…the next time you go to the MGM National Harbor 
casino, your money won’t be the only thing you’ll be risking.
Sure, we all appreciate the taxes the MGM National Harbor casino is paying to help fund improvements to public education in Prince George’s County. Why wouldn’t we? But that money doesn’t give them the right or permission to do whatever they please, with reckless disregard for public safety.
At 9:30 AM on Wednesday, January 23, the Prince George’s County Zoning Hearing Examiner is having a hearing to determine whether or not the Zoning Examiner will recommend to the County Council that the MGM National Harbor should be allowed an exemption from state law that forbids smoking in casinos. Why should they be given an exemption?
Speaking of casinos – referring to the previous post – we’ve been hearing from people in Prince George’s County for more than a year now about the MGM National Harbor. And they aren’t contacting us to complain about the gambling. Even people we’ve talked to who are opposed to legalized gambling in general are willing to consider it a necessary evil to help fund badly needed improvements to county schools.
A couple of months ago – before it occurred to us that we should have a website – one of us heard from a friend of his who knew somebody who lives in Baltimore in the neighborhood called “Pigtown” near the stadiums. We’ll call her “Mary,” because that’s actually her name.
Mary had heard about Local Initiatives and asked if we could do anything about the homeless people living under the Russell St. ramp.
Hi. This article was first published in the Carroll County Times on November 30, 2017…
According to Google Maps, the distance from Eldersburg to 10300 Mill Run Circle in Owings Mills is 10.5 miles. More or a less a straight shot east, down Liberty Road.
Thanksgiving, November 23, 2017
To make sure local government is paying attention to the concerns of the people it serves, EvenBetterPlaces.org conducts online surveys – like the one we’re now running about high density residential and large store commercial development in Carroll County, Maryland.
Maybe, just maybe the current version of the “Freedom Community Comprehensive Plan” isn’t quite ready for prime time.
The Board of Commissioners is considering whether or not to approve the Freedom Community Comprehensive Plan developed by the County’s Planning Department and endorsed by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
The property runs along Liberty Road, between Georgetown Blvd. on the left and Homeland Drive on the right. (Most of it looks like a giant right foot.) Those are the Homeland Condominium buildings running along the left edge of Homeland Drive.
“Degrees of freedom” is a mathematical term for the number of factors that affect a given outcome.
“Oh geez. Is there going to be quiz at the end of this article?”
No. Don’t worry. This is a pass-fail post and you’ve already passed just by showing up and reading it.
Carroll County’s Director of Planning, Phil Hager
No form of government or implementation of that form is perfect. Of course not, but Carroll County has a particular combination of problems, three of them to be precise, that are conspiring to adversely affect its development and growth.
To be clear, the problem isn’t personnel. The career staff in the government and the elected and appointed officials are good, hardworking, dedicated public servants. Some of them more effective, better at what they do than others, but individuals are not the problem. No. The problem is structural and the good news is that it can be fixed in relatively short order.
Are you feeling threatened by a Comprehensive Plan that would increase residential density and encourage large, “Big Box Store” commercialization in Eldersburg?
Does it seem like the County’s planners are going to do what they want to the community where you live – whether you like it or not?
Long story short…
Hi. The issue on the table is the Planning Department’s reliance upon Big Box Store commercialization in Eldersburg as a means for growing Carroll County. They should be concentrating on bringing business and manufacturing employers to the County, but commercialization is much easier and faster.
To encourage you to attend Commissioner Doug Howard’s Town Hall Meeting, we’re running this ad this Labor Day weekend in the Carroll County Times…
Just click on the link above to see it. And tell your family, friends and neighbors to see you there! (Details are in the ad.)