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Spotlight on Crofton First
March 23rd, 2009 Categories: Organizations
Promote Smart Growth is more than a slogan for Crofton First. It’s exactly what this three-year old community organization stands for and does.
Formed in April 2006 in response to threatened Wal-Mart development on undeveloped wetlands along Route 3, Crofton First is faced with a new challenge: the recently-issued MDE permit for the same property as a mixed-use development.
The future of this site will be discussed at the Crofton Library on March 26 at 7 p.m. during the next Crofton First meeting. Attorney Macy Nelson will provide an update and answer residents’ questions.
Additionally, Jennifer Bevan-Dangel of 1000 Friends of Maryland will review the Maryland Legislative Session with an emphasis on growth legislation.
As a long-time Crofton resident, I can say unequivocally that the difference between this and other communities is the residents and dedicated volunteers who have worked since Day One to make it a special place to live.
By taking on this challenge, Crofton First follows in the path of early local residents like Dave Espie who helped create the Special Taxing District and Police Department, Kathryn Callahan who led efforts to plant flowering trees along the Parkway, Marsha Perry who made it her mission to eliminate odors from a nearby treatment plant, Ed Dosek whose efforts led to the acquisition of property for Bell Branch Park, and many others.
That tradition of community involvement and activism seems to be alive and well in Crofton First.
Anyone who wants to get involved but cannot attend next Thursday’s meeting should email croftonfirst@gmail.com.
Other posts about Crofton Organizations
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. “Spotlight on Crofton First” – Margaret Woda
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Greater Crofton Council Meeting Announced
February 9th, 2009 Categories: Organizations
It’s that time of month again. The Greater Crofton Council meeting will be held tomorrow at 7 p.m. in the Village Commons Community Center in the Village at Waugh Chapel shopping center. (2nd Tuesday of each month)
The February 10 agenda will focus on community security and safety, with leaders of the county police Western District, Police and Community Together (PACT) personnel, greater Crofton area patrol officers, and security consultants as guests.
There will also be an update on the feasibility of a Crofton regional community center and key issues of the county’s 2008 General Development Plan including schools, transportation, and development.
ADT Security Company and Petitbon Alarm Systems are sponsoring door prizes at the February meeting -Two free home-security system installations – so don’t miss this meeting!
For a copy of the meeting agenda for February, visit the GCC website.
Other Crofton-area events this week:
February 9 – Board Meeting for Crofton Civic Association, Crofton Town Hall, 7 p.m. - February 10 and 14 – Babies in Bloom, Crofton Library, 10 a.m. For babies up to 24 months and their caregivers.
- February 11 – Craft Your Little Hearts Outs, Crofton Library, 10 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. For ages three to five.
- February 11 – Crofton Kiwanis Meeting, Waugh Chapel Community Center at the Village at Waugh Chapel, 7:30 p.m. (every Wednesday)
- February 12 – Multi-Chamber Networking Meeting (including Crofton Chamber of Commerce), La Fontaine Bleu, 7:30 a.m.
- Crofton Athletic Council, Registration for Spring Sports including baseball and softball. Visit the Crofton Athletic Council website for more information.
If you provide information to me about your community organization in the Greater Crofton area, I will be happy to share it with your neighbors. Who knows… you might attract a new member or two.
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Check out the real estate market in your own Crofton area neighborhood by requesting a Market Snapshot.
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Improvements Proposed for Route 3 Near Crofton
January 5th, 2009 Categories: News, Organizations
Developers of the expanded Village of Waugh Chapel in Gambrills promised attendees at the Greater Crofton Council meeting last month that street-level pedestrian crosswalks on Rt. 3 are on their drawing board.
A representative of Greenbert Gibbons also indicated that Route 3 will be expanded to four lanes in each direction from St. Stephens Church Rd. to Davidsonville Road (Rt. 424), although details depend on final state approval.
While Route 3 expansion is probably necessary and I applaud efforts to improve safety for pedestrians who now cross Rt. 3 without the benefit of any traffic control, we already have a stoplight at Johns Hopkins Road, Waugh Chapel Road, and the entrance into the Villages at Waugh Chapel. Unless pedestrian crossings are via bridges over Route 3, these “improvements” mean yet another traffic light on Route 3 or lengthening of the red light cycle at existing lights.
Neither of these options can be good for North-South traffic flow on Route 3, particularly during peak traffic hours.
Another “upgrade” proposed by the developers is a so-called Michigan U-Turn, eliminating conventional left turn lanes and much of the conventional intersection. Wikipedia describes this as follows:
When on the secondary road, drivers are directed to turn right. Within a 1/4 mile (400 m), they queue into a designated U-turn (or cross-over) lane in the median. When traffic clears they complete the U-turn and go back through the intersection. For additional safety purposes, the U-turn lane is designed so traffic only flows through it one-way.
Similarly, traffic on the divided highway cannot turn left at an intersection with a cross street. Instead, drivers are instructed to overshoot the intersection, go through the U-turn lane, come back to the intersection from the opposite direction and turn right.
When vehicles enter the cross-over lineup, unless markings on the ground indicate two turning lanes in the cross-over, drivers are to line up single file. A cross-over with two lanes is usually designated at high volume cross-overs, or when the right most lane is proceeding forward to an intersecting street. In this case, the right most lane is reserved for vehicles completing the Michigan Left. Most cross overs must be made large enough for semi-trailer trucks to complete the cross over. This large cross-over area often leads to two vehicles incorrectly lining up at a single cross-over.
