SPARKS-GLENCOE COMMUNITY PLANNING COUNCIL

Preserving our rural heritage Spring 2015 Newsletter

Dear Neighbor, UPDATE ON ROYAL Spring couldn’t get here fast enough this FARMS GAS STATION AND year. And with the thaw we want to bring you some updates on what is happening with the Royal Farms proposed new convenience store PROPOSED IN HEREFORD and gas station in Hereford, what the so called In January 2014 a County Administrative “rain tax” really signifies, and why the bees are Law Judge granted Royal Farms permission to build a disappearing. The winter melt will also enable gas station and convenience store on Mt. Carmel Road in Hereford, on a site - which is now a corn field - used US Lacrosse to break ground on its new location for the Hereford Fall Festival. Sparks-Glencoe, Graul’s in Loveton. For these stories and more, please Market and other community members (the protestants) read on. appealed that decision to the County’s Board of Appeals.

And while you’re thinking about what you Eight days of hearings were held in 2014 and 2015 want to plant in your garden this year, keep in and just concluded. SGCPC members attended every mind that you might be able a get a free new tree day of the hearings, and six members of our Board for your property. The information is inside. testified on various aspects of the case. Mr. Graul, several local residents, and the owner of Michael’s Pizza also testified against the proposal. The Hereford As always, we ask you to also keep us in Community Association voted 38-3, to support it. We mind. If you value keeping your countryside are awaiting the Board’s decision as this newsletter goes rural, keeping your streams and drinking water to press. safe and vibrant, and keeping the traffic on your country roads down, then we are here for you. There are many reasons why the protestants oppose We need your support both financial and with the construction of a Royal Farms gas station and store, volunteer hours. Please be generous! including its incompatibility with Hereford’s historic rural character, degradation of natural resources, traffic The SGCPC Board congestion and traffic safety, increased crime, adequacy of water supply, and the likelihood of small local stores being driven out of business by a large chain. One of the biggest concerns about the proposal is that gasoline Get a native big tree at a great price at leaks will contaminate local wells. Baltimore County’s Big Trees Sale May 9 An expert geologist, testifying for the protestants, 9am - 2pm explained that the underground water in this area Ag Center, Shawan Road consists of an unconfined aquifer. This means that www.baltimorecountymd.gov/bigtrees contamination from the gas station would flow freely (continued on page 2) ROYAL FARMS (continued from page 1) usage will not imperil the supply to their neighbors’ wells. throughout the aquifer, not being confined by any structure in the bedrock; there would be no barriers to The Hereford Plan points out that the continued prevent the gasoline from entering the aquifers feeding provision of potable groundwater is a great concern surrounding wells. due to the geology of the area which limits the amount of water recharging local wells. It offers this caution: Royal Farms witnesses testified that their gas tanks “Decreases in groundwater recharged due to increased and leak sensors have been updated to minimize the impervious surface area should be avoided to ensure possibility of leaks and to quickly detect any that occur. continued availability of groundwater to individual Also, they testified that there were no better locations supply wells.” for a gas station in the area, meaning sites where a leak Another important point would cause less damage, of contention in the case is than at the location they the “need” for another gas propose. Since the entire station and convenience Hereford area depends on store. Applicable zoning well water, there is obviously regulations state that the no good place for a leak to rural commercial district in occur. which the subject property is located is intended for Mr. Graul testified that shopping and personal he was concerned that a gas leak would contaminate services that are frequently needed and not available the well providing water to his market. He explained within a reasonable distance. As the Hereford that it took several attempts to find a productive well Community Plan points out: “The C.R. (Commercial, after fertilizer ran off the property on which the Royal Rural) District was designed to allow rural areas to Farms station would be located and contaminated his develop services either unique to or in keeping with well. He testified that another such incident could force the rural character of Northern Baltimore County his store to close, eliminating jobs, essential goods and rural town centers, and are not intended to supply considerable community support. the complete range of services one would find in an urban area.” The law places the burden on the Royal A scientist from the Johns Hopkins School of Farms to document the need for a new gas station at the Public Health explained another form of contamination proposed location. gas stations bring: gasoline that leaches through the cement pad of the station or washes off the pad into the While a Royal Farms expert testified that there was surrounding area with rainwater. Unbeknownst to many a need for another gas station in Hereford, an expert of us, gasoline that spills onto the cement pad does not for the protestants testified that there was not sufficient evaporate—it penetrates through the cement and enters demand for gasoline in the Hereford area to support the ground below. From there, it can enter the aquifer and another station, and predicted that if another station were flow throughout the area. While Royal Farms experts opened, either one of the two would go out of business, testified that their drainage system would capture storm or they would both limp along with meager profits. water runoff, they did not address the issue of gasoline penetrating the station’s cement pad. Advertising Specialties In response to fears expressed by community Annual Reports Artwork & Design members that Royal Farms would consume so much Banners • Booklets water that local wells would experience shortages, Royal Brochures • Business Cards Calendars • Catalogs Farms testified that there was adequate water supply, but Envelopes • Folders offered little evidence to buttress these claims. Baltimore 2010 Flyers • Full Color Printing MD Chamber of Commerce Invitations • Letterheads County has indicated that additional water studies are Small Business of the Year Marketing Consulting needed, but they have not yet been performed. Since Menus • Newsletters Baltimore • Hunt Valley • Lutherville NCR Forms • Notepads the applicable zoning regulations state that growth Towson • Westminster Posters • Postcards should occur only where “a potable water supply 1.866.MMP.6789 Programs • Stationery can be provided without an adverse effect on the www.millersmmp.com More By The Minute! environment and neighboring uses,” Royal Farms should be required to provide clear proof that their water 2 The same witness also testified that there were STORM MANAGEMENT – enough stores in the area selling the kind of items that Royal Farms would sell in its convenience store, so there the Way it Works was no need for that part of the Royal Farm enterprise either. Indeed, with a 7-11, Michael’s Pizza, Graul’s, Since the stormwater management fee was imposed the Monkton Grill, Subway and the convenience store several years ago, it has incited howls of protest; and and gas station, all in downtown Hereford within since our new Governor is attempting its repeal, it seems walking distance of each other and of the proposed appropriate to take a look at the history and reasons for Royal Farms site, nothing that Royal Farms sells is its enactment and see which makes more sense: to keep needed in Hereford. it or to scrap it.

