Water Tower

Saying he wanted to bring "world-class living" to Baltimore, a local developer presented plans this week for an upscale apartment building overlooking the Inner Harbor. The city apartment project is the second that Legacy Harrison Development has announced in the past two months - and one more in a wave of apartment complexes that have opened or are planned in downtown Baltimore. Brian D. Morris, Legacy Harrison's chief executive officer, had already announced that the recently formed company would develop the Zenith, a 165-unit building near Camden Yards on the city's west side.

Mount Airy's town election has become a battle between old and new, with a crop of four first-time candidates challenging nine-term incumbent Councilman R. Delaine Hobbs Jr. and a write-in prospect vying against three-term incumbent Mayor Gerald R. Johnson. The mayor's seat and two council posts are up in today's election, and although some first-time candidates praise the current government, others have drawn a distinct line between their visions for the future and the establishment represented by Johnson and Hobbs.

In Westminster, the water tower on Western Maryland College's hilltop campus will soon become more than a backup source for hot bubble baths, long showers and car washes - it also will improve phone conversations. AT&T Corp. has made arrangements to place an antenna atop the tower, built in the 1970s as a water reservoir for the city, to bolster local cellular phone service. The city and the college will equally share revenues from the 10-year lease. The city owns the tower and the college owns the land on which it stands.

Manchester has annexed the largest number of acres in more than 20 years - a move that will mean not only a couple hundred new homes, but also millions of dollars worth of water and road improvements. The annexation of the Black Farm/Fayle property occurs after eight years of planning and study by local builder Martin K. P. Hill of Masonry Homes Inc. in Manchester. The property - several parcels totaling 157 1/2 acres - lies north of town. The improvements will include construction of a well and water tower and the relocation of Lineboro Road to improve its intersection with Route 30. The Town Council's vote approving the annexation was rapid and without controversy Tuesday night.

New Windsor's financial picture is much better than anyone expected, with a budget surplus of $104,964 -- about 25 percent of the town's annual spending, according to a recent auditor's report. "Things are going well everywhere because of the good economy, but things are going great in New Windsor," said Mayor Jack A. Gullo Jr. New Windsor had the lowest property tax rate of Carroll County's eight municipalities when it hacked off another 5 cents a few months ago and brought the rate down to 40 cents per $100 of assessed value.

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.

IF ANYONE SUSPECTS that all the activity around the Linthicum water tower must mean it's getting a new coat of paint -- you're right. Both inside and out, according to Ken Dinnis, project manager of the Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works. The area around the prominent red and white tower, at one end of Linthicum Park on Benton Avenue, has been bustling. Since March 1, a large metal fence has been erected around the tank and all kinds of equipment have arrived at the site. Dinnis said the fence was extended more than necessary for the painters as an added precaution, because a playground and elementary school are nearby.

In New Windsor, one water tower will help pay for another. The town has come up with a creative plan to finance the $500,000 needed for its second water tower by leasing space on its 30-year-old water tank to cellular communications companies. "So far, we have had no opposition," said Mayor Jack A. Gullo Jr. "We have seen pictures, and you can't even see the antennas." The Town Council has approved a 10-year lease with Page-Net, a cellular phone company that will pay $1,100 monthly for antenna space on the Rowe Road water tank.

Hampstead Town Council voted last night to provide public water to North Carroll Shopping Center, including the future Wal-Mart and Burger King.In exchange, the H. M. Mall Associates/Cordish Co. -- the Baltimore-based developer-owner of the shopping center -- will give the town land for a new water tower, money to build a pumphouse and other financial incentives that total about $250,000.The lone dissenter on the council, Wayne Thomas, warned that the deal puts the town at risk by having to provide water to such potentially large users.

Hampstead Councilman Wayne Thomas is afraid that if the faucet is turned on, it might be hard to turn off.He and his fellow council members are set to vote on an ordinance tomorrow night that could make the town the only one in the county to extend water to paying customers outside the town limits.Thomas thinks it's a dangerous step that could blur the lines that determine who is eligible for a limited amount of public water.The ordinance would allow for selling water outside the town under certain conditions -- such as when it is to the benefit of town residents.