Water Tower

How do you like your water towers, naked or with an artful promotional message painted on the side? That's a question the Ocean City Town Council will consider at tonight's meeting, when a proposal to paint a logo on the Worcester Street water tower is expected to be on the agenda. Tourism officials are considering a request from Alli Sports, organizers of the Dew Tour, to paint the tour's logo on the side of the water tower. The logo would read 'Welcome to Ocean City, Proud Home of the Dew Tour" and would stay in place year-round.

City Hall is considering selling or leasing 15 historic Baltimore landmarks, including the iconic Shot Tower and stately War Memorial building, which officials believe are underused and could bring the city sorely needed cash. The idea has excited those who say the sites have been neglected and allowed to fall into disrepair. But some preservationists are worried about an uncertain future for buildings they hold dear. "I've never heard about them thinking about anything like this," said Richard S.B. Smith Sr., director of the Friends of Orianda House in Leakin Park, one of the properties to be evaluated.

It appears as though Reisterstown has dodged a bullet in the proposed construction of a 2 million gallon water tower at the bend of Bond Avenue and Timbergrove Road. At a meeting on Oct. 27 spearheaded by residents and Stop the Water Tower, there were over 150 in attendance. Outgoing Reisterstown-Owings Mills-Glyndon Coordinating Council President Mary Molinaro commended community members at the Thursday night meeting for working together, rather than taking the stance of "not in my backyard.

In winter, houses and structures are more obvious than in other seasons when abundant foliage obscures their view. On a recent walk in Roland Park, we passed one longstanding institution after another.  I thought of what staying power these neighborhood institutions have had, and what anchors they have been to the community. Architects and planners have long studied the design of Roland Park. The integration of educational and religious institutions, along with an off-street business block at the center, has given this community vibrant life since its earliest days.

Baltimore City has no imminent plans to raze the old water tower in Roland Park, despite stated fears by a community group that is trying to protect and renovate the north Baltimore landmark, city officials say. But officials say the city plans to do a study to determine the marketability of the tower and other surplus city water properties. A flier that Friends of the Roland Water Tower handed out during Tunes @ the Tower, a festival at the site June 4, stated, "The threat to the Roland Water Tower is imminent.

Although "not-in-my-backyard" is a common utterance about large public works projects, some neighbors are prepared to welcome a water tower planned for Marriottsville at a meeting tonight.Just ask Jack Faulkner, whose family was frightened in July by a "false positive" test that showed his well was contaminated with a solvent -- one of several known to be leaking from the county landfill that overlooks his neighborhood."If this is going to solve the problem, they could put it in my front yard," Mr. Faulkner said of the 130- to 150-foot water tower, which will hold 300,000 gallons and be fed by a relatively unobtrusive water pumping station several miles away.

Hampstead's growth, especially in its north end, has the town planning a water tower and looking for a place to build it.Details on the need for the tower and its possible location will be presented at a meeting at 7: 30 p.m. Monday in Town Hall, 1034 S. Carroll St."No one thinks we don't need a water tower," said Town Manager Kenneth Decker. "They just think we should put it where they won't see it."That won't be possible, he said. The whole point of the tower is its elevation, which provides the pressure to send adequate amounts of water into homes and businesses, Decker said.

In a dramatic aerial rescue, three electricians who were stranded for more than two hours atop a 130-foot water tower at a Curtis Bay chemical plant were plucked from the roof by helicopter.The three electricians -- Jeffrey Magee, 27, Donald Testerman, 25, and Stephen Nowacki, 20, all employees of the North American Electric Co. -- had climbed a ladder to the tower about 9 a.m. to repair an airplane warning light and rusted conduit at the SCM Chemical Co. in the 3900 block of Fort Armistead Road.

County Executive Charles I. Ecker has decided to build a $700,000 water tower in Marriottsville where it's most needed: on the western edge of the Alpha Ridge Landfill, in sight of homes closest to the dump's worst ground water pollution.Mr. Ecker chose the site for the 140-foot tower Sunday over a location on the grounds of Mount View Middle School on Route 99, about a mile west of the landfill, where tower construction was estimated to cost $200,000 less. His decision was announced late Tuesday.

