The Monday Roundup

Lower Taxes for Laurel residents?

Could some Laurel resident be spared in paying $150,000 in taxes to the city and state?

According to a report, the Maryland Senate recently passed a bill that would stop  400 Laurel residents from paying city park taxes and the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission tax for the Prince George’s County.

Currently, about 400 residents in Laurel are being double taxed by the city and county.  One resident reported paying $1,443 in taxes each year to M-NCPPC and $4,410 to the city. Ouch!

According to the Laurel Leader:

As it is currently written, the law only excludes property defined in the city's corporate boundaries as of July 1, 1997. The bill, introduced by Laurel's District 21 Sen. James Rosapepe, would amend the law to also exclude "any single-family real property annexed by the city of Laurel from July 2, 1997 to July 1, 2011."

According to The Gazette:

This year's amended bill passed in the Senate on March 29 and is now being considered by the House Rules and Executive Nominations Committee. If approved, the legislation would take effect July 1 and could mean about $150,000 in combined annual taxes the 400 households no longer have to pay M-NCPPC.

Spotlight on the Lovely Ladies of Laurel

Lovely Ladies of Laurel, a mentoring group for young women, was featured in the past week's Laurel Leader.  The group aims to empower young women through community service and exposure to state and federal government.  Several of the women have gone on to successful college careers.  Read more on the story here.

Laurel Outreach Program Finds New Home

After a year of renovations, the Laurel Advocacy Referral Service is set to move back into its home at 311 Laurel Ave.

The nonprofit organization, which provides food, clothing, eviction prevents, and utility assistant, is looking to boost its visibility in the community where its been since 1999.  Read more about efforts the organization  is undertaking to help area residents here.

A Fond Farewell: St. Vincent Pallotti Principle To Step Down After 36 Years

It's the end of the road for Stephen Edmonds, St. Vincent Pallotti High School principal who recently announced he would be stepping down from his position at the private school in July.  But before students, staff, and parents run to their tissue boxes, Edmonds told The Gazette that he'll still be sticking around the school as its  president emeritus and in a part-time advisory role.  Read more about Edmonds semi-departure here.

Expansion Of North Laurel Apartment Complex In Limbo

A 140 apartment unit expansion to the Ashbury Courts complex in North Laurel has been benched by the Howard County Council reports the Laurel Leader.

Reps for Patriot Reality, which owns the complex, had been trying to increase the project's density to attract retailers. Due to competition from the surrounding area, commercial space at the complex is only operating at 20 percent capacity.  Read more here.

Could Construction On Konterra Be looming?

The Washington Post reported that Maryland agreed to pay $74 million in road/highway improvements to settle a lawsuit brought about from the developers of Konterra, a multi-billion dollar mixed-use development planned to set just outside the City of Laurel.

The feud was over land owned my the developers of Konterra needed by the state to finish the Intercounty Connector near its end point in Laurel at I-95/Route 1. 

So what does this mean for the project?  Because the developer and the state have been bickering since 2007 about infrastructure upgrades including possible access from I-95 and the ICC, some see this agreement as a major hurdle that's not in the rearview mirror.

According to the Post:

Under the preliminary agreement, Konterra will deed the property to the state and the highway administration will construct an interchange at Contee Road that will cost $44 million; the state will pay Prince George’s $30 million to rebuild Virginia Manor Road. The work is supposed to be completed by 2015.