October 2007

By FRANK M. JOHNSON, Mayor of Mt. Airy
As published Oct. 3, 2007

Once again, thanks to the Messenger for including this report. I hope it is helpful as a quick update of some town activities.

1. Downtown Recovery and Rebuilding. There are numerous aspects to rebuilding after a tragic fire such as hit our downtown on Sept. 2.

Relief. A key first step has been to provide assistance for the seven families forced out of their homes. Since five families lost everything, they need help replacing everything. In addition, six families have had to find a new home in the area. Fortunately the Disaster Relief Fund has been in place to provide assistance. Tax-deductible donations can be made to the Fund at P.O. Box 53, Mt. Airy, MD 21771.

In addition, a fund has been established by MAMSA to assist the businesses and downtown revitalization effort. There are several fundraisers and efforts ongoing to assist with both the Disaster Relief Fund and the MAMSA revitalization fund.

Temporary Business Park. The businesses who suffered the fires will need an immediate location in order to be open during the Christmas season. Property owners Rob Scranton and Brian Gallagher have worked together, with funding assistance from Carroll County, to establish a temporary business park behind the Train Station for at least five of the businesses. The businesses also have needs for funding so that they can purchase inventory until insurance funds are available. The state, county and town are all working together to provide that assistance.

Rebuilding. The rebuilding process is beginning. An amended site plan for the project next to Town Hall has been approved so that the rebuilding of the Bohn Building can proceed. The Watkins Building has been braced so that Main Street can remain open, and we look forward to rebuilding plans in the near future. While the structural integrity of the fa‡ade remains unclear, the building owner is committed to retaining as much of the fa‡ade as can be saved, and retaining the appearance of the building as it was before the fires.

Next steps for planning. Several ideas such as burying electrical lines, water line replacement and the like are being reviewed within the long range capital plan. A future streetscape plan may allow the town to address these issues in the long term. In addition, a Code Review Subcommittee has been formed from the Planning Commission to work with staff, county development review specialists and the State Fire Marshall's office to review our building and fire codes, and suggest changes.

2. Water Conservation. Although outdoor restrictions expired on Sept.r 15, water conservation is still a priority. Indeed, Mt. Airy will serve as a pilot project for a statewide emphasis on water conservation.

Rain Barrels are available for town residents from town hall for $20. The town also has water saving items such as aerators and shower heads available for free. They can be picked up at Town Hall. You need only have an address in town where the items will be used.

3. Growth Task Force Survey. After many months of work and input from many sources, the town resident survey has been completed and has been mailed to all town residents. The survey will only take a few moments to complete, but it will be critical for town officials to have your input on the future direction of the town - regarding growth, schools, basic town services and future development, among them.

The survey is due back to the town on Oct. 31 and can be sent back by mail, dropped off at town hall or even downloaded from our website, www.carr.org/mtairy. Many thanks to the Growth and Development Task Force for completing the survey.

4. Website updates. Based on citizen comments over the last few weeks, there are some new features on the website, including several staff email addresses, administrative policies and updates to several listings, including parks.