It should be noted that I did receive a call from the Baltimore County Ethics Commission and was emailed a form pertaining to the protocol and process in filing a potential complaint involving these matters.

Bill, thank you so much. I felt I was fare. The citizens of Dundalk need to know the process and the potential impact on their community. Issues like this must be carefully scrutinized by the public because of the lasting impact on the community and taxpayers.

With the big box store concept being in peril, combined with the recent Eastpoint Mall issue and the vacant Diamond Point property, we need to exercise due-diligence before moving on any commercial development.

You know there is so many back door deals being made in Dundalk especailly with respect to the Olszewski's (i.e appointing his son to Delegate behind everyone's back when Arnick passed away) They just need to stay far away from this. Fair and impartial people should be assigned to this. There should be no ties to each other whatsoever. As far as the site being developed...YOU must address how you are going to kill all of the rats that call it home before you tear it down..When the first few buildings came down the rats scurried into the neighborhoods. Also, really do we need more government buildings,senior housing,ball fields etc?..Dundalk is richly blessed with many of these things. We have Chesterwood, Merritt Park, many school grounds with ball fields. We have Rec Centers in just about every neighborhood. We have 3 senior housing centers from Dundalk to Edgemere. We need businesses..Things that bring people, money, jobs etc..Don't mess this up like you did with the failed Dundalk shopping center. That is one horrible mistake to put on a resume..Eastpoint Mall (which is not part of Dundalk. Dundalk is 21222 only.) is an embarrassment. Tear it down and start over..A nice outlet mall like Prime Outlets would be great.

Shellf, you sound like a person who knows of which he speaks. A couple of interesting points you raised. I would guess there are more than rat problems within the walls of those old buildings. I'll put up some pics to give you some idea of the conditions down there.

What is troubling to me is the process and how this is unfolding. How does a developer present plans to the community on building a government center when the charter requires any contract over $25,000 must be sent out on a bid.process?

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2011-02-08/news/bs-md-county-software-contract-20110208_1_clayton-county-hairston-school-system

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2011-02-10/news/bs-ed-hairston-letter-20110210_1_hairston-wasteful-spending-bid

Mr. Vontran had numerous opportunities to appear before other community leaders and refused. My guess would be there is more to this issue than meets the eye.

Ron Stichion
Buzz,
It's civic minded people like yourself that the Dundalk community should have on their planning boards, Great job! I'm really proud of you and I know first hand, the caliber of the problems your dealing with.

Ron, it's been a long time. Coming from you that is a high complement. On the east side, as they say, the river runs wide and deep, if you get my drift.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Can't stare four walls everyday. I owe my new life to the "Office of Fred."

Joan, this is the bus I was talking about, It makes various stops around town, Yorkway, Seagrams and is now headed to Fort Hoard. We can't ride this bus because we don't have enough tokens or know the bus driver.

I think we're all familiar with the route so I'll be standing on the corner watching to make sure the bus doesn't go over the speed limit.

I am just so frustrated w/ the whole state of affairs with Dundalk. Like Joan has stated. "They just keep voting the same way." I worked on a campaign for the 2nd time in my history of voting last year. I was excited & pretty optimistic that things were going to change. I mean how could they not change? I pointed out that our shopping centers have lost all of their valuable businesses. We have vacant businesses just sitting there gathering rats,homeless people & drug addicts & a high saturation rate of section 8 in Dundalk. I told people that the current representatives have had years to fix these problems but they have not done anything SO why should we give them another term to do NOTHING. I told them about the back room deals that the Olszewski's like to do and get away with and still they give the family another term. We desperately need to get rid of John O Sr. John O Jr. Sonny Minnick, Norman Stone. I don't know Mike Weir that well..But I can say that after he was elected, Essex managed to get rid of 3 major section 8 apartment buildings quicker than we were able to get rid of Yorkway apts. Sorry...Getting back to the MAIN POINT...WE need Transparency...Isn't that what the democrats are touting these days???? Stop trying to be so underhanded? We don't trust you Mr Olszewski Sr and your back room deals. Nor do we trust your son, Johnny Olszewski jr. I will make it my point to post on every blog the kind of back room deals that are going on. DUNDALK ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

Shelf, taking on an incumbent is next to impossible without money and a well oiled machine.

