The Finksburg News Finksburg Planning Area Council, Inc. Newsletter

To Promote A Finksburg Community, Whose Objective Is To Preserve The Fundamental Quality Of Life Where Farms, Families And Businesses May Coexist In A Manner Beneficial To All

 

The Drought and Your Well

Officer Elections in April

 

Next General Meeting Date of the Finksburg Planning Area Council: Thursday, April 25^th at 7 PM

Where: Sandymount United Methodist Church Meeting Hall, 2101 Old Westminster Pike, Finksburg

"One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics

is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.."

                                                                                                                        Plato

April Meeting: All of the Finksburg Community is on wells. Our groundwater resources are at the lowest point for many years. What, if anything can we do about it?

The Carroll County Hydrologist, Tom Devilbis, has been on the job more than 15 years and has an educated idea of where we are and where we may be heading. While the County Commissioners have largely ignored the state of Drought we are in, other Communities are taking action to conserve the most basic of our resources. Tom will have a professional presentation on Water 101 for at our next meeting and will take questions from the audience. Some FPAC Board members saw Tom’s presentation a month ago in Westminster and have praised it’s quality and depth and his ability to make the complicated seem practical. The State has enacted Drought Emergency restrictions in Carroll County, urging conservation on the part of all businesses and residences but allowing the huge groundwater and stream withdrawals by golf courses to escape restrictions.

This is not a meeting to miss!

Commissioner’s Scorecard: You spoke up at our last meeting and we listened. The latest scorecard on the County Commissioner’s performance will be unveiled at the April meeting.

Board Elections: It looks like there will be some new faces on the FPAC Board of Directors. An election will be held at the April 25^th meeting. Here is the slate of candidates being put forth by the current Board:

• For President:               Debbie Ridgely
• For Vice President:       John Lopez
• For Secretary:              Doris Edwards
• For Treasurer:              Martin Schmidt
• For At-Large Seats:

            Marilyn Caple                           Neil Ridgely

            Wilfred Hoff                             Dan Bleclic                   Maureen Ackerman

Litter Pickup: Another success as a dozen FPAC volunteers took time on Saturday, March 16^th to pick up litter along our section of MD Rt. 91. It only took 2 hours and we filled 23 bags. Thanks to everyone who helped!

Billboards: Enough is enough! The Commissioners have flatly rejected the County Gateway Committees report and refused to stop the construction of any new billboards in the County. There are now almost as many vacant, peeling in Finksburg as there are signs in good repair. The Finksburg Board of Directors has given up hope on this Board of Commissioners doing anything positive about our community image and are now recommending to members that they not patronize any business or product advertised on any billboard. We urge members to tell the merchants who advertise on billboards that they have lost your business.

Subdivision News:

Bond’s Forest Country Care is seeking approval of the Planning & Zoning Commission for a Senior Assisted Living facility, located at Old Westminster Pike and Green Mill Rd. The meeting will be held at 11 AM on April 16^th.

Hood Hills: A 21 lot subdivision slated for the East side of Rt. 91 at Deer Park Rd. was stopped from securing Plan approvals in the immediate future when the Concurrency Management was enacted.

Lakewood Manor: A 7 lot residential subdivision in the Conservation zone, located 4000’ East of Rt. 91 at MD Rt. 140 on the South side of Old Westminster Pike. Subdivision Advisory Committee meeting on April 29^th at 9:30 AM

Sunbelt Rentals was granted approval of their Expansion Plan, one and one-half years after they had already done the work. The Planning Commission did take the comments of FPAC into consideration by requiring denser, more appropriate landscaping along Rt. 140

Banner Deadline: June 1^st . Everyone is encouraged to contribute to Our quarterly newspaper. Call Dennis Broderick with any contributions @ 410-833-4255.

FPAC Corridor Meetings: May 2^nd & 7^th at Sandy Mount Elementary School @ 7 pm.

Property Tax Increase: Annual Budget hearing at West High School @ 7:30.

Business presentation: Matthew Culotta with Country Harvest Produce in the Tower Business Center will be opening up within the next month.

Reach a Board Member:

Dennis Broderick	President	(410) 833-4255
Debbie Ridgely	Vice President	(410) 239-7840		Martin Schmidt	Board Member at Large	(410) 526-6685
Mary Lewis	Secretary	(410) 239-2085		Marilyn Caple	Board Member at Large	(410) 840-2826
Dan Bleclic	Treasurer	(410) 840-9302		Doris Edwards	Board Member at Large	(410) 876-1278
Neil Ridgely	Communications Director	(410) 239-7840		Jim Lewis	Board Member at Large	(410) 239-2085

• Save a Stamp: Receive your newsletter electronically. Send your e-mail address to dan@finksburg.com.
• Mark Your Calendar: General Council meetings are the 4^th Thursday of the month at the Sandy Mount United Methodist Church. Meetings begin at 7 PM. Board meetings are usually held on the 1st Wednesday of each month. The next Board meeting will be held on May 1, 2002 and General Meeting on May 23^rd.
• Mark Your Calendar: May 1^st the 2030 vision meeting….
• Directions to the Meetings: From the West take Rte 140 East to the intersection at Sandymount Rd. Turn South (right) on Sandymount to the Stop sign. The Church is immediately to your left, straight across from the Stop.

From the East take Rte 140 West to the intersection at Sandymount Rd. Turn South (left) on Sandymount Road to the Stop sign. The Church is immediately to your left, straight across from the Stop.

Yearly Membership Fee: $10 per Household, $25 per business

______ I would like to join the Finksburg Planning Area Council, Inc. a not-for-profit organization.

______ I would like to renew my membership. (Dues and donations not tax deductible)

______ Yes, I would also like to volunteer. (Board membership, roadside trash pickup, county meeting attendance, etc.)

______ I would like to make an additional donation of $______________ to the Finksburg Planning Area Council, Inc.

Name________________________________________

Address _____________________________________City ___________________________ Zip_________________

Phone ____________________ Work phone__________________ E-mail_________________@__________________

 

Finksburg Planning Area Council, Inc. P O Box 70 Finksburg, Maryland 21048