Citizens urge sidewalks, stormwater fixes, senior center funding and other local projects at CIP input meeting

The Baltimore County Planning Board's citizen input meeting for the fiscal 2027-2032 capital improvement program drew more than two dozen public speakers on Oct. 16, who urged funding for sidewalks, stormwater and drainage projects, senior-center facilities, road improvements and park projects.

Planning staff member Chris Weaver opened with a summary of the CIP process: the six-year capital program is updated annually, the capital budget is the program's first year, and funding commonly comes from general obligation bonds, metropolitan district bonds, special assessments and outside grants. Weaver emphasized that the Planning Board's citizen input meeting is the first formal step in the process; agency requests are collected and the planning board's recommendations are forwarded to the budget office, county executive and County Council as the program advances.

Speakers called attention to a range of local needs. Key public requests reported to the board included:

- A sidewalk and crosswalk on Stevenson Lane at Charles Street to improve pedestrian access to Lake Roland Park; speakers from the Lake Roland community said the county's community-plan process had required the project be included and asked that funding be designated for it.

- Continued pursuit of a feasibility study and funding pathway tied to the Planning Board's recommendation to change Manor Center's water designation (W7 to W3); public commenters and earlier staff remarks indicated a $500,000 study figure was being discussed but county departments have not programmed funds for the study.

- A $15 million, three-year request from Liberty Senior Center advocates for a new facility to accommodate sharply increased membership and program attendance.

- Road and safety improvements for Ebenezer Road (public requests cited an estimated $2.1 million for design and construction of turn lanes, intersection upgrades and pedestrian/bicycle facilities to address congestion and crashes).

- Funding for disc-golf facilities at county parks, including an additional $100,000 for Reisterstown Regional Park and restoration work at Silver Creek Park in Pikesville.

- Replacement or major repair of aging water mains in communities reporting repeated breaks and flooding (West Twin River community speakers described more than 21 water-main breaks in recent years and requested replacement funding).

- Historic-structure stabilization at Cromwell Valley Park (a request in the $1.2 million to $1.5 million range to stabilize the Merrick bank barn and related buildings) and funding requests for the Natural History Society museum renovation (a requested county contribution of $1.5 million cited by society representatives).

- Requests for improvements at Randallstown Aquatic Center dressing rooms, expanded parking and park additions in Reisterstown, traffic calming and lighting in multiple neighborhoods, and community-space proposals such as an Owings Mills youth and family center.

Speakers included neighborhood association leaders, nonprofit representatives and county park and community advocates. Several speakers noted coordination needs with state agencies on state roads (for example, Charles Street is a state road) and emphasized that some projects already appear in adopted community plans.

The Planning Board closed the citizen input portion after the scheduled speakers; staff said agency requests would be collected and processed into the CIP update, which will be reviewed by the board and then by the county executive and County Council as part of the annual budget schedule.