SGCPC collected 1200 signatures on petitions In 2010, a federal lawsuit by environmental groups opposing the proposed gas station and store. Royal successfully argued that voluntary efforts to reduce Farms objected to the petitions being accepted by the Board of Appeals, and the Board sustained the objection. pollution in the Chesapeake Bay weren’t working. The While it would seem that those who live and shop in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), under the local area would be the best judges about the need for federal Clean Water Act, mandated a cleanup of the another gas station and convenience store, the Board Bay by requiring that six watershed states – refused to accept that input. among them - be monitored for three main sources of pollution: nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment. While Weighing the burdens against the benefits of the the EPA was charged with ultimate responsibility for proposed gas station and store, it is our considered the cleanup, under a partnership with these States, it opinion that Hereford is not a good location for the Royal was left to the States to enforce compliance. Farms. It would be incompatible with Hereford’s rural character, would degrade the environment, consume a large amount of water, double the traffic on a small rural Maryland enacted the Stormwater Management road, and threaten the viability of existing independently Act and issued new municipal stormwater permits that owned local stores. The products that Royal Farms outline steps needed to be taken to clean up runoff would sell are already available in Hereford. This pollution and tighten limits on urban sprawl. It was left proposal would not enhance the unique character of the up to 10 counties whose waterways feed into the Bay town and should be denied. to set up the stormwater management programs, hence the establishment of a stormwater management fee The Board of Appeals will conduct public (popularly known as the “rain tax”) on property owners deliberations; we will post the date on Facebook and to help with the reparations. email it. If we do not have your email address, send it to: [email protected]. Much of the runoff pollution comes from wastewater systems and stormwater runoff from farms, treated lawns, and impervious surfaces like roads and roofs. The runoff pollution carries nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous into our streams and our reservoirs and (continued on page 4)

