Safety Improvements Planned for Seven Courts Drive

The Department of Public Works will reconstruct part of Seven Courts Drive to slow traffic in the area between the senior center and elementary school.

UPDATE: Seven Courts Hit-and-Run Driver Sentenced 18 Months

The Baltimore County State's Attorney's Office originally requested a 10-year sentence for David Grayson French Jr., who has a history of alcohol related crimes.

Ten months after a woman was struck and killed while crossing Seven Courts Drive, the driver responsible has been sentenced.  The Baltimore County State's Attorney's Office, however, expressed disappointment at Baltimore County Circuit Court Judge Kathleen Cox's ruling, handed down on Nov. 1. The requested 10-year prison sentence for David Grayson French Jr. was reduced to 18 months, followed by four years of supervised probation and 100 hours of community service, according to Michael Fuller, a Baltimore County assistant state's attorney.  "I asked for 10 years because I felt the crime was horribly egregious," Fuller said. "The defendant had a prior alcohol related conviction and another alcohol related arrest a month prior. The facts in …

•  35 Comments
• Photos (1)

Landscaper Adopts, Restores Seven Courts Traffic Circle

Chesapeake Landscape Contractors donated about $1,200 in labor and materials to the circle, as well as scheduled maintenance.

The traffic circle at Seven Courts Drive and Proctor Lane had certainly seen better days. Existing plants had either died or overgrown, and residents were left wondering whose responsibility it was to care for it in the first place. That was around the time that resident William Lutostanski, Jr. contacted Chesapeake Landscape Contractors, a White Marsh-based landscaper known for supporting local charities. Following some planning with community leaders, the company donated about 4.5 hours of labor of four men, mulch, shrubs and roses to the circle—a job estimated at about $1,200. It was completed on Monday, according to Shannon Stallings, Chesapeake Landscape Contractors CEO. The circle was also added to the company's regular maintenance …

•  7 Comments
• Photos (2)

Seven Courts Hit-and-Run Driver Awaiting Sentencing

David Grayson French Jr. has pleaded guilty to striking and killing an elderly woman in Perry Hall.

A Perry Hall man could face up to 10 years in prison for striking and killing an elderly woman on Seven Courts Drive in January. David Grayson French Jr. pleaded guilty on Aug. 7 to failing to remain on the scene of an accident resulting in death, which is a felony, according to Michael Fuller, a Baltimore County assistant state's attorney. Fuller told Patch he is seeking a maximum sentence of 10 years. Baltimore County Circuit Court Judge Kathleen Cox is expected to announce the sentence on Nov. 1. The prosecution chose not to pursue two lesser charges, including a hit-and-run misdemeanor and traffic violation, which could have resulted in only five years of jail time and a fine, according to Fuller. "We're choosing to move forward with …

•  8 Comments
• Photos (7)

UPDATE: 1,200 Power Outages Hit Seven Courts, Cause Unknown

Baltimore Gas and Electric Company reported more than 600 power outages in the Perry Hall area Monday night.

UPDATE (10:23 p.m.)—Shortly after 9 p.m. Monday, Seven Courts residents began reporting power outages in the Perry Hall area. As of 9:50 p.m., the Baltimore Gas and Electric Company power outage map showed more than 600 power outages northwest of Belair Road, near the Seven Courts neighborhood. A BGE representative confirmed that more than 1,200 outages were initially reported in the Seven Courts area. As of 10:20 p.m., more than 600 residents had regained power. Because the outage was caused underground, it is unlikely that it was weather related, the representative said. Its cause remains unknown. Have outages impacted your neighborhood? Tell us in the comments.

•  19 Comments
• Photos (1)

Seven Courts Woods Proposed for Downzoning

The county-owned property near Seven Oaks Senior Center could be protected from future development.

A wooded property on Seven Courts Drive in Perry Hall is being considered for downzoning—a move that would essentially prevent a housing development from taking its place. County Councilman David Marks announced on Monday his plan to downzone a 8.7-acre wooded property north of the Seven Oaks Senior Center from DR 3.5 to DR 1. "At the present level of zoning, more than 25 homes could be built at the property, irrespective of environmental conditions," Marks wrote in an email to constituents. "I am proposing to downzone the land to DR 1, which is the lowest level permitted for residential development." The property is owned by Baltimore County, and there are currently no plans to sell it for development, Marks stated. "I am talking to the …

•  16 Comments
• Photos (1)

Mike Fisher

1:14 pm on Sunday, July 29, 2012

We need to stop cutting down trees, period. I know Perry Hall is a nice place to live, but there's plenty of nice places to live. Leave the trees alone, build houses somewhere else for people. Population in the world is getting out of control and we're running out of space, so what's the solution? We can't keep reproducing like we are and expect to still have enough space for everyone. I really …   more ›

Hope for Slow Down With Seven Courts Speed Camera

A longtime resident said it's too early to tell how a speed camera will impact Seven Courts traffic.

