Hampstead Bypass

The state doesn't have the money now to build a Hampstead bypass previously slated for construction in 1992, but the project has not been shelved, Maryland's transportation secretary assured anxious Carroll officials.In their annual pitch to state Department of Transportation representatives Thursday, county and municipal officials urged accelerated planning and construction of several bypasses to relieve congestion on major highways and bolster economic development.The Route 30 bypass around Hampstead, the project closest to fruition, tops the county's list, but not the state's.

A herd of goats coming to the rescue of a handful of imperiled turtles may sound like the plot of a Saturday morning children's cartoon show, but that's just what's happening in the Carroll County town of Hampstead. The State Highway Administration has enlisted the help of about 40 goats to devour invasive plant species in wetlands along the path of the soon-to-open, 4.4-mile Hampstead Bypass to protect the habitat of the bog turtle - a species listed as threatened in Maryland. State highway officials decided to give the goats a tryout as four-legged lawn mowers rather than to attack the unwanted vegetation with mechanical mowers that might have killed the diminutive reptiles or damaged their boggy habitat on the fringe of Hampstead.

County planners fear that the long-awaited Hampstead bypass project could be jeopardized because the proposed route runs through a contaminated area designated for cleanup by Black & Decker Corp.After an Aug. 14 meeting with the Wolf Hill Community Association to discussa revised alignment for the southern terminus, a state highway official told county planner J. Scott Fischer that contamination problems behind the Black & Decker plant threaten the project, said Fischer."It was kind of a matter-of-fact thing he threw out after the meeting was over.

Hampstead town officials have asked the Carroll County commissioners to consider a zoning amendment to prohibit billboards along the $83.4 million Hampstead Bypass to emphasize the 4 1/2 -mile roadway's role as a scenic gateway, when it opens to traffic at the end of 2008. "We'll have this new road going through pristine countryside," Hampstead Mayor Haven N. Shoemaker Jr. said. "We'd like to keep it as blemish-free as possible and maintain the rural character of our community." Hampstead passed an ordinance in 2001 to prohibit all billboards from being erected within the municipal boundaries, town officials said.

YOU GOTTA PAY to play, state transportation officials told Hampstead this month as the east Carroll community renewed its plea for state funding for a badly needed Route 30 downtown bypass."

A new study states that the habitat of the endangered bog turtle would not be damaged by construction of a badly needed Route 30 bypass around Hampstead, offering commuters hope for an end to long waits at the Carroll County town's stoplights, and perhaps allaying concerns about the survival of a creature few people had heard of three years ago. "Construction of the Hampstead Bypass will ... have a negligible impact on the bog turtle wetlands," said...

It took almost seven years of study - in which scientists analyzed the DNA and followed the migratory patterns of bog turtles with radio monitors - but the federal government has concluded that the tiny reptile and the highway can live together, after all. Work on the $48 million Hampstead Bypass, the No. 1 transportation priority in one of the region's fastest-growing counties, was delayed in 1998 when two of the rare turtles were discovered crawling in...

Carroll's legislative delegation is moving forward on proposals to expand the Board of County Commissioners from three to five members, to exempt the county from a state mandate for all-day kindergarten and to allow the commissioners to pay for road projects and later recoup the costs from developers. But the seven members unanimously rejected a measure to extend closing time to 2 a.m. at county bars and restaurants. Sen. Larry E. Haines, leader of Carroll's all-Republican delegation, said he plans to meet with Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s staff next week to discuss building a $24 million state crime lab in Sykesville, and he is pushing for funding this year for a bypass route around Hampstead.

For months, town officials have been worried about whether state money would be available to help pay for the Hampstead bypass.On Monday, their worst fears were realized.Mayor C. Clinton Becker informed the Town Council that the state no longer plans to pay for construction of the bypass for at least six years.State administrators cited, among other things, budget woes facing the government."I guess the state feels that they have more important issues to deal with than funding a Hampstead bypass," Councilman Lewis O. Keyser Jr. said.

Over the next six years, Carroll County will receive $126 million in state money for highway and other improvements, including the long-awaited Hampstead bypass and the reconstruction of Route 140 bridges. The Maryland Department of Transportation unveiled its six-year program for the county yesterday, detailing "an unprecedented level" of highway, aviation and mass transit improvements, said Gregory Pecoraro, assistant secretary of transportation. For the next fiscal year, construction will begin on 12 projects totaling more than $24 million.

