Read the ruling. Sounds like the State Board of Ed. has just told the BCPS BOE to go back to the beginning of the school site notification process. Are we playing Chutes and Ladders? See you at the next hearing.

I'm I incorrect in my thinking that this land belongs to BCPS and was purchased years ago as the site for a future school? It would seem to me that the time to notify people would be before the purchase. The property was never intended for any other purpose. Katy, it's not "parkland" is is school land. It's sad that people living in the area think what they want is more important that the students sitting in over crowded schools.

Katy said "schools should not be built on parkland". That's selfish NIMBY talk, Katy.

As Mr. Schmidt said at one point, "Mays Chapel is a school site that is being used as a park, not a park that is being turned into a school." Mays Chapel residents should be embarrassed that they are fighting construction of an elementary school.

Also, why is the state board of ed even involved in this decision? Bureaucracy run amok.

I really can't believe that people would be glad to hear that a school is not opening. Isn't education important ( kids learn better in a smaller classroom setting) or putting more people to work (teachers, janitors, cooks, bus drivers, cross walk personnel, etc.)? Btw Katie, do you want a school built in a nice surrounding or a parking lot that your kids go to?

For a meeting that supposedly didn't give enough notice, there were what, 300+ screaming, booing, rude, nasty, obnoxious retirees, all shouting down the moms that tried to speak. It was so bad that the meeting was halted at several points and at least one guy was escorted out by security ... For a meeting with no adequate notice, an entire MOB showed up to try to steal this school land for their personal use.

This is an underhanded legal maneuver, and in my opinion, just more of the nasty mob being a nasty mob, it's not like they didn't get notice - they have been crying about the school system building a school on the school land for over 5 YEARS now. (Since the days when the BCPS wanted to relocate Ridge Ruxton, and the residents claimed they were afraid that these special needs kids would "escape" and be a "danger to the community" - ignorance abounds in Mays Chapel).

Utter nonsense... and in the meantime, the entire corridor from the city line to the PA line remains overcrowded and our kids are jammed into trailers.

Thanks May Chapel community ... you are a disgrace to the entire county.

IDEA: Let's sell the school land to a developer and put a fire station on the park ...

There's precedent for that, and maybe Kevin Kamenetz could start that process. We can put a Target or a Walmart on that land, then use the proceeds to buy new land for a school in a community that isn't full of rude ignorant elementary-school-hating people.

No. Seriously. Sell the school property to Walmart, it's the same basic plan that they are doing now in Dundalk and Towson, why not in Mays Chapel too !!!

Shocked that this was overturned. We bought our house in Valleywood in large part so our children could walk to Pinewood Elementary, which we can see from our front porch. Now we're left hoping that by the time they are school age, this situation is resolved so we don't have to send them to an overcrowded Elementary school where the quality of their education will suffer.

I'd love to hear a concrete, well-reasoned argument against building a new school. I don't want to hear the increased traffic argument. There is one way in and out of the community where Pinewood sits, and it takes up to 20 minutes to get out at certain times of the day due to overcrowding and the community association's asinine objection to putting a traffic light at Pine Valley Drive and Timonium Rd. This is both an annoyance and a potential public safety issue.

A new school would improve the quality of education ALL of our children receive. What is the problem here?!

Per the update... "BCPS published details about the hearing at Loch Raven High School the following day, March 7, in a press release. The Board also pointed to various print, online and broadcast media outlets who publicized the meeting via reports over the course of two weeks."

So there WAS proper notice, and the judge made "an honest mistake" in the ruling, or am I missing something there? The canceled the school only because they didn't take out an ad in The Sun paper??? Can you please clarify ... ?

Thanks!

Tom
2:21
Just Imagine all those busses lined up ouside the school so close to
condos where many seniors live with respriatory ailments. The near by
assisted living center as well same problem. All the dirty and dangerous
exhaust fumes blowing into their homes...Oh no health problem at all.
Surely there could be a better location unless the fix is in. Federal
EPA should look at that foolish location

Why did they buy in the community if a school was planned to be there years before the retirement communities built? The politics is a bit over the top!

As I said above, Keelty donated this parcel of land nearly 2 decades ago as a gift to the county which coincided with a zoning change to create the current high rise buildings. It was never part of any long range school construction plan or land purchase. If it was meant to be a school, then it should have been built long ago before the senior community living concepts were developed. The County can find a better location in a family community similar to Pinewood that will create less quality of life issues for our seniors. They matter too.

Do you work for Mr. Kamenetz, Mr. Taylor, or are you a good friend? As for the mob scene, REALLY? Bottom line, there was NOT proper notice and you know it. As for this being an underhanded maneuver by the state, you have a lot of heart. Who was more underhanded than the County Board of Education? How can any person who has seen this location think it"s good for a school. POLITICS has again reared its ugly head in an attempt to ramrod this school through. Mike F.

Am I wrong or was this never a secret what was going to be built there? I grew up there and ever since they first cleared that land and straightened out Padonia Rd, it was known to all that a school was to be built when needed. Nasty old farts. You knew it was going to be a school. Go steal some sugar packets and mints.

I'm not retired, I work every day, and live in the condo community. I find the comments about seniors by some of you rude and embarrasing. Not because I consider myself one (some might! ) but because we will all be there! It is really irrelevant when the school was planned, who gave the land, etc. Also, presuming that people who pay taxes (and have for years) are not concerned about education is also foolishness. We live in a county that constantly complains about parkland and open land being at a premium, yet we plan more construction. My position is clear: buy the land for a park (add it to the adjoining park, which, by the way, would be impacted by a road and other adjustments for the school), use the money to add school space to existing options. And please, keep your embarrasing comments to yourselves! Certainly it's not a good example to the children you purport to educate.

Straightened out Padonia rd ??? I'm sorry but am i missing something. It is one of the more dangerous roads in the county.As for knowing there was going to be a school here,most of us probably did'nt. As for the nasty old fart comment i take solace in the fact that you know what you are and i sort of feel sorry for you Mike F

A few important facts: 1) Keelty didn't donate the land. He deeded that parcel to the County in exchange for a parcel of county-owned land and the right to overdevelop the property he owned.; 2) The ADC maps have shown the area as the future site of Mays Chapel Elementary School for over 20 years. Anyone who bought without looking at the map has no right to complain; 3) If, as someone suggested, the property should be purchased and kept as a park, it should be appraised and purchased by the area residents from their own funds, not those of the taxpayers; and 4) the site is inappropriate for commercial development. However, if the residents oppose a school, then let the County relocate the Detention Center to the Mays Chapel site. The County could build an elementary school adjacent to Carver and have room for a new fire station.

The county policy here appears to be use it or lose it. Choose your poison Mays Chapel : new elementary school or the land is excess and gets sold to a private party ... so it returns to the tax rolls yadda yadda

What a shame to see folks fighting against the contruction of an elementary school.