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News Media Coverage

• A values debate: green vs. historic: Annapolis resident seeks permission for a grass roof
• Years early, mayor's race draws a crowd
• County Democrats look to bounce back

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A values debate: green vs. historic Annapolis resident seeks permission for a grass roof

By Susan Gvozdas
Special to The Sun
Sept. 5, 2007

Chuck Weikel wants to grow a garden of drought-resistant grass on his roof, figuring it would cool his house more than the black rubber covering.

While environmentalists are embracing "green roofs" on buildings, Weikel's home isn't ordinary: He lives on one of Annapolis' most colorful, historic streets.

Weikel plans to stand before the city's Historic Preservation Commission next week with the first applications for a green roof and a front yard rain barrel in the Historic District, forcing the panel to take up the question of whether allowing green construction can co-exist with its mission of protecting the city's Colonial heritage.

"I think from a philosophical standpoint, there would be a tension between historic preservation of a significant residence and green technology," said Sharon Kennedy, commission chairwoman. She declined to discuss the merits of a specific request before the commission.

The commission, which consists of a seven-member panel appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the City Council, reviews all building permits for facades within the Historic District.

While it has limited enforcement abilities, the panel is known for its strict decisions, once rejecting a resident's plastic rose lattice or, more recently, requiring Starbucks to shrink its sign on the front of the Maryland Inn.

The commission forbids replacing historic windows with energy-efficient, two-pane modern ones.

Suzanne Pogell of the Spa Creek Conservancy, a volunteer organization dedicated to the stewardship of the watershed, has been working with Weikel and said the panel needs to become more lenient to allow homeowners to use green technology. She said it's better for safety, monetary and environmental reasons.

Green roofs, she said, act as a rