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7/31/20

Hello Wendy,

Councilman Kach has also gotten several emails of concern about this. Given that this issue has a history, Wade would very much like for this project to be halted for the community to receive information and provide input.

Thank you for any assistance you can provide.

Ryan Fried

Senior Policy Advisor

Councilman Wade Kach

Baltimore County Council

District 3

7/31/20

Dear Wendy,

I am getting calls about SHA’s plans to add lighting to the I-83 ramps at Belfast Road. As you might imagine, adding substantial lighting fixtures in the rural area causes concerns for immediate neighbors as well as the surrounding community. This project seems to have caught everyone by surprise. Can SHA hit the pause button on installation and hold a community input/information meeting? I can’t answer any of the questions people are raising, and would like to understand the justification/need for the change.

Please let me know if SHA can accommodate this request.

Also – I saw an email from Lee Lehnert to Cedric Ward at SHA, requesting data and background. Could I also receive a copy of that information?

Thanks very much,

Teresa Moore

Executive Director

Valleys Planning Council

410-337-6877

7/31/20

Wendy, I am also receiving constituent messages expressing concern about this project, which I knew nothing about until recently.  Before contracts are let for this work, I think that some significant community outreach is essential.  At the very least, you need to schedule a public meeting at which the project is completely explained and input is solicited.  Thanks for your consideration. 

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Thanks so much for your very prompt reply, Wendy.  The interchange in question is located in the part of the County that for many years has been the bailiwick of the Valleys Planning Council and the Sparks Glencoe Community Planning Council, two organizations which are extremely environmentally conscious.  The VPC in particular was formed in order to conserve land and resources and to preserve the historic character and maintain the rural feel and land uses in this part of the County.  You may recall the VPC’s considerable consternation a couple of years ago about the plans of the SHA to upgrade a bridge along Butler Road.  I doubt that the VPC and the SGCPC were aware that there were any plans to alter the nightscape in the vicinity of the Belfast Road interchange, or I am positive that you would have heard from these organizations.  I agree with you that the underpass is very dark and doubt that “appropriate” lighting in the vicinity of the underpass would cause community concerns, but the plans for lighting out in the open where glare could pervade the quiet, dark nightime viewscape of the Belfast Road valley is a different matter.  I feel quite certain that any lighting installation that would cast light up into the nighttime sky so that the glare in the sky could be seen from up and down the Belfast Road valley would be viewed with great alarm by the membership of the VPC and the SGCPC.  Under the circumstances, I would be pleased to arrange for a meeting of the members of the VPC and the SGCPC at a mutually convenient time so that the plans for the lighting can be explained to area residents and so they can contribute input about this project.  Since the entire project apparently got underway due to the complaint of a single motorist, I think it is incumbent upon SHA to expand the citizen input on this project to include the membership of these two organizations.  Please let me know whether this proposal is acceptable, and I will get to work setting up such a meeting at a location where it will be possible for attendees to maintain social distancing.

Senator Chris West

8/03/20

Dear Senator West:

Thank you for your emails and phone conversation regarding the community’s concerns with the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) lighting project at the I-83 and Belfast Road interchange.  We are happy to meet with the community to discuss the lighting at the interchange.  Mr. Cedric Ward, Director of the Office of Traffic and Safety, and I have coordinated regarding the several inquiries that MDOT SHA has received about the lighting project and we will be placing the construction on temporary hold until after we meet with the community.

The benefits of a virtual meeting that we discussed this morning were recommended by a community member also.  A virtual meeting, likely using Microsoft Teams, will be the most helpful format to share and discuss project information safely at this time.  When a Teams meeting is scheduled, anyone with an internet connection can participate and view everything shared in the meeting.  Participants don’t need any particular software and if someone is unable to access the meeting through the internet, a phone number to “call in” is provided with the invitation.

Of the dates you suggested, Thursday, August 13th at 7:00 PM will work well.  Ms. Teresa Moore of the Valleys Planning Council, and Ms. Lynne Jones of the Sparks Glencoe Community Planning Council, are copied so that they can share the meeting date and time with their members.  As soon as we have the Microsoft Teams meeting arranged, I will email a meeting link to those receiving this email.  

MDOT SHA staff will plan to review the overall lighting situation at the interchange including the traffic review that initiated the project, interstate lighting policy and standards, the design plans, the lighting fixtures that are proposed for this project, and what we are doing to mitigate any environmental concerns.  While we were previously unaware of area residents’ concerns with lighting at the interchange, we look forward to a good dialogue with the community to address concerns about the introduction of lighting while also reviewing the roadway safety needs that could benefit from some manner of lighting.   

Thank you for your interest in the I-83 at Belfast Road Interchange and support of the upcoming community coordination.  If you have any questions prior to the meeting, please contact me at 410-229-2300 or by email at wwolcott@mdot.maryland.gov.

Sincerely,

Wendy Wolcott

Wendy Wolcott, P.L.A.

Metropolitan District Engineer

Maryland Department of Transportation - State Highway Administration

District 4 - Baltimore and Harford Counties

320 West Warren Road

Hunt Valley MD  21030

8/04/20

Wendy, this is terrific.  I want to thank you for your responsiveness to the community concerns.  I will forward this message to the leaders of the Valleys Planning Council and the Sparks Glencoe Community Planning Council as well as to the other elected officials representing this area (Michele Guyton, Nino Mangione, Wade Kach and Johnny Olszewski.  I’m sure they will in turn let all interested parties know about the meeting next Thursday at 7 p.m.  Once you know about how to connect to the meeting, please forward that information to me, and again, I will forward it to those who have expressed interest in attending the meeting.  Best.  Chris

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Senator Chris West

8/04/20

Ladies and Gentlemen, please review the string of e-mails below.  As you will see, I have arranged for a virtual town hall meeting next Thursday evening (8/13) at 7 p.m. to discuss the project that is already underway to install lighting at the Belfast Road interchange off of I-83.  The SHA will attend the meeting and will be prepared to fully discuss the project with interested area residents.  There will be an opportunity for any interested person to speak, ask questions and voice opinions.  In the meantime, the SHA has ceased all work on the project and has indicated that there may be an opportunity to scale down the project somewhat, dependent upon community input.

Please communicate information about this meeting to everyone whom you believe might be interested in attending virtually.  The SHA will be setting up the meeting and will provide me with connection information shortly, which in turn I will forward to you so you in turn can forward it to all those who have signified that they want to attend.

As you’ll see in my most recent message to Wendy Wolcott, I really appreciate her responsiveness.  I only learned of this situation late last week, and we already have a community meeting on the books.  That’s the sort of responsiveness that I know we all appreciate from our State agencies.

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Senator Chris West