UPDATE (8 p.m.)—The Baltimore County Council has approved a bill requiring all new nonresidential development plans in Perry Hall's designated revitalization zone to be reviewed by a Design Review Panel.
"I am pleased to inform you that the Baltimore County Council passed legislation tonight that will hopefully improve the design and attractiveness of new buildings in Perry Hall," , a Perry Hall Republican, announced by email following the council's Monday evening vote.
"Minor changes and facade improvements to existing buildings are not subject to review," Marks stated in the email. "I believe this legislation will result in better-designed buildings in the heart of Perry Hall, and was pleased to sponsor this bill."
The Perry Hall Commercial Revitalization District, approved in May 2011, includes all of the Perry Hall Square shopping center. It extends along Belair Road, from Blakeley Avenue in the south to Minte Drive in the north. It also includes Joppa Road, between Seven Courts Drive and Belair Road, as well as Ebenezer Road, from Belair Road to Yvonne Avenue.
"The goal is to enhance the design and ," Marks said during a July 31 council work session.
The panel, created in 1993, acts in a consulting capacity and makes recommendations to the county's administrative law judges. Arbutus, Catonsville, Essex, Pikesville and parts of Towson are currently subject to panel review.
Marks' bill was supported by the Perry Hall Improvement Association. He held a about the possible impact of design requirements on the "Downtown Perry Hall" area in July. No one in attendance at the meeting opposed the plan.
The bill will take effect on Aug. 20 with the signature of County Executive Kevin Kamenetz.
Editor Emily Kimball contributed to this report.
I have read the "guidelines" and as always worry when government dictates how something must look. They always do so from a vacuum without any consideration for economics. If it is not economically feasible, it will remain empty. Councilman Marks, your intentions are good. I just worry about the result of good intentions sometimes.
If it looks good, it must be good, right? Spoken like a true politician. :) The government is completely out of touch with the public and this, once again, proves it. I would like to know what other factors (because I know there were others) contributed to Catonsville filling up with businesses and what kind of businesses are they? Superstore chains? Just curious.
You want to improve aesthetics? Improve Parkville, Pikesville, Baltimore City.. places like that. I don't understand what's so bad about the appearance of Perry Hall. Is this really such a big issue? There are surely other, more important issues that could be addressed such as what I said about school zone safety since everyone is so concerned about that. Where's the bill requiring the use of the 85th percentile to determine speed limits like the ones doing the traffic studies say it safer for roads? Really? This is the most important thing, huh. Making a small town look better when it already looks fine. Looks are not the problem even though everyone is obsessed with appearance these days. Those Superfresh stores that closed must have looked awful, that must be the reason they're gone now. I just don't get it. It's like people don't know what the problems are and its just like "well, let's just make it look better, that solves everything." Blah, Blah.
I only bring up Baltimore City because I feel, in general, we don't have our priorities straight and by the way, Parkville is on the outskirts of Baltimore City, correct? Still in Baltimore county, though. So long as Parkville continues to degrade, and I know several people from Parkville who I talk to about this, crime from the city that is apparently of no concern to anyone will creep up into this area eventually. The difference between Parkville and Perry Hall is the difference between a Ferrari and a Pinto.
Then how about this. Fix the "lack of enforcement" problem and replace the signs. "There is a reason for laws - they keep an area nice for the benefit of all." Except laws don't work when they aren't ENFORCED. So, enforce them. Problem solved. "Everyone in the Perry Hall area should work hard to prevent Belair Rd from getting to look like much of Liberty Rd, parts of Reisterstown Rd, and Eastern Blvd. If you're okay with that sort of trashy environment, then you would feel right at home in these other places." Actually, I hate the city as if you couldn't tell because of how trashy it is. Perry Hall is not even remotely close to those areas. You said it yourself, lack of enforcement is the problem. So, enforce the laws!!! What are cops doing instead? Sitting around with radar guns giving out chicken S tickets. If you aren't going to enforce the laws, then expect no change. No aesthetic change will enforce laws, that's up to law enforcement and obviously, they don't really care enough to enforce them, do they? Do they change defaced signs? Rarely ever. Replace the signs and enforce the laws. You basically just said what the problem is, so get police to enforce the laws. Strange how we have to tell them to enforce these laws, isn't it? Too busy on their fund raising tour for any of this nonsense, I guess.
Showing Parkville has a HIGH rate of crime and is safer than only 15% of the cities in the US. http://www.neighborhoodscout.com/md/perry-hall/crime/ Showing Perry Hall to be safer than 36% of the cities in the US. Now, how much higher do you think that percentage would be if it wasn't right next to Parkville? Chances of becoming a victim in Perry Hall is 1 in 499 while in Parkville, your chances of being a victim are 1 in 144, but we should just let Parkville continue on this path? If you really, honestly think Parkville doesn't drag down Perry Hall, I suggest you rethink on that one hard. Parkville will only get worse, how long before things start to get bad in Perry Hall? Parkville has been going downhill for decades, two at least since I was in middle school. So, yeah, I guess I'm saying right now, Parkville is MUCH more important to start dealing with than messing around with tiny places in Perry Hall. I'm not sure what doesn't make sense about that.