Check out the Greater Crofton Council website for the latest updates on these matters and other happenings in Crofton as to land use, development, zoning and similar issues.
The next Greater Crofton Council meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m., January 13 at The Village Commons Community Center at the Villages of Waugh Chapel. Here’s a sneak peak at the agenda for this month’s meeting, which will address economic concerns as Maryland heads into the 2009 Legislative Session.
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Crofton Holiday House Tour Tomorrow
December 12th, 2008 Categories: Organizations
If you don’t have your tickets yet, be sure to contact Sally Moore today at 301–261–6818. She’ll be out and about, with last minute preparation for the Crofton Holiday House Tour on Saturday, but she’ll call you back as soon as possible.
Sally is not only in charge of ticket sales, she has obtained donations of floral arrangements from A Blooming Basket, Homestead Gardens and The Black-eyed Susan. In addition to handling last minute ticket-sales today, she’ll be picking up those arrangements and delivering them to homes on the tour.
Many thanks to everyone who worked so hard to put this together. As you can imagine, there’s a lot of planning and preparation involved. I’ve already named the gracious homeowners in previous posts, so let me tell you about some of the people working behind the scenes:
Shirley Levendoski and Lorraine Gordon (front row of the photo) are co-chairing the Crofton Holiday House Tour, as they have many previous garden club events. These two ladies assigned committee members to various responsibilities and they have overseen every detail. This week, they’re working non-stop at Linthicum Walks to decorate the historic home for the holidays. I must add that anything involving these two ladies is fun for everyone around them because their positive attitude is contagious. Great job, Shirley and Lorraine! It’s an honor to work with you.
(Back row: Kathryn Callahan, Bernie Robertson, Jane Brengel, Sally Moore, Diane Smith)
Kathryn Callahan – A long-time garden member and the lady in charge of Linthicum Walks, Kaye (as we affectionately call her) has worked tirelessly with others on the committee to ready this historic home for the Crofton Holiday House Tour, including co-ordination with the County (owners of the property). She has graciously provided access to the property every day this week for club members to decorate the house, as well as hosting us for several organizational meetings over the past several months. Thank you for being so accommodating, Kaye – everyone is so excited to see the inside of Linthicum Walks!
Bernie Robertson is the “Grand Dame” of flower-arranging in my book. She’s in charge of all the garden club floral designs which will be placed in the homes on tour, as well as all the living decorations at Linthicum Walks. She comes up with the amazing designs, purchases all the materials, and then teachers members how to do make them. It’s an ambitious project that is fun for everyone involved, and you’ll be amazed at the finished products.
Jane Brengel is our Hostess Extraordinaire, in charge of refreshments that will be served at Linthicum Walks from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. She has obtained commitments from members to provide enough cookies and treats to last all day, organized hostesses to serve guests, and obtained all the necessary platters, napkins, cups, and more… Her planning has been flawless, and I suspect she’ll be one tired lady by Sunday, after being on her feet and keeping things under control all day Saturday.
Diane Smith is co-ordinating the hostesses who will greet visitors at every home. With seven homes and several shifts, hostessing involves nearly every member of the garden club AND several volunteers from the community. That’s a lot to keep track of, Diane, and you’re so organized. Thank you. By the way, that’s Diane’s Christmas tree in the living room at Linthicum Walks.
Margaret Woda – that’s me – is in charge of publicity. Hopefully you’ve been inspired to attend by what you’ve read at Focus On Crofton or in the Capitol, Suburban Scene, and fliers at various places in the area. Tickets sales have exceeded all expectations, so that’s good news for the community, since funds raised through the Crofton Holiday House Tour will be used for beautification projects in the Crofton area.
Joan Para leads the list of other Crofton Village Garden Club members working on the House Tour. It is her Christmas Tree you’ll see in the meeting room at Linthicum Walks, and she baked the Gingerbread cookies you’ll see hanging on that tree. Joan also created the floral design on the mantle in the dining room and she was one of many members who spent several hours stringing popcorn and cranberries for garland.
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Greater Crofton Council Meeting Tuesday
December 8th, 2008 Categories: Organizations
Newcomers to Maryland and Anne Arundel County are very impressed with our community when I tell them about the wonderful people who live here and their commitment to keeping the Crofton area beautiful and safe for our families. No wonder they decide to look at homes in Crofton, Odenton and Gambrills after I tell them about organizations of “doers” such as the Greater Crofton Council (GCC).
Unwilling to leave the future of our community to chance, GCC takes a pro-active role in matters ranging from recreation facilities to storm water management. Tomorrow, Route 3 development is on the agenda.
Thank you, GCC President Art Huseonica, for providing the following information:
On Tuesday, December 9th at 7 p.m., the Greater Crofton Council will host a panel to present and discuss information on the proposed development on Route 3 in Gambrills and its defects on the roadway in general. From this panel there will also be information about safe pedestrian access at the intersections closest to the current and proposed commercial centers.
The panelists will include Debra Russell, State Highway Administration; George Cardwell, Anne Arundel County, and Kimberly Potember, Greenberg Gibbons Commercial. Other invited guests include leadership and members of the Greater Crofton Chamber of Commerce and elected and appointed officials.
For additional information, please visit our website at www.greatercroftoncouncil.org or contact Madonna Brennan, Transportation Committee Chair, Greater Crofton Council at 301–325–0113 or by e-mail at mbrennan@liuna.org.
Greater Crofton Council meets at The Village Commons Community Center at Village at Waugh Chapel at 7:00 p.m.
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