Gov.-elect Martin O'Malley could redirect state funding priorities away from roads and toward public transportation - which could disrupt some desired projects in Carroll County, said South Carroll Del. Susan W. Krebs. O'Malley, who questioned highway projects similar to the Hampstead Bypass, favors growth plans that overlook the need for new highways to manage increased traffic, she said. O'Malley, a Democrat, will succeed Republican Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. in January. "Ehrlich got roads back on the map," said Krebs, a Republican.

Better workplace is workshop's goal The Carroll County Business & Employment Center will hold a human resource workshop, "Tools for Building a Strong Workplace Foundation," from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Friday at the BERC office, 224 N. Center St., Westminster. The workshop will cover workplace issues that professionals deal with daily. Registration is required. Information: 410-386-2820. Carroll Chiropractic sponsors coat drive Carroll Chiropractic will hold a Coats for Kids drive Oct. 23 to 27 at its office, 330 140 Village Road, Unit 9A, Westminster.

Other candidates' tax promises empty I wish I had a nickel for every time a politician promised lower taxes. I might end up with a budget surplus the size of Maryland's. Right now the "Free" State has a $1.2 billion budget surplus. The two Republican incumbents in District 5A are running for the House of Delegates on a "lower taxes" promise. They have not delivered tax relief with over a billion dollars in the state coffers. Can anyone take their promise of lower taxes seriously? These same delegates are criticizing Carroll County for having a cash reserve.

In keeping with his promise to visit all of the state's municipalities, Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele spent several hours touring Hampstead and Manchester last week and focused many of his remarks on bypasses for both towns. Although rumors abound that Steele is considering a run for a U.S. Senate seat, Carroll residents and local politicians were more interested in talking about traffic congestion than politics. In Hampstead, the State Highway Administration plans to break ground for a $76 million bypass around the town's Main Street in April.

State highway officials say they will reconsider plans to erect a chain-link fence to separate Shiloh Middle from the soon-to-be-constructed Hampstead bypass after Carroll County school officials asked the state for a more substantial buffer between the school and the busy highway. "We're confident there are very good solutions that can be developed" to address local worries about safety and noise concerns, Transportation Secretary Robert L. Flanagan said Friday. A solid 8-foot wall or a wrought-iron fence with heavy landscaping are two alternatives that will be considered, Flanagan said.

State highway officials say they will reconsider plans to erect a chain-link fence to separate Shiloh Middle from the soon-to-be-constructed Hampstead bypass after Carroll County school officials asked the state for a more substantial buffer between the school and the busy highway. "We're confident there are very good solutions that can be developed" to address local worries about safety and noise concerns, Transportation Secretary Robert L. Flanagan said Friday. A solid 8-foot wall or a wrought-iron fence with heavy landscaping are two alternatives that will be considered, Flanagan said.

Construction of the $70 million Hampstead bypass, a 4 1/2 -mile-long road that has been nearly 40 years in the planning, will begin in the fall of next year, state transportation officials said yesterday. "We are going to fund it," Maryland Transportation Secretary Robert L. Flanagan said to a round of applause and cheers in a meeting with the county delegation and town officials. "This is a great day for Hampstead. The bypass is on its way." Traffic on Route 30, a state highway that becomes Main Street in Hampstead, made Flanagan a bit late for the meeting.

A herd of goats coming to the rescue of a handful of imperiled turtles may sound like the plot of a Saturday morning children's cartoon show, but that's just what's happening in the Carroll County town of Hampstead. The State Highway Administration has enlisted the help of about 40 goats to devour invasive plant species in wetlands along the path of the soon-to-open, 4.4-mile Hampstead Bypass to protect the habitat of the bog turtle - a species listed as threatened in Maryland. State highway officials decided to give the goats a tryout as four-legged lawn mowers rather than to attack the unwanted vegetation with mechanical mowers that might have killed the diminutive reptiles or damaged their boggy habitat on the fringe of Hampstead.

State highway officials say they will reconsider plans to erect a chain-link fence to separate Shiloh Middle from the soon-to-be-constructed Hampstead bypass after Carroll County school officials asked the state for a more substantial buffer between the school and the busy highway. "We're confident there are very good solutions that can be developed" to address local worries about safety and noise concerns, Transportation Secretary Robert L. Flanagan said Friday. A solid 8-foot wall or a wrought-iron fence with heavy landscaping are two alternatives that will be considered, Flanagan said.