When Linda Bain bought her home 26 years ago, Seven Courts Drive was a dead-end road. But as Seven Courts became a major connector to several streets and hundreds of homes, Bain watched traffic escalate, speeds rise and vehicle accidents increase. "I wanted to live on a public street, but not a busy street," Bain said. "Now, what do you do? It's horrible." In recent years, at least five vehicles—belonging to herself, family members and friends—have been struck or damaged near her home by speeding or reckless drivers, she said. When a 68-year-old woman was struck and killed while trying to cross Seven Courts near Joppa Road in January, Bain said she wasn't surprised. The traffic conditions compelled her to contact County Councilman David …

•  49 Comments
• Photos (2)

Tim

1:33 pm on Friday, August 3, 2012

I love how its so stealthily installed too. I can BARELY see it.   more ›

Temporary Seven Courts Speed Camera To Be Replaced

The speed camera installed last week is expected to be replaced by a permanent one.

It turns out that the Seven Courts Drive speed camera, installed last week, was only temporary. A new one is still in the planning stages, according to Baltimore County police. Police had previously announced that a speed camera would be installed within the first week of June in Seven Oaks Elementary's school zone. Instead, one was installed in the first week of July—but on July 6, county workers dismantled the device, spokeswoman Cpl. Cathy Batton told Patch. "It was a temporary camera for testing purposes. It was not activated and it did not issue citations," Batton said. In spite of the delays, she said a new permanent camera is expected to be installed soon. "Obviously, we're trying to give the community as much notice as possible," …

•  128 Comments
• Photos (1)

Mike Fisher

9:11 pm on Thursday, July 19, 2012

Haha, geez, it really blows my mind how ignorant you are obviously capable of being towards people. You must be a blast to hang out with. You think I'm stupid, tell me I do things that I've clearly said several times that I don't do and just believe whatever you want to believe. Then, comes the personal, judgemental attacks. How do you even get through life? You even call me a moron? My creative/…   more ›

Speed Camera Coming to Seven Courts Drive

Police announced an additional five speed cameras in Baltimore County school zones late Friday afternoon.

A speed camera is coming to Seven Oaks Elementary's school zone, one of five new cameras announced by police officials late Friday afternoon. Installation will begin "in the next few days," along Seven Courts Drive, between Joppa Road and Proctor Lane, according to a news release. Cameras will also be installed throughout the county, near Winands Elementary, Loch Raven Academy, Bais Yaakov and St. Ursula's. The Seven Courts camera is slated to be Perry Hall's second speed camera. The first was installed near Perry Hall High on May 1. Under previous legislation, the total number of speed cameras in county school zones was restricted to 15. But on Jan. 1, 2012, under a new contract and a law approved by the County Council in February, the …

•  54 Comments
• Photos (1)

Mike Fisher

6:18 pm on Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Speed limits need to change. They are too low and way behind the technology and capabilities of today's cars. It's ridiculous.   more ›

Neighborhood Reacts to Perry Hall Hit-and-Run Arrest

Neighbors still grieved 12 weeks after 68-year-old Beverly Moore was killed along Seven Courts Drive.

For residents of a close-knit townhouse community on Bourbon Court, the arrest of a man charged in a fatal hit-and-run incident was a long-awaited development. Their neighbor, 68-year-old Beverly Moore, had been struck and killed while attempting to cross Seven Courts Drive on Jan. 22. Police announced on Wednesday that 25-year-old David Grayson French Jr., of nearby Sandstone Court, had been charged as the driver responsible for her death. But while the arrest may eventually provide closure, Moore's home remains vacant, her vehicle remains in the parking lot and the sound of heavy traffic along Seven Courts Drive remains an eerie reminder of her death. Neighbors said they still struggle on a daily basis to accept that Moore isn't ever …

•  11 Comments
• Photos (1)

Emily Kimball

1:55 pm on Wednesday, September 19, 2012

UPDATE (Sept. 19)—The Seven Courts hit-and-run driver pleaded guilty to striking and killing Beverly Moore in January. David Grayson French Jr. will be sentenced Nov. 1 - http://patch.com/A-xTbM   more ›