An incumbent can do things and make certain promises to communities that can shut down any challengers. I personally did not feel comfortable in the filed of politics.

That is why these guys make their political careers a lifelong experience.

I went to the meeting. Sat and listened for the entire thing. I was surprised by the number of people complaining about the condition of the Seagram's property, then turning around and saying, "So I'm against the rezoning." Isn't that why it needs to be rezoned? So something can be done with it?

I also think there were a lot of folks jumping to conclusions about what could/might happen as a result of the rezoning, regarding the Government Center. All conjecture and speculation at this point. What the people who spoke failed to do was make a case against the rezoning that wasn't founded on hypotheticals and counterfactuals.

Mathew, in all fairness I would ask for full disclosure regarding this. There is a lot at stake here and I think we should know what your stake is, if any.

We are looking at documents that go back to a convoluted series of deals that began years ago. I would say there is more to this than, as the saying goes meets the eye.

Does the end justify the means if those means are not justified. The integrity of the process is more important than the process.

You are correct in that there is a way to go to formulate something etched in stone, but the salvo of words has already been fired by Mr. Vontran, Councilman Olszewski and the DRC.

Those words are a warning shot fired across the bow of the public's right to an open and transparent government.

When I bought my home on Broadship Rd right at the end near the distillery in 1998 we have heard rumors that finally things we going to be done about that property. Well we sold in 2004 and nothing was done. It could be rezoned to put a MARS Space station on it..It will never happen...Just like the nice Dundalk Shopping Center we were promised..You see what happened there. Not to sound ungrateful about Dundalk. I think we live in a beautiful community. We have beautiful tree lined streets, beautiful parks and waterways. We have great parades and pride. BUT we need to be competitive as well and put competitive businesses in existing spaces like Merritt Shopping center. Danville Shopping Center, Golds Gym Shopping Center, DUNDALK and LOGAN shopping center. As for the Seagrams property....We don't need a Government center...or a senior center or more ball fields..The police stations needs to stay centrally located to the community. not buried away. They need to be transparent about this process so WE the PEOPLE can stop the failure of project before it begins. These politicians don't have a clue how to plan and birth a successful business. Look at Minnicks Restaurant....It is an eyesore!!!!! Mr. Holupka sits on a FAILED committee of the DRC....AGAIN>>>LOOK at DUNDALK VILLAGE..and the taking down of all those nice mature trees to replant those ugly trees as part of their new plan...HUH??? Dundalk..You should be outraged..But your not..you allow this so you deserve this..

Shellf, there is another old saying that goes "you get what you vote for."

On a lighter note..I remember when I was younger walking home from school, I remember smelling the hops or whatever the ingredients of the distillery were. I loved that smell. Would have been nice to have kept that division there..

Matthew, again you comments are veiled in your agenda. I am not getting that message out of the 12th. In fact the lid is on over this topic.

You mention Yorkway, but you don't mention that at a cost of $18.5 million and years in the process it is still only about halfway completed. Right across the development is a house where the front lawn is strewn with furniture. Is this your version of positive movement, not to mention the demise of Eastpoint Mall.

Merrit Park is by no means a done deal and hinges on a supper market anchor.

As with many developments the cost to the taxpayers is always as key and many times a drawback. The beneficiaries of these deals are the developers and the connected dots.

Case in point this project as reported in the Sun.

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2011-05-17/business/bs-bz-gm-groundbreaking-20110517_1_gm-s-baltimore-transmission-plant-gm-s-allison-transmission

Do the match. Between the federal, state and county subsidies of $115.5 million for 190 jobs that costs the taxpayers almost $80 grand per job.

As I said, I sense an undercurrent of another agenda.

The Duanlk landscape is littered with vacant buildings.

