Community urges county to acquire 6101 Falls Road, propose alternate trail alignment to protect Lake Roland

Speakers representing Lake Roland-area associations urged Baltimore County to acquire the privately owned property at 6101 Falls Road and add it to Lake Roland Park, citing public-safety, environmental and aesthetic concerns.

Why it matters: The site is on a floodplain and former industrial property, residents said. They asked the county to use Program Open Space funds to acquire the land rather than leaving it zoned for light industrial development they say is incompatible with the park and nearby homes.

Doug Munroe, speaking for the Lake Falls Association, described the Davie Tree property as an "eyesore" and a public-safety hazard and said a recent Phase II environmental study found contamination far less than originally feared. "Baltimore County can, we hope, abate the situation by acquiring the property and adding it to the park under the stewardship of the nature council," he said.

Jeffrey Budnitz and Matthew McGlone, leaders in local nature and neighborhood associations, also asked the county to prioritize acquisition and to provide resources for park maintenance and flood prevention. Budnitz requested Program Open Space funding for the Davy Tree parcel and continued funding for recreation and parks operations to support flooding mitigation and trail upkeep.

On trails, McGlone and others opposed a feasibility study recommendation to route a paved ADA-accessible segment of the Jones Falls Trail along Rollin Run, arguing that alignment would damage sensitive wetlands and increase flood risk. They asked public works to instead study an older Meadowood alignment that runs along a former rail bed and appears in adopted community planning documents.

Ending: Residents requested the county prioritize public acquisition of 6101 Falls Road and to halt further design work on the Rollin Run alignment until alternatives are fully evaluated.