability to receive input, facilitate committee work, and operate effectively. Such an opportunity has presented itself to the Association.

Action 3.1 [EC] Work with the ad-hoc committee to explore the “yellow house” options across from the Riderwood Post Office. If that option is unacceptable, pursue other options to develop an association office and community meeting place which is controlled by the RRLRAIA. One such option would be as part of a larger adaptive reuse of the Ruxton Ridge School which the County plans to close.

Issue #4: Ridge School is likely to be closed and possibly torn down by the County.

Action 4.1 [EC] Monitor status of Ruxton Ridge School from county schools officials. Let them know that the community is interested in the disposition of the property and lobby for inclusion of community input in the disposal of county owned property and buildings in the community.

Action 4.2 [EC] Consider forming a task force to develop adaptive reuse options for the buildings and/or property. Include property neighbor(s) on task force.

Issue #5: Land adjacent to county and state roads is not always well maintained. These areas, especially at the entrances to the community, can either diminish or enhance the community appearance.

Action 5.1 [EC] Propose to RRLRAIA Board that association dues be used to hire landscape contractor to maintain key areas around the community.

Action 5.2 [EC] Insure that minimal standards of maintenance are enforced. Notify state and county roads supervisors regarding substandard maintenance.

Action 5.3 [EC] Identify islands near the community entrances that could be landscaped. Solicit neighborhood sponsors or local business sponsors to work with the county and state roads to design, plant and maintain landscaping in these locations.

Issue #6: MTA is proceeding with the addition of a second light rail track from the Ruxton Road bridge north to the Beltway. They are developing plans to screen and enhance the tracks in conjunction with the track installation.

Action 6.1 [EC] Have a community member (familiar with landscape design) review plans prior to final design.