Catonsville Rails to Trails Feasibility Study Presentation at Emmanuel United Methodist Church June 5, 2001 CRTT Board Members Present: Doug Adams, Steve Sprecher, Ray Bahr, Pat Medcroft, Jim Bailey, Maureen Sweeny-Smith, Tom Bagg, Public Attendance: 60 people signed in including Board Members I. Opening Remarks by Steve Sprecher, President CRTT - Next presentation Wednesday, June 27, Salem Lutheran Church, 7:30 II. Slide Show on Trolley Trails 8 & 9 by Maureen Sweeney-Smith How do the police get into Catonsville? III. Feasibility Study Presentation by Doug Adams A. Roughly two thirds of all hands raised for concerned for crime 1. Reference Trolley Trail #9 usage study B. CRTT Feasibility Study is available in the Catonsville Library C. Notable websites to get more information 1. Catonsville Rails-To-Trails Download the feasibility study and this presentation http://www.qssmeds.com/~tbagg/crtt_study/crtt_study.htm ftp://ftp.qssmeds.com/341/crtt_study/crtt_study.htm 2. Rails-To-Trails Conservancy http://www.railtrails.org/ 3. Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Greenways http://www.dnr.state.md.us/greenways/ 4. Baltimore County, Office of Planning, Master Plan 2010 http://www.co.ba.md.us/p.cfm/agencies/planning/mastplan.cfm 5. Baltimore County, Police Department, Crime Statistics http://www.co.ba.md.us/police/crime.htm D. Process 1. Concept Plan 2. Community Involvement 3. Trail Design 4. Construction 5. Maintenance E. Vision, Purpose, Intentions, Goals CRTT envisions the creation of the Catonsville Short Line Rail Road Trail as a multi-purpose recreational trail for the citizens of Catonsville. F. Study Area, Demographics G. History of Short Line H. Attributes & Benefits I. Implementation Issues 1. Community Support 2. Multi-level government interaction J. Issue Assessment 1. Environmental (minor) 2. Land Ownership 3. Engineering - I-695 - Bloomsbury Avenue K. Safety & Security 1. Crime Analysis - Major Issue - Studies show typically lower along trails - Want police presence on trail 2. Parking - Need designated parking areas - Do not want parking in neighborhoods L. Potential linkages 1. Trolley Line #8 2. Trolley Line #9 3. UMBC 4. Catonsville HS M. Trail Management & Stewardship IV. Open Discussion 1. Connection to Loudon Park? - Charlestown has barrier 2. Wade Ave. and I-695 Bridge - Lived on Wade Ave. for 40 years ago - Do not want to see new bridge - Had problems with old bridge + Stuff thrown over bridge + Wade is thoroughfare if 695 gets backed up + Bloomsbury tunnel collapse also stopped through walkers - Problems come from abandoned areas being secluded + People do dump in secluded areas + Studies show that when you clean an area, the new use is cleaner + Supported by experience with #8 & 9 when community - Will spring grove clean up after its own? + Citizens who use trail can see and report problems + Want police presence - Get lots of calls every time stuff is dumped on Trolley Trails - Crime is good argument for trails - As soon as they took beltway bridge out crime stopped + Do not want to see a new bridge + Slide presentation does not show houses near Trolley Trails + My house is 50 feet from trail - When the 2nd patient jumped - Old bridge closed down because people throw stuff + No problems since take bridge down + We envision a habitrail enclosed bridge 3. Shady Nook - Existing trails behind school - Undesirables come up from Kenwood to Shady Nook - Jim Bailey + Grew up on shady nook + Had no crime he was aware of + Parents still live on Shady Nook Court + Never seen crime - Old RR Bridge taken down to widen beltway, not because of trash or crime or suicide - No useable path on Shady Nook area - Paradise area has higher housing values than Wade Ave. area - Where are criminals coming from across bridge to Wade? - Neighborhoods on both sides of the beltway are similar - Have lived 43 years on railroad & in neighborhood 4. Live on Shady Nook - Totally against this 5. Trail width - Needs to be wide enough for emergency vehicle access - Generally trails are 8 feet wide 6. Parking is problem - Live on Arkla Court - All I see is the dumping ground on tracks - If you clean it up and make a passable trail OK - Crusher run maybe - Need designated parking - Need policing - There are some issues - Issues between Arkla, apartments & Kenwood - Traffic accidents on Maiden Choice - Need warning lights on Maiden Choice - Need cleanup - Will continuously attend meetings 7. Cinnamon tree - Realtor promised never build on - Privacy fences could be considered, but they block view of woods - Evergreens 