Stormwater Management Fees Come Back to You In the Form of Trees Joseph L. Bishop, Agent Nationwide Insurance The DNR reforestation program will provide 16829 York Road local home owners with a free tree planting design, Nationwide P.O. Box 355 site preparation, installation of County-purchased On Your Side® Monkton, MD 21111 trees, tree shelters and a 3-year maintenance period. Tel: 410-329-6550 The county is most interested in planting areas of Tel: 410-357-8300 one acre or more, but you may request that a smaller Fax: 410-329-6412 area be planted. If you are interested, please contact [email protected] Carrie at [email protected], or 3 410-887-5684. STORM MANAGEMENT (continued from page 3) AGRI-TOURISM finally the Bay. Excess nutrients contaminate drinking REVISITED water in these reservoirs and cause algae blooms that cloud the water, diminish sunlight and deplete oxygen, Even though the Agri-tourism Bill proposed thereby killing fish, underwater grasses and, in the bay, by former Councilman Todd Huff last fall was oyster beds. tabled, there are apparently some land owners in Northern Baltimore County who continue to Baltimore County is introducing Small Watershed welcome commercial events on their property. Action Plans to tackle this huge runoff problem and A quick search of the internet is all you need improve water quality. Among the recommendations to book a wedding, anniversary party, bar or are stream buffer plantings to capture nutrients before bat mitzvah and many other celebratory affairs they hit the water and retrofitting of parking areas. They on a Baltimore County farm. Some webpages also encourage homeowners to help by purchasing will even tell you how far a drive it is from rain barrels, planting trees and installing rain gardens. Get a cheap rain barrel or compost bin at Baltimore New York or . County’s sale April 25-26 (www.baltimorecountymd. gov/recycling). Of course all this costs money, which The hearings on the Agri-tourism Bill is why the stormwater management fee (rain tax) was last fall drew significant opposition from recommended. the community. While most residents want to see farmers make a living from farming, New Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has put forth development of non-farm related commercial legislation that would allow the counties to scrap the fees business is routinely challenged in this rural if they want. He has stated that local officials should and heavily preserved area. During the last be free to decide how to pay for required programs to prevent polluted stormwater from reaching the CZMP, a restaurant in the Monkton area wanted Chesapeake Bay. A court decision has already made to expand its already commercial business to the fees optional, and three of the local governments include weddings and it was swiftly pounced are charging either nothing or a nominal amount. on by neighbors and community groups. It did not receive an upzoning for the requested Some environmentalists say the law is important use. because it’s a source of revenue to specifically address a growing source of pollution. They argue that dedicated It seems an irony that private landowners fees were created to ensure that cleanup projects without commercial zoning who are not paying wouldn’t have to compete with police, schools and other needs for scarce funding. commercial taxes should feel free to advertise and hold the very same type of events that were So how important are clean streams and rivers and denied to an existing commercial business. larger bodies of water to you? How important is the safety Four times last fall the Agri-tourism Bill was of your drinking water? Do you want to see a return of amended and four times it was found wanting. the seafood and fish that were once healthy and bountiful Residents wrote letters and testified about in the Chesapeake Bay? It seems to come down to this: if noise, the paving over of green fields, and late we scrap the “rain tax” something else will have to take night driving on dark, narrow, unfamiliar roads its place. Federal Law has mandated post-celebration. So where does this leave us? that the Bay be cleaned up by the polluting States of which Maryland is one. Revenue will have to come Rather than ignoring the situation, perhaps from somewhere and that somewhere we need an Agri-tourism Bill to define whether usually means the taxpayers. Perhaps such commercial events should be allowed at our representatives will restructure all, a Bill that respects the highly preserved that fee and apply it another way landscape of Northern Baltimore County and that is more palatable, because in protects the quiet rural character we enjoy. the end, we certainly don’t want unpalatable water. 4 DON’T PLANT PLANTS LACROSSE HEADQUARTERS THAT KILL BEES! LOCATES IN LOVETON In the last year, we have learned a lot about If you are a honeybees and other pollinators dying in swarms. There big lacrosse fan are several factors that have caused their catastrophic then you may be decline, including disease and mites. We may not be able excited to learn to do anything about those factors, but there is another that US Lacrosse major cause of their demise that we can control, and will be relocating that is the use of a deadly class of insecticides called its national neonicotinoids (or neonics). headquarters to the Sparks area in 2016. As the name indicates, neonics are a form of nicotine, Groundbreaking which disrupt the neurologic function in bees. These are ceremonies at the northern entrance of the Loveton often inserted into planting material at an early stage, Circle location (across York Road from the water tower) sometimes applied to seeds. As the plant matures, the are scheduled for April 23, 2015. Because the sport toxin is incorporated throughout the plant, from roots has experienced such rapid growth in recent years, the to pollen. US headquarters requires more space than is available at its present home on the Johns Hopkins campus at The insecticide is intended to protect the plant from Homewood. US Lacrosse is a non-profit organization harmful insects, but the unintended consequence of this serving a national membership of more than 450,000. application is that bees and other pollinators drink the Expanding, they are. The new 45,000 square foot poison when they sip nectar, or get it on their bodies headquarters will provide space for their 80 or so when they touch its pollen. Sometimes the disruption employees, a lacrosse museum, and a national Hall of to their neurologic system causes the bees to become Fame. The facility, with a world class turf field, 500-seat disoriented and not make it back to the hive; if they stadium and fan parking places, will serve as the training do make it back, they share the tainted pollen, and the center for the U.S. National Teams Program. It will damage is multiplied. also be used for educational purposes including clinics for national and regional players, player development, Beekeepers have lost so many of their hives that training for coaches and officials, and as a host facility food production has been affected, as honeybees are for games. used to pollinate a large portion of crops. One wonders about the effect on our health of consuming food that While Sparks will be a destination for lacrosse has been treated with such a deadly chemical. enthusiasts locally and from around the country, the addition of the headquarters may contribute to an The Pollinator Protection Act was introduced in uptick of congestion on York Road in Loveton, not just the Maryland General Assembly this year. It would because a new employer is relocating to the area but require plants treated with neonics to be identified, because games held here are sure to draw large crowds. so those who wish to attract pollinators to their yards Additionally, there are plans for stadium lighting so that can avoid plants treated with this deadly poison. (HB the fields can accommodate night games. 605, SB 163) The Bills would also limit the sale of this class of insecticides to certified applicators, farmers or In the years to come, the Sparks area may be veterinarians. Unfortunately, this legislation is withering included with names like the Village of Cooperstown’s along with the bees. Baseball Hall of Fame or Canton’s Football Hall of Fame. In the meantime, we as local residents will see A better approach to this problem would be to new construction, new traffic, new interest in our area, ban the use of neonicotinoids, as has been done in and definitely requests from our lacrosse playing kids Europe. We encourage everyone to contact their elected to visit this new US Lacrosse facility. representatives and ask them to work towards that goal. In the meantime, ask before you buy! Find out whether Because of a development of this nature, SGCPC has the blueberry bush or other “bee-friendly” plants invited an executive from US Lacrosse to attend one of you’re thinking of purchasing have been treated with our meetings in the near future and provide an overview neonicotinoids, and if they have, buzz off. for the community. As we know, interest will increase as local news covers the groundbreaking ceremonies. 5 MEET OUR NEW PRESIDENT Hereford Pharmacy Ron Seward is a county native, a Towson AND GIFT SHOP State (now University) alumnus, an Air Force Veteran and a well-traveled retired businessman. YOUR COMMUNITY PHARMACY - SINCE 1974 During his working career he has lived in several U.S. and foreign cities, but nearly 30 years ago EPIC came back to the family homestead in Sparks. Rx His working career included executive positions 216 Mt. Carmel Road with several fortune 500 companies and owner Parkton-Hereford, MD 21111 of his own company that imported, exported and distributed automotive parts. Before fully retiring Ron was a consultant to several large International Just off exit 27, I-83 companies and institutions such as the World Bank Next to Grauls Market and the European Organization for Economic Development. Phone: 410-329-6209 • 410-357-4211 Fax: 410-357-8002 Ron and his wife, Ellen, live on their horse farm in Sparks which they have placed under easement with the Maryland Environmental Trust (MET). Store Hours: Ron has been a Sparks-Glencoe board member for Mon. - Fri. 9 to 8 • Sat. 9 to 6 • Sun. 9 to 3 the last several years and believes strongly in the values and efforts of our organization. We feel very fortunate that he has agreed to use his professional skills and dedication to lead our organization.

