[WIA-Info] Important Message from Towson Rec Council: Planning Board Meeting March 19th at 4 PM

From: Info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To: "InfoList@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx" <InfoList@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 2015 11:13:56 -0400
Dear Friends:  

We are asking for your support to help preserve and restore Towson's 
recreational facilities and open spaces.  Please read the following message 
from the Towson Recreation Council and mark March 19th at 4 pm on your 
calendars to attend an important County Planning Board meeting.  

It is time to stand up for our schools, our community, and our families by 
restoring County Open Space fees for pending Towson commercial developments.

Please make it a priority to attend the March 19th County Planning Board 
meeting if at all possible!  This is our one and only chance to let the 
Planning Board know that we need and want these Open Space fees.

Sincerely,
Jennifer Bolster

Further Information:

Over $5M in Open Space funding for Towson may be lost if County exempts pending 
Towson developments.

Ever wonder why it seems like other Baltimore County neighborhoods have better 
fields and rec facilities?  Well, when a developer builds a new project, a 
certain amount of Open Space must be set aside for the use of the surrounding 
community.  If open space is not available, Baltimore County assesses an Open 
Space fee which then funds local Recreation and Parks projects.  Towson is the 
only district currently exempt from this fee, which raises millions for 
communities around the county.  Essentially, the County Executive is taking 
money that would go to our community based recreational programs and giving it 
to wealthy developers as an "incentive" for projects they would have built 
anyway.  As a result, Towson Rec Council families pay over $50,000 each year to 
rent fields and storage facilities to make up for a lack of county investment 
in our Recreation and Parks facilities.  NO OTHER COUNTY REC PROGRAM DOES THAT. 
 Towson families pay extra for recreational programs--a RECREATION 
TAX!--because of inadequate fields and facilities for our growing population.

We are asking for your support by attending the March 19th Planning Advisory 
Board Meeting in Room 105 of The Jefferson Building in Towson.  The meeting 
begins at 4pm which is difficult for most, but millions in funding is at stake. 
 We need 100+ Towson parents and children to attend in support of Open Space 
fees for Towson development projects.  It is very important that you attend the 
meeting but if you can't, please contact The County Executive's Office, post 
your feelings on social media (next door is monitored by County Officials), and 
write editorials for The Sun and Towson Times.  

Everyone should know that the County Executive has already told the Planning 
Board to lower fees county wide and maintain zero fees on projects in Towson.  
If we don't turn out significant support at the March 19th Planning Board 
Meeting...  we will get nothing."

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[WIA-Info] Important Message from Towson Rec Council: Planning Board Meeting March 19th at 4 PM

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