Access Road

Dear Mr. Azrael: We live in a subdivision in Harford County [where] 10 properties are served by a private road. Due to circumstances at the time of development, the private road was deeded to one lot - Lot 8 - and made a part of the lot. We do not have a homeowner's association or a private road/common drive agreement. The county told us it wasn't required at the time of development. As far as we know we only have rights of ingress and egress as stated on our plat. No provisions were made for maintenance of the road.

A $55 million renovation begins next week designed to make the nation's premiere showcase for the performing arts easier to get to, park in and leave. The changes primarily affect the garage and access roads to the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Motorists will be the primary beneficiaries, and that means Baltimoreans. Some residents in Washington and Northern Virginia use the Metro to attend performances; most visitors from Baltimore drive. "Right now, the traffic plan is inefficient, causes congestion and isn't ideal from a safety standpoint," said Kennedy Center Vice President Claudette Donlon.

Although the county does not have the last one of the 10 easements it needs to build a road to its proposed $14 million water treatment plant at Piney Run Lake in Sykesville, Carroll commissioners said yesterday that they will proceed with construction. The vote was 2-1, with Commissioner Julia Walsh Gouge dissenting. The state has said it will not issue a construction permit for the plant and Gouge does not want to go ahead with the road until the impasse with the Maryland Department of the Environment is resolved.

Although the county does not have the last one of the 10 easements it needs to build a road to its proposed $14 million water treatment plant at Piney Run Lake in Sykesville, Carroll commissioners said yesterday that they will proceed with construction. The vote was 2-1, with Commissioner Julia Walsh Gouge dissenting. The state has said it will not issue a construction permit for the plant, and Gouge does not want to go ahead with the road until the impasse with the Maryland Department of the Environment is resolved.

Carroll County will not proceed with plans to build a $13 million water treatment plant on Piney Run Reservoir in Sykesville until it obtains the land it needs for an access road and pipeline. The commissioners reviewed yesterday a $477,570 contract for designing the plant, securing state construction permits and putting the work out to bid. The county legal staff has approved the contract, but the commissioners will defer approval until they have secured rights of way from residents along Hollenberry Road.

Baltimore County's zoning commissioner will resume his review this week of plans by Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church to build a 3,000-seat sanctuary in rural Granite. A series of public hearings scheduled for last week was delayed by Commissioner Lawrence Schmidt so government agencies and community leaders could review drawings for a new access road at the site, which is off Old Court Road. The church had planned two such roads, but reduced the number to one. The hearings are scheduled to resume tomorrow morning.

MVA fair turns focus on world's culturesGet ready for culture -- at the MVA.The state Motor Vehicle Administration will hold its first Culture Fair from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 10 at its Glen Burnie headquarters. The theme will be "Culture: From Many Come One."It will feature food and entertainment from across the globe, including storytelling, dance and music, and sign language for children."The world's culture is present at the MVA," the agency noted in announcing the event. "It's present in our customers and it's present in our employees.

Every time a major storm washes through Glen Arm, a branch of Cowen Run floods. And every time it floods, drivers -- faced with a waterlogged Glen Arm Road -- must travel miles out of their way or risk plowing through.Residents have long fought government officials over the issue, contending the problem could be fixed. Now they are battling a gravel access road under construction, which they believe will worsen the situation.The road is being built in the 11300 block of Glen Arm Road by resident James Novak, who said he simply wants to reach his landlocked property.

The Howard County Board of Appeals yesterday denied a petition from residents of Ellicott City's Gaither Farm community that challenged a county decision to permit construction of an upscale development reachable only by driving through their neighborhood.Three of the five board members voted to deny the petition; two were absent.In May, the county school board rejected the Gaither Farm Homeowners' Association's request for a second access road, which would cut through school system headquarters property.

A traffic study of South Carroll's roadways calls for improvements to major intersections, construction of service roads parallel to Route 26 and a widening of Route 32 to four lanes into Howard County.James W. Holls, manager of the traffic division for the Towson-based consultants Whitney, Bailey, Cox & Magnani, gave the County Commissioners a preview yesterday of the $75,000 study, which determined that without improvements, the county's most populous area will soon face several failed intersections and an increase in accidents.