8. Problem that you don not have on #8 - We do have dark wooded areas on #8 - Do not let my daughter back there after 8:00 p.m. - Do not get people after 8:00 9. Crime is big concern - After hours is big concern - Charlestown is 4 miles from center of city - Expect more problems since CRTT is closer to city - Lots of problems expected on Trolley Trails - 7-11 had problems before trail, less now - Do not have problems now, do not want to get problems 10. Live in paradise - Wade Ave. claims crime came from Paradise - Paradise claims crime came from city - Charlestown is good barrier 11. Like Trolley Trail #9 - Hear that this might be gravel or mulch - Do not want that, want paved for roller blades, etc. - How prevent parking in neighborhoods? + Legal to park on any public street + Signs + Could have Local permits (Idea drew big Boos) 12. Trail surface - #9 paved with fed highway funds - Surface is minor issue - Understand surface is less important, would like paved - Lots have asked for asphalt 13. Have woods now with deer, raccoons, ... - How can the animals live if you knock down trees? - Have to take down some trees - Will take only the ones needed to make trail - Wildlife in Loudon park - #8 trail Experience + Removed trash trees not native to area + Added native trees + Wildlife has come back 14. Arkla Court - Where will people park at maiden choice end - Parking will be at Western - Do not anticipate people coming from distance - Expect mostly locals to use the trail 15. How do we get people into Catonsville? - Frederick road dangerous for biking 16. Please pave trail - Safer, no twisted ankles 17. Beltway Bridge & Wade Ave. - Spring grove has patients, I would not want on secluded trail - Most of trail has communities that can help police trail except right by spring grove - Very secluded stretch by Spring Grove + Nothing is back there + You have no problems now + Not linked to anybody's house to keep an eye on it - Do not want several hundred people behind my house - Trail could be good for community, but not between Wade & beltway - I do not want to lose my privacy 18 Police today are now on bicycles - If a section of the trail became a problem, the police would follow the trail - I cannot put my faith in the Wilkins precinct 19. Live on Paradise at Prospect - Working for trail 20. Lived on Wade Ave. 20 years - There are people waking & fighting all night 21. Jim Bailey - Hiked the entire trail - Concerned about effect on Paradise - On Western HS property is the only place I found drinking, fires, ... - Greatest potential for crime now is there by Western HS - Section of trail is highest and steep slope is west of beltway + Most of spring grove is vacant + Hospital is slowly being phased out + State is moving offices into the site - Office workers would want trail + Population + Mental Health Officer in State - Hospital is under 300 - Hospital is not going away Flip Chart Comments: 1. Trail going to Loudon Park? 2. 695 bridge concern :dumping, traffic on Wade Ave 3. Traffic on wade Ave is heavy and problem 4. Issues of crime 5. Concern of bridge across 695 because of suicides and traffic 6. Bike trail along Shady Nook brings in undesirables 7. Short Line Trail use with no crime 8. 695 Bridge taken out for new car lanes 9. Neighborhoods on both sides of beltway are similar. 10. Trail needs to be wide enough so that access for emergency vehicles is allowable 11. #9 Trail problems before it was converted. Now it's a bonus to the community. 12. Crime is no longer a problem because trail is overgrown. 13. Designated parking is needed 14. Crusher run trail is preferred 15. Vehicle traffic on Paradise 16. Privacy concern on Cinnamon Tree Court? 17. Privacy fencing? 18. Trees buffers for adjacent homeowners 19. Concern with Eastern end of trail 20. Charlestown trail logistics may prevent eastern terminus 21. #9 trail is asphalt; want an asphalt trail 22. Asphalt is handicapped accessible 23. What about deer and animals? 24. Where is parking going to be in Paradise? - Western HS 25. Economic boon for Catonsville? 26. If you have a trail, please pave it 27. Concern over Spring Grove patients using trail? 28. Patients can use roads as well 29. Police use of bicycles to get around in difficult areas. 30. Police respond to calls on #8 trail and along short line right of way 31. Existing conditions on Short Line show use by people in secluded spots for partying, etc. 32. Fewer and fewer patients use Spring Grove, it is becoming a State office complex 33. Spring Grove Hospital will remain in Catonsville Notes by Tom Bagg