6 GOALS SGCPC BOARD 2015-2016  Educating residents and land use representatives about the Slate of Officers and Directors natural resources in northern Baltimore County; Ron Seward Additional Directors  Encouraging the protection President and preservation of the rural, Lee Bishop historical, and agricultural George Rew environment of northern Vice-President Kirsten Burger Baltimore County; Theaux Le Gardeur  Promoting responsible Lawrie Deering community planning which Vice-President Renae Olver maintains the rural character of Sue Parish the area; Carol Stevenson Treasurer  Advocating growth in keeping Bob Stanhope with the level of public services available in the area. Wendy McIver Valerie Williams Recording Secretary Ty Young SGCPC Nedda Pray Community Meetings Corresponding Secretary are usually held on the 2nd Wednesday of the month, Sparks School Officers and Directors may be contacted at: Belfast Road www.sgcpc.org or [email protected]. at 7:00 pm. Please join us!

We can’t carry out PLEASE JOIN ! our mission to support ____($35) ____ $50____ $100____ $200____ Other our rural environment without your support. Please visit PayPal on our website or make a check out to SGCPC and mail to: We are a tax-exempt P.O. Box 937, Sparks, MD 21152. Your contribution is tax-deductible. organization, so your contribution is tax- If you’d like to get more involved with our work, choose an area that interests you: deductible. Please be _____zoning; _____land preservation; _____membership & fundraising; as generous as you _____communications; _____web site; _____ monitoring county hearings; can! or let us know how you can help: ______

Remember: we Name ______accept matching contributions from Telephone (day) ______(eve)______your employer. Our E-mail address ______tax ID# is 20-3888970. Street address ______City, state, zip ______Thank you for your support!

7 SPARKS-GLENCOE COMMUNITY PLANNING COUNCIL P.O. Box 937 Sparks, MD 21152

Please Come! Annual Meeting

Featuring State Senator Jim Brochin Delegate Chris West Councilman Wade Kach

Sparks Elementary School Belfast Road April 22, 2015 7 PM