Property

Baltimore County would add classrooms for thousands of students under a budget proposal unveiled Monday by County Executive Kevin Kamenetz - a plan advocates hope signals a commitment to solve the overcrowding that has plagued the school system. "There's an acknowledgment of the number of seats needed, and there seems to be the will to fund the additional seats," said Yara Cheikh, president of the PTA at Hampton Elementary School in Towson, the county's most overcrowded school. Kamenetz's proposal includes a $2.8 billion operating budget and a $339 million capital budget.

A Parkville man allegedly seen carrying an antique firearm on an elementary school's property Monday afternoon has been charged with possessing a dangerous weapon on school grounds, according to Baltimore County Police. Robert Cleary, 30, walked across Villa Cresta Elementary School property on the 2600 block of Radar Avenue with a Civil War-era rifle at approximately 3:30 p.m. as students were being dismissed, police said. Investigators determined he was meeting a friend at the intersection of Ardmore Avenue and Radar Avenue to sell the weapon at a nearby pawn shop, where it was later recovered.

A man raised the suspicions of several people at Villa Cresta Elementary School in Parkville on Monday after reportedly walking the perimeter of the school's property at the time of dismissal with what one witness said appeared to be a shotgun, according to Baltimore County Police. Police later identified the man and determined that he was carrying an unloaded, antique rifle, said Elise Armacost, a police spokeswoman, in a news release Tuesday. Police are unsure whether the rifle was operable, and the investigation continues, she said.

The Maryland Watershed Protection Plan has the potential to prevent, and even reverse, the erosion that is damaging our streams and the Bay. However, the county's decision to pay for this through a property tax based on the "total impervious structure" is misguided. Impervious structures aren't the only thing that lead to the negative consequences of runoff. Fertilized lawns and pesticides have a major impact on the Bay. Taxing someone for runoff from their house and driveway, but not for their expansive lawn is not rational.

A Harris Teeter grocery store in Towson and shops, a recreation center and amphitheater in Dundalk are among the ideas developers have for Baltimore County government properties that are up for sale. The county received eight bids for the three government properties: the fire station at York Road and Bosley Avenue in Towson; the North Point Government Center in Dundalk; and the Randallstown police substation on Liberty Road. County Executive Kevin Kamenetz announced the plan to sell the properties in December, sparking controversy in some communities.

You might pass by 1352 Key Highway thinking it just another high-tech Inner Harbor office building. Slow down next time and take a good look at what might be one of the most unusual residences in Baltimore. The property, notable for its opaque glass exterior, is a show-stopper with five levels, four of which feature floor-to-ceiling windows. As one-half of a townhouse duplex built in 2009, the east-facing structure is constructed of stucco, metal, brick and, naturally, glass. "It shows like a model home.

Prepare for a whole lot more numbers. We've added to our collection of property tax databases the information for another county: Howard . This searchable database harbors records reflecting the bills for the tax year ending June 30, 2012. There are a variety of search options (owner name, address, city, etc.). Use the sliders in the advanced search to narrow down the field but be careful - even with 94,479 records, twisting too many knobs may leave you with no results. To view the database in its entirety, simply make a blank search.

The City of Havre de Grace is proposing on the May ballot to purchase a residential lot next to the Concord Point Lighthouse. A 3,546-square foot residence presently exists on the property. I am having a problem in understanding the value proposed to be paid as it relates to the benefits to be received by the citizens of Havre de Grace. Yes, it extends the city ownership of waterfront by about 250 feet between the lighthouse and the Heron Harbor Condominiums. However, the direct usefulness of the property to the citizens is questionable.

Baltimore has so many hidden streets and lanes, it is no surprise that a place called Crittenton Place stumped the members of the Baltimore City Planning Commission. For the better part of two hours Thursday, I listened to an urban saga about a piece of property and its aged stone buildings that tell an amazing history. It's a story that is not often told, and you need a degree in advanced urban geography to find the the street and the charity that flourished here. Setting the tone for the neighbors who mounted a defense for the old Florence Crittenton Home was Mark Thistle, who lives near the old stone house built on the side of the Jones Falls Valley in Hampden.

The Baltimore County school board voted Tuesday to close its smallest elementary school in order to accommodate a plan that would allow county officials to sell property for development. The unanimous vote, with two members abstaining, will close the Eastwood Center Elementary Magnet Program, where 191 students study environmental science, at the end of this school year and merge it with Norwood Elementary and Holabird Middle School. The schools will become one school on two campuses, organized as a K-8 magnet program focused on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)