NAC 3 Minutes for March 13, 2008

Monocacy Elementary School, 7 pm

NAC 3 Coordinators present: Beth Conny, Connie Pryor, Kathy Griffee

Stephanie Davis-Ambush absent due to illness.

Beth Conny started the meeting with introductions. Approximately 31 residents attended.

Tonight’s agenda:

1. Review Old Business, community announcements

2. Update on Traffic Planning for NAC 3 area by Devon Hahn

3. Site Plan presentation by Developers for expansion of Homewood

4. Police Report by Corporal Sommers

5. New Business

Community Announcement – request from Police Dept.

A person from the NAC 3 area made an anonymous call to the Drug Tip Line. Officer Bowens would like that person to call him regarding the information. He can be reached at DBowen@fredco-md.net or 301-600-1229

Bulletin: A fourth grade girl reported being approached by a Hispanic Male after leaving Monocacy Elementary School this week. The girl screamed and ran, the male left in his vehicle. He is described as 5’8” with short brown hair, blue eyes and was driving a Black Ford Explorer that has a partial tag with NYS in it. If you notice a Black Explorer with NYS in the license, please call police immediately.

Traffic Update

Devon Hahn, a Traffic Engineer with the City, presented the updates. City Planner, Pam Reppert was also in attendance

· Motter Ave. Bridge Rebuild – Design is 30% completed, construction to start rebuilding the bridge is estimated for 2010-2011. The start of construction time may vary depending on when the City is ready to make the road improvements to Opossumtown Pike on the West side from the bridge to Thomas Johnson Drive. The goal is to improve and make the intersection of TJ Dr. and Opossumtown Pike more efficient. Rebuilding the bridge is a State project and the City wants to coordinate their construction at the same time to minimize the length of construction time.

· Monocacy Blvd. – Still in the Planning Phase; the City still needs the right of way on the East side of Route 15; then the project has to go to the engineering phase; best case for start of construction is 2012.

· Christopher’s Crossing – several residents from the Christopher’s Crossing neighborhood who were on the Task Force (consisted of citizens, developers and Alderman) to evaluate this project were in attendance tonight. They wondered what happened to their draft and recommendations. Devon said that the City and County are working together on this project and they are considering the resolutions that the group submitted. Eventually, Christiopher’s Crossing will connect via an overpass over Route 15 to Monocacy Blvd.

· TJ Drive and Hayward Rd. Intersection – After the City makes changes to an intersection they evaluate it regularly for 3 years. This gives them time to let people get used to the new traffic patterns and see if the changes had the desired affect. Citizens complained that there are safety issues with the recent changes. Devon pointed out that traffic patterns will change with road construction in the near future. Due to costs, Allegheny Power is not willing to move the utility boxes in the line of vision on TJ Dr. and a 3 way Stop must remain so that southbound traffic doesn’t back up on Route 15 when turning onto Hayward Rd.

Phases of a Project:

1. Planning –Evaluates land uses, traffic needs, future needs, identify areas of priority, what is available, justice, environmental issues.

2. Engineering – design, etc.

3. Construction

Questions regarding Planning or Traffic you can contact Devon at Dhahn@cityoffrederick.com and she will forward your questions/concerns to the appropriate person if it isn’t something she can address.

Devon will forward these following complaints to the right dept.:

1. The county traffic light at the intersection of Hayward Rd. and Opossumtown Pk. – the left turn signal from Oposumtown onto Hayward doesn’t always work.

2. Flashing light at the Monocacy Elementary School doesn’t always work when it should be flashing.

Developer for Homewood

Ernie Angel, President of Homewood, gave a brief history of Homewood in Frederick which has been in town for 35 years. Homewood moved from the Francis Scott Key Hotel downtown to its current location on Willow Road. They have 375 residents and 280 co-workers. A resident must be at least 70 yrs old, and if you are younger you must pay a penalty. Today there are 43 cottages, 102 independent living apartments, 56 assisted living dwellings and 120 skilled nursing beds.

Right now the waiting list for a cottage is 4 years and 3 years for an apartment.

A representative from Rogers Consulting presented a copy of the site plan that was submitted to the City for review. The plan is for Phase One.

Homewood is one of the 14 properties on the Mayor’s desk requesting annexation. Because of the water moratorium, Homewood has been waiting for 7 years to go forward with more development.

Phase One – 72 cottages, with approval, developer hopes to start construction in 12-18 months

Phase Two – 120 apartments

Phase Three – up to 153 cottages

Homewood is not a gated community

Citizens shared their concerns with the hunting that has been going on in the undeveloped fields, mostly of the geese.

Police Report

Cpl. Sommers Work Phone : 301-600-2099 DSommers@fredco-md.net

Cpl. Sommers transferred to our NAC in Jan. He works the night shift and took Cpl. Stanley’s place. He says that the police are being trained on the NCR database which is a huge law enforcement database to share information.

Cpt. Sommers loves emails. Feel free to contact him. If you have specific requests you would like addressed or follow-ups at a NAC meeting, email him so he has a chance to research the information for you.

Calls for Service in NAC 3 from Feb. 10- March 10 were 269. There were only 5 arrests and they were for: 1 indecent exposure, 1 domestic, 3 traffic arrests.

One third of the 269 calls for service were traffic stops and patrol checks initiated by the officer on patrol. There were 2 complaints about drugs, but no arrests.

Officer Grossman who oversees a lot of the drug reports and activity arrived later in the evening. If you have a drug tip, you can contact Officer Grossman at Pgrossman@fredco-md.net or call the Drug Tip Line 301-600-2246. Only the 911 number has Caller ID, calls to the drug tip line are anonymous. Any information you do share with the police is kept confidential.

Cpl. Sommers didn’t know the status regarding the numerous burglaries that had occurred within NAC 3. Other residents volunteered information that they had read in the paper that there had been an arrest. If anyone wants specific information contact Officer Renninger for an update at 301-600-1272 or Drenninger@fredco-md.net

New Business

NAC 3 has a budget of about $800 per year. To date, some of the money has gone for the flyers that are circulated to advertise our meetings. The City requests that we submit requests for amounts needed for this fiscal year. Some considerations are:

1. Reusable, weather proof signs instead of flyers

2. Donate money to the Monocacy Elementary School PTA for playground equipment

3. Low maintenance landscaping around the playground sign to enhance the Amber Meadows City Park on Amber Drive.

Beth presented a certificate of appreciation to Devon Hahn for giving up her Thursday night for us.

Raffle Prize (AAA maps, travel books) won by Melanie Adams

Next Meeting is on Monday, April 14, 2008 at Monocacy Elementary School, 7 pm

Minutes submitted by Kathy Griffee