Hampstead Town Council approved last night a contract with H. M. Mall Associates/The Cordish Co. that would give the town a site for a new water tower. In exchange, the town will provide public water to North Carroll Shopping Center, including the Wal-Mart and Burger King set to open this summer, even though the center is not being annexed by the town. The Town Council voted to approve the agreement in principle in December, but negotiations on the final details were not wrapped up until this week, Town Manager Ken Decker said.

In winter, houses and structures are more obvious than in other seasons when abundant foliage obscures their view. On a recent walk in Roland Park, we passed one longstanding institution after another. I thought of what staying power these neighborhood institutions have had, and what anchors they have been to the community. The design of Roland Park has long been studied by architects and planners. The integration of educational and religious institutions, along with an off-street business block at the center, has given this community vibrant life since its earliest days.

It appears as though Reisterstown has dodged a bullet in the proposed construction of a 2 million gallon water tower at the bend of Bond Avenue and Timbergrove Road. At a meeting on Oct. 27 spearheaded by residents and Stop the Water Tower, there were over 150 in attendance. Outgoing Reisterstown-Owings Mills-Glyndon Coordinating Council President Mary Molinaro commended community members at the Thursday night meeting for working together, rather than taking the stance of "not in my backyard.

Have you noticed the cluster of "For Sale" signs on homes as you head toward the sharp curve where Bond Avenue becomes Timber Grove? Or have you noticed that the once well-maintained Tree Farm is now in disarray or noticed the crudely wrought signage imploring no one specific to "Save the Trees"? That 1.94-acre parcel was sold by owner Helen Neuhauser to Baltimore County on May 28, 2010, for the tidy sum of $300,000. Plans are to erect a 150-foot-high, 2-million-gallon water tank on the grounds.

How do you like your water towers, naked or with an artful promotional message painted on the side? That's a question the Ocean City Town Council will consider at tonight's meeting, when a proposal to paint a logo on the Worcester Street water tower is expected to be on the agenda. Tourism officials are considering a request from Alli Sports, organizers of the Dew Tour, to paint the tour's logo on the side of the water tower. The logo would read 'Welcome to Ocean City, Proud Home of the Dew Tour" and would stay in place year-round.

Baltimore City has no imminent plans to raze the old water tower in Roland Park, despite stated fears by a community group that is trying to protect and renovate the north Baltimore landmark, city officials say. But officials say the city plans to do a study to determine the marketability of the tower and other surplus city water properties. A flier that Friends of the Roland Water Tower handed out during Tunes @ the Tower, a festival at the site June 4, stated, "The threat to the Roland Water Tower is imminent.

A joint bid by two private schools to acquire a prime piece of Roland Park real estate has been turned down by the Baltimore Country Club, which owns the land and has been approached several times by interested buyers, school officials said. Friends School of Baltimore and the Roland Park Country School expressed interest this year in buying the 18-acre parcel from the club. But school officials say that they have been unable to reach an agreement with the club on a purchase price and other details.

Hampstead will reconsider its decision to place a water tower at the entrance to North Carroll Middle School, Mayor Christopher M. Nevin said yesterday.He and Councilman Larry Hentz met yesterday morning with a group of protesting residents who live near the proposed site on Route 30 -- but outside town limits.Wednesday night, the county Board of Education agreed to reconsider its decision to give Hampstead the land for a half-million-gallon water tower, in response to protests by homeowners at the board meeting.

The county Board of Education has agreed to reconsider its decision to give Hampstead land for a water tower.The decision was in response to protests at last night's board meeting by homeowners who live near the proposed site at North Carroll Middle School."

The Roland Park water tower - a slender Italianate structure standing 14 stories high - is a glorious obsession for residents who wish to restore this shared symbol of the North Baltimore community. It no longer has any water in it. But the stately octagonal tower commands the local landscape. The Roland Park Civic League uses it on its letterhead. "It's just like an inland lighthouse," said Brian W. Kelly, an architect and Roland Park resident who has spent the past year researching its design and condition.

A West Baltimore neighborhood group's dream of transforming an obsolete 19th-century water tower into a useful educational tool for children received a big boost yesterday from a high place - Congress. Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, of Baltimore, presented the West Arlington Improvement Association of Baltimore City Inc. with a $436,950 grant - money that is meant to jump-start the reconstruction effort. Plans for the $4 million project include transforming the defunct 120-foot West Arlington water tower into a planetarium and building a youth center at its base.