Howard Councilwoman Terrasa Answers Questions From Patch Readers

Savage-Guilford Patch asked readers for questions they had for Howard County Counciwoman Jen Terrasa, who represents Savage, North Laurel, Jessup, Kings Contrivance and Owen Brown. The following questions were submitted and Terrasa said she answered them to the best of her ability:

1. Alison Dodge says: I'd love to hear [you] address the possible elementary school redistricting within our area (especially Guilford and Kings Contrivance), and how residents can weigh in on the decisions. We are very excited about the possibility of our neighborhood switching schools but it seems hard to navigate the decision-making process.

As a parent of three kids in the Howard County Public School System, I know school redistricting is something people have very strong feelings about. However, this is a decision which is made by the Board of Education without input from the County Council. Their process includes recommendations from both a citizen advisory committee and staff, a public hearing, and a number of work sessions. Because this is a decision made by a separately elected board, I recommend residents contact the Board of Education directly.

2. Lilah Haxton asks: I live in Kings Contrivance. I see a lot of vacant office and industrial space along Guilford Road. What is the county doing to attract businesses to the area?

I think Lilah raises an interesting question. As is often the case, we have staff, and in some cases whole departments, working on particular issues raised by a resident. In this case, I checked with the Department of Planning and Zoning (DPZ) and the Economic Development Authority (EDA) for answers to Lilah’s question.

According to DPZ, they generally don’t “hear from businesses looking for space until they've located a property they like and want confirmation on what the zoning permits or they inquire about the process for modifying the site. If we do get someone looking for space we'll contact EDA. We don't have a data base that identifies space that is available and on the market. If there are particular areas with higher vacancy rates, DPZ and EDA may want to confer on what types of businesses are good fits in terms of zoning - New Town zoning for Columbia is quirky.”

According to EDA, they use a database with details on vacant space in the county, however, they “rely on the property manager to post their information into the system. Once the information is captured we can query all available properties based on our clients specifications (such as ceiling height, size and type of space, proximity to certain roads etc). Typically, the client will choose several listings and we will visit the sites to find the right fit. It is important to keep in mind that companies looking for new space have several options and the current market is very competitive. If the property is not well-maintained or does not have modern amenities such as energy efficient lighting or A/C, the property may be passed over for more attractive options. It is the responsibility of the building owner or management firm to ensure the property is marketable.” 

3. Sharon S. from the Savage Community Association says: When Shane Pendergrass came around supporting [your] bid to be re-elected, they stopped by and asked if there was anything that we thought needed to be done in Savage. Having had three cars hit in front of our house, we suggested that the lane lines be re-painted on Baltimore Street, which still hasn't been done...

Sharon S. also asks: Additionally, after walking quite a bit through town, I've noticed that just about all of our crosswalk striping has either been paved over or just worn away. Specifically, the crosswalk at Foundry St. and Savage-Guilford Rd., and every cross street up Savage-Guilford Rd. that children are supposed to use when walking to school...

It is unfortunate that when the streets in Savage were repaved, the lane lines and . This comes up from time to time in different neighborhoods. Once the Department of Highways is notified that this has happened, it works to resolve the problem. I contacted the Chief of the Traffic Division of the Department of Highways who has assured me that the crosswalks will be replaced in the next month or so. This has taken longer than anticipated because of new ADA regulations put in place since the crosswalks were originally marked. These regulations require curb cuts and sidewalks at both ends of the crosswalk, which means that the  County is required to do more extensive work in conjunction with re-painting the crosswalks. 

We are looking into the lane line issue which is more complicated because sometimes there is disagreement among the residents along a particular street as to whether they want the lines painted on their street. This is something that surprised me when I first got on the Council. In this case, the Department of Highways is working to confirm that this is something the community supports.

4. Savage-Guilford Patch asks: Speed cameras became a contentious issue a couple of months ago, and they are set to spring up around school zones in Howard County. What kind of results do you expect to see, and what barometer will be measured to determine whether the program is working and cost-effective?

As many of you know, I was not a particular fan of speed cameras so I will be watching closely as they are put in use starting in October. Ultimately, I voted for the legislation because I believed the legislation as passed placed sufficient restraints on their use including limiting the program to 8 speed cameras initially and requiring close monitoring of the program. I also voted for the legislation because I believe that the cameras will slow people down, and the fines speeders pay will be used for other safety improvements throughout the County. Going forward, among other things, the County will be looking at ongoing speed surveys and community complaints as part of their continuing review.