Solomons Island Turn Around : Waste of Money

[residentofcre]

Yeah... that would be kewl....

I work across the bridge now.... it's not so bad really early.... unless the snooper or ice is there.... but hit it at the wrong time and it's the pitts...

Problem is... at todays prices... $1M probably wouldn't even pay for the engineering....

 

[itsbob]

It's than Bob. More than one way.

I never could keep than and then straight

 

[Mikeinsmd]

Just seems to me that there are better uses for the funds. What about Huntingtown... at the High School .... Or at Prince Frederick... that intersection at 231 is a mess...Then there's definitely Lusby.... and Highway www.....

I think the 231/4 intersection is too busy for a roundabout.

It's DEFINATELY NOT needed where proposed. What goofball came up with this? If Calvert wants to spend a million, then pick an intersection that has accidents. There's never been an accident at the end of solomons.

 

[residentofcre]

I thought about that 231 intersection after I signed off.... you're right... can you imagine the mess it would cause to just trying to fix it....

Sometimes I kill me.....

Yep... they're right... we should put the circle at Solomons.... maybe add a toll booth to pay of it....

 

[OrneryPest]

There's gonna be a neighborhood meeting about it tonight. Maybe I'll go, and see if I can comprehend their justification for it.

 

[Crow Bait]

There's gonna be a neighborhood meeting about it tonight. Maybe I'll go, and see if I can comprehend their justification for it.

For what? Solomons or 231?

 

[OrneryPest]

For what? Solomons or 231?

Solomons. 7:00 pm at the Chesapeake Biological Lab -Coastal
Technology Building (adjac ent to the Marine Police Offices).

 

[Crow Bait]

So is the community up in arms about this?

Honestly this has been in the works for a LOOOOONG time. The former, now deceased, director of the lab hatched this plan with Jerry Clark and other county leaders. It's taken close to 10 years to get funding.

While It think 1 M is a little steep, I do believe it is needed to keep people out of the residential part of the island, and when it's really crowded help people decide how to turn around.

 

[Vince]

Put the money towards adding a couple more lanes to the bridge. I know 1M is a drop in the bucket towards a project like that, but it's a start.

 

[greyhound]

I thought about that 231 intersection after I signed off.... you're right... can you imagine the mess it would cause to just trying to fix it....

They are going to fix it...very soon.

 

[OrneryPest]

So is the community up in arms about this?

Honestly this has been in the works for a LOOOOONG time. The former, now deceased, director of the lab hatched this plan with Jerry Clark and other county leaders. It's taken close to 10 years to get funding.

While It think 1 M is a little steep, I do believe it is needed to keep people out of the residential part of the island, and when it's really crowded help people decide how to turn around.

I really don't know what the majority community sentiment is. Personally I sorta like roundabouts, but there doesn't seem to be enough traffic down there to make it worthwhile. I regularly go walking and bicycling around there (perhape 2 or 3 times a day) and I've never seen any major traffic jams.

 

[luthersomd]

Do the Research!

The roundabout has been in the Solomons Master Plan since 1986. It was adopted by the county after consultation with the residents. The county is just getting around to funding it. The Master plan also calls for a sidewalk system all the way to Dowell Road. That has not yet been completely finished. The master plan is the official planning document for the Solomons Town Center.

 

[luthersomd]

So is the community up in arms about this?

Honestly this has been in the works for a LOOOOONG time. The former, now deceased, director of the lab hatched this plan with Jerry Clark and other county leaders. It's taken close to 10 years to get funding.

While It think 1 M is a little steep, I do believe it is needed to keep people out of the residential part of the island, and when it's really crowded help people decide how to turn around.

I don't think it was Jerry Clark....hes only been on the BOCC for 4 yrs.

 

[OrneryPest]

The roundabout has been in the Solomons Master Plan since 1986. It was adopted by the county after consultation with the residents. The county is just getting around to funding it. The Master plan also calls for a sidewalk system all the way to Dowell Road. That has not yet been completely finished. The master plan is the official planning document for the Solomons Town Center.

The sidewalk system is definitely much-needed! I'm eagerly waiting to see more progress on that!

 

[Crow Bait]

I don't think it was Jerry Clark....hes only been on the BOCC for 4 yrs.

Ok, maybe I made that up...whoops. he was definetly involved with (finally) getting the funding.

But you are correct...it's been in the plans a LONG time.

 

[OrneryPest]

There's gonna be a neighborhood meeting about it tonight. Maybe I'll go, and see if I can comprehend their justification for it.