It's not about the rezoning per say. It is about the lack of transparency. John Olszewski Sr. appointment of Scott Holupka to the Balitmore County Planning Board. S. Holupka sits on the failed Dundalk Renaissance Corporation. Who in turn has ties to Mr. Vontran. The issue, TRANSPARENCY! The wool being pulled over our eyes. Just like when J. Olszewski Sr. had his son appointed as delegate when Delegate Arnick passed away. Sure we would benefit from rezoning, but we need people on the board with a PROVEN record of business success. Essex Knocked 3 section 8 apartment bldgs down & built new homes before we even knocked 1 apartment building down in Dundalk. SAD! When they formed DRC, we were promised a full service shopping center. Instead we got a business park. Labor Ready is awful, people loitering & the old Strand Theater is dirty. It needs a Santoni's again. They tried to improve our YMCA. It only offers swimming. Why can't it offer Yoga, gymnastics, aerobics? Our Recs and Parks don't offer a lot of these. Merritt Shopping Center, We were told that once the 99 year lease was up in Spring 2011, we would see a brand knew shopping center. A shopping center so that we would not have to run out to White Marsh anymore to shop. I was told that they are only knocking down stores starting after Rite Aid down to the Old Century 21. The whole strip needs to go. Eastpoint, What can I say? Indoor Flea Market. We are only asking for Transparency. Don't you agree?

Shellf, the key word here is transparency and that is also the word that is lacking. If this deal is a benefit for the community then why not tout it with an open door policy which gives the residents an opportunity to see their government at work.

Mr. Vontran had several opportunities to meet with community organizations to clear the air and discuss his plans. He chose not to do this. My question is why?

Why would the DRC promote the concept of a box store in our area when according to sources in the article, this would be a risky venture. We have enough issues with vacant properties as it stands now.

The ultimate question here is who benefits from this proposal, the citizens of the 7th District or the dots connected to it?

I would hope that they aren't proposing to move the the police station to the Seagrams plant. Then in it's old spot, put stores. It's too close to Grange Elementary..AND it is where we have our Fire Works. Can't mess with that!!! LOL We do love our Fire Works. I hear all sorts of rumors such as CCBC Dundalk being turned into the Police Academy only. I don't think that will happen. I think a Target would be nice right by the the Burger King on North Point Blvd. The DRC is made up with people who lack vision and lack business sense. Until we have a committee who actually have an idea how to stimulate business, Dundalk will always be in limbo. Mr. Vontran has his own agenda. He thinks we don't care..Why does he think we don't care?? Because our citizens don't show up to meetings or protest. They are used to things floating under radar..It will go through whether we like it or not..

I would have thought someone from the DRC might have made a comment, but then again there is the old saying - opening up a can of worms.

BTW...I am for the rezoning of the Sparrows Point Country club. I would love to see more newly built homes come in our area. I think it would be good for Dundalk. I would like to see the Big Box stores come to our area. Just would like to see them come above board. I think the spot where the government center is presently is not a suitable site. It is not big enough. It is the site of the fire works as I stated before. They cannot be easily be relocated and that is going to ANGER many citizens of Dundalk. Though I know this post originally was about S. Holupka stepping down as a member of the B. County Planning Board. Well He should. For obvious reasons. There has been many missed opportunities by the DRC and our delegates. When Giant left the old Shopping center, a big box store could have gone in that shopping center easily with the right configurations. Before Ollies went in,a big box could have gone in there with the right configurations. Merritt park shopping center could house a big box store if they would just knock it all down and start over. Like the post before,Who cares about that store on the end with supposed historical structures?? But you know they couldn't even get Dundalk Shopping center right. Please no more Dollar stores, Nail Salons, Rental stores, Tax Preparers,Thrift stores, Buyout stores, or gas stations..

Buzz has an Agenda. He is full of crap.

Can't you come up with a more original name than Steve, Mr. AdamBaum. You're slipping back into some old habits. Agenda is not a proper noun. No need to capitalize it.

However I do appreciate the comment. Just another click on the view-meter.

Shellf. True there are more parks, but they have their own baseball and soccer leagues. And what about the community theatre where anyone can go? It is for people with special needs and others as well. I am sorry if they want a high end store in dundalk, do not put it somewhere were it will affect more people then they realize.

Buzz,
Your work shines on subjects that "blue collar ignorance" is slowly evaporating! For those you spotlight; When you can't make them see the light, make them feel the heat.(RR) Thanks for being the modern American patriot