Neighborhood NEWS FALL • 2016
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Neighborhood NEWS FALL • 2016 RUXTON-RIDERWOOD-LAKE ROLAND AREA IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION Who are We? INSIDE Making Sense of the Census Greater Ruxton Area Foundation by Lauren Madsen Announces New President Most of the residents in the Ruxton-Rider- PAGE 3 wood-Lake Roland area would probably agree that they have it good when it comes to H quality of life. But have you ever wondered What is a Riparian how our neighborhoods stack up against Buffer and others in Baltimore County, Maryland or the Why You May nation as a whole? Have you ever thought Want One about how our lives are changing over time PAGE 4 in relation to the people who lived in these neighborhoods before us? Well, for those H Community inquiring minds among us, there is a wealth Business Profile of data available online from the American – Callahan’s, Community Survey, produced annually by the a Rockland U.S. Census Bureau. Here are some highlights Treasure from the last five-year survey, which encom- PAGE 10 passes 2010-2014, to help make sense of the census. H The Ruxton-Riderwood-Lake Roland area Kids Corner roughly corresponds with three separate PAGE 12 census tracts, each with its own set of data. H To the north lies tract 4087.02 which is Art on the Trail at roughly equivalent to the Riderwood area, Lake Roland bounded by I-695, Joppa Road running east PAGE 14 from I-695 (near Greenspring Station) and Bellona Avenue running between Joppa Road H and I-695 at Charles Street. To the west is Community tract 4904 which corresponds to the western Business Profile – half of Ruxton and the homes along Falls Simply Beautiful Road on the western side of Lake Roland. It 2010 Census Tract Reference Map for the majority of the Ruxton- Flowers and Gifts Riderwood-Lake Roland area PAGE 16 sits south of Joppa Road, east of Falls Road, Map courtesy United States Census Bureau north of Lakeside Drive and west of Bellona. H Finally, on the eastern side is tract 4905, or state or country as a whole. In 2014, the median Home Sales east Ruxton and areas south of Lake Roland. It lies household income ranged from $94,063 to $119,471 PAGE 22 north of Lake Avenue, west of Charles Street and east across the three census tracts. That’s well above the of Lake Roland and Bellona until it intersects Charles median household income of $66,940 in Baltimore H Street and becomes Kenilworth Drive. County, $74,149 in Maryland and $53,482 in the U.S. Outstanding As you may have guessed, all three tracts in the Rux- In west Ruxton (4904) a whopping 32% of house- Leadership Award Goes to Jeffrey ton-Riderwood-Lake Roland area are predominately holds had income over $200,000 annually, versus 6% Budnitz affluent neighborhoods of mostly single-family dwell- in the county, 9% in the state and only 5% nation- ings with residents who are economically advantaged PAGE 23 in comparison to the wider population in the county, Continued on p. 9 H Ruxton-Riderwood- Lake Roland President’s Letter Neighborhood NEWS Dear Neighbors, We are pleased to see so many facets of our Community Plan 2010 being implemented. Fall 2016 As I write my final president’s letter, I can’t The quality of the recent and proposed help but reflect on all I’ve learned about our development in Bare Hills (Falls Road) is Table of Contents amazing communities, residents and Board bringing much-needed amenities to that area. 1 Who are We? members. Little did I know when I accepted Making Sense of the Census Through many, many hours of meetings with 2 President’s Letter the presidency the multitude Royal Farms representatives, 3 Greater Ruxton Area Foundation of issues RRLRAIA rou- Announces New President plans have been developed 3 Shredder and Electronics tinely oversees. Sure, I knew to improve the parking and E-Cycling Event about the great newsletter, 4 What is a Riparian Buffer and traffic flow at their West Joppa Why You May Want One Dumpster Day and RRLRAIA’s Road site. Other improvements 6 Supporting Our Local Schools involvement with the Balti- 6 Avocado Salsa Recipe include renovation of the store, 7 Giving a House a Second Chance more County Design Review improved (and limited) signage – it’s all in the Details Panel (DRP). In fact, my and the installation of attrac- 8 RRLRAIA Annual Meeting 2016 10 Community Business Profile – initial contact with RRL- tive landscaping. Callahan’s, a Rockland Treasure RAIA was when one of my 12 Kids Corner – Rescued Animals projects was in the process Other commercial areas within at Lake Roland our boundaries also have been, 13 Dumpster Day April 2016 of being reviewed by the 14 How to Design a Riparian Buffer DRP (I’m an architect). The or are being, improved. We have 14 Art on the Trail at Lake Roland enhanced the partnership be- 15 Ram Pits – This Water Moves Up! Association typically notifies 16 Community Business Profile – neighbors of development tween our Board, residents and Simply Beautiful Flowers and Gifts business owners with initiatives 18 Circle Road Clean-up projects or zoning changes 19 Spring 2016 Street and that are occurring in their such as our annual Friday Night Stream Clean-ups neighborhoods to identify Lights block party, held in co- 20 Sharing our Neighborhood Streets and resolve issues before they become prob- ordination with the shops on Bellona Avenue 22 Home Sales in Ruxton / lems. The Association’s role in establishing at Ruxton Road, and our Bare Hills Business Riderwood / Lake Roland Happy Hour for the Falls Road business area. 23 Outstanding Leadership Award lines of communication between the parties is Goes to Jeffrey Budnitz a great service to all involved. Enhancement to Lake Roland, which was a goal of our previous community plan, contin- Board of Governors I’m sure you can relate to the frustration of ues to exceed expectations due in large part President – Patrick Jarosinski making multiple phone calls to resolve an 1st Vice President – Clark Parriott issue, whether it be a dangling wire, a water to the efforts of some of our most effective 2nd Vice President – Laura Shmerler leak, graffiti, a pot hole or poor visibility from Board members (both current and former) who Treasurer – Linda Murphy serve, or have served, on the Lake Roland Na- Secretary – Paddy Morton an intersection. Fortunately, RRLRAIA has an Gina Adams impressive list of contacts and has cultivated ture Council board. We hope you will join us Cynthia Allen relationships with numerous state and county at our annual meeting on September 28 which Art Arthur agencies so we can often resolve an issue by will be held at the new Lake Roland Nature John Baer and Environmental Education Center. Shannon Brown making a single phone call. For example, I Thomas Brown never would have guessed that you must call These accomplishments, and the strength Jeffrey Budnitz* the Baltimore County Bureau of Highways to Elise Butler of the Association, are possible because we Susan Law have a fallen tree removed from a stream. have so many talented people who volunteer Lauren Madsen Further, when we are contacted about code their time helping with street and stream Tom McCord enforcement issues we often are able to clean-ups, publishing Neighborhood NEWS, Mary Brown McKenna Courtney Middelton resolve the problem by making a friendly call planning events, investigating neighborhood Michael Muldowney to the property owner rather than involving concerns, delving into zoning, development Jessica Paffenbarger* government agencies. and infrastructure issues and serving as Board Shannon Putman Anne Rouse Currently, in response to a member’s inquiry, members. Thanks to our volunteers for every- Rachel Seba we are gathering information about a new thing they do! Carlton Sexton sewer line that is proposed to run along *Emeritus Towson Run from Towsontowne Boulevard to Patrick Jarosinski Executive Director Bellona Avenue. Peggy Squitieri Newsletter Committee: Neighborhood NEWS is published three times a year by The Ruxton-Riderwood-Lake Roland Area Courtney Middelton, Chair Lauren Madsen Graphic Production: Improvement Association, Inc., P.O. Box 204, Riderwood, MD 21139, tel: 410-494-7757. Jessica Paffenbarger, Editor Bliss McCord DesignConcept.com Laura Shmerler, Advertising Shannon Putman Printing: Deadlines for copy, including announcements and calendar items, are February 15 for Spring issue, John Baer Rachel Seba MtRoyalPtg.com July 15 for Fall issue and October 15 for Winter issue. Advertisers contact: [email protected]. Barbara Guarnieri Nettie Washburn Nancy Horst 2 Greater Ruxton Area Foundation Announces New President by Tom Weadock Graham Boyce, David Whitman, Dan Middelton, Christopher West, Edward Taylor, Kimberly Warren and Bo Lewis. Fred Eisenbrandt At its June 13 meeting, the Greater Ruxton Area Foundation Board moved out of the Ruxton area and, therefore, has resigned after of Trustees elected a new president and added five many years of dedicated service. With the active new Board members. After two years as President, support of an increasing number of residents, the I have stepped down to spend more time at my Board will continue to aggressively pursue its mis- Florida residence. I will serve as Vice President sion of area preservation and beautification with through the end of 2016. The new President, life- special focus on the Bellona corridor, community time Ruxton resident John Lalley, is well-known in gardens, the restoration of vacant land and the our community. He is noted for his past community maintenance of historic sites. service activities and for his dedication to garden- ing and landscaping. John is a Master Gardener and Treasurer Sibley Classen reported that the Founda- has extensive vegetable and flower gardens at his tion, which derives all of its funding from charitable Ruxton home.