Well, folks, I went to the meeting. The overall concept is vastly different from what I had envisioned.

It's not just a roundabout in the usual sense, that would do nothing but give people another excuse to simply drive down onto the island so they could turn around and come back.

It's primarily an esthetic redesign of the intersection that, among other things, would permit a more pedestrian-friendly sidewalk arrangement, and also make it easier to get in and out with the 60-foot 18-wheelers that are sometimes needed for deliveries in the area.

No existing streets will be blocked off, and there is no intention of discouraging anybody from driving, walking, or bicycling around the block just like we've always been doing.

The only tree that would be ripped out is one of those weedy-soft maples that we've got millions of, and they break big branches off in every little storm anyhow. It's more of a gigantic weed than a real tree.

The community in general appears to be mostly in favor of the project, and I've decided I'm in favor of it, too.

 

[residentofcre]

I went to the meeting as well. I was a little surprised...

The circle at Patuxent High School was reported to cost about $1M. But they say this one will cost only $575,000... that is if the artwork in the center of the circle does not push it over budget.

Bobby Swan was the big push behind this project. He said he was there during the design of the master plan and now Jerry Clark is finally there for the funding. I'm a little confuse because it takes 6 years to work something through the Capital Budget but Jerry's "the one"....

The design has a center piece "here's the selling point" that would be a cement stamp, a colored cement treatment, or a picture [kind of like a mosaic]. Candidate Donally was there and he said one of his clients was the one that design the artwork they used. [Bet we know which one he chooses]

Tractor Trailers will be able to make the turn if they roll over the apron of the circle. Cars will be able to turn around and leave again without going into the residential area.

Everyone seemed very happy with it... and if their taxes went up like mine... they could probably pay it off in a year... then again... the civic association could probably pay it off in a year if they decided to do so.... they could use a special taxing district like CRE and Drum Point...

I like the design... and I see some need for a way for tourists to get down there and out again without bothering the residents....

My question is this... is it fair to the rest of the residents of Calvert County to pay for a round about for Solomons.... I'm not sure how I stand on it....

I guess this is one of those time when I would have to ask the people of Lusby, Dowell, Dunkirk or even Huntingtown how they feel about spending $575,000 bonded money on Solomons...

 

[bdh802]

I went to the meeting as well. I was a little surprised...

The circle at Patuxent High School was reported to cost about $1M. But they say this one will cost only $575,000... that is if the artwork in the center of the circle does not push it over budget.

Bobby Swan was the big push behind this project. He said he was there during the design of the master plan and now Jerry Clark is finally there for the funding. I'm a little confuse because it takes 6 years to work something through the Capital Budget but Jerry's "the one"....

The design has a center piece "here's the selling point" that would be a cement stamp, a colored cement treatment, or a picture [kind of like a mosaic]. Candidate Donally was there and he said one of his clients was the one that design the artwork they used. [Bet we know which one he chooses]

Tractor Trailers will be able to make the turn if they roll over the apron of the circle. Cars will be able to turn around and leave again without going into the residential area.

Everyone seemed very happy with it... and if their taxes went up like mine... they could probably pay it off in a year... then again... the civic association could probably pay it off in a year if they decided to do so.... they could use a special taxing district like CRE and Drum Point...

I like the design... and I see some need for a way for tourists to get down there and out again without bothering the residents....

My question is this... is it fair to the rest of the residents of Calvert County to pay for a round about for Solomons.... I'm not sure how I stand on it....

I guess this is one of those time when I would have to ask the people of Lusby, Dowell, Dunkirk or even Huntingtown how they feel about spending $575,000 bonded money on Solomons...

As long as we can still get to the Tiki Bar for a Mai Tai, then I don't have a problem with it. Oh, do you ever think they'll get the sand/beach thing back? That was cool.

 

[residentofcre]

As long as we can still get to the Tiki Bar for a Mai Tai, then I don't have a problem with it. Oh, do you ever think they'll get the sand/beach thing back? That was cool.

That is definitely something I think we should allow..... I hate that they made them take it down.

I was just thinking... at the meeting everyone was talking about the "plan"... which makes me wonder... "what about the plan we had in Lusby?"

When do we get our town center the way the plan was drawn? Hhhhmmm?

 

[MMDad]

My question is this... is it fair to the rest of the residents of Calvert County to pay for a round about for Solomons....

Solomons brings a ton of out of county (tourist) revenue to the county. It's sounding like a good investment to me. We have to invest in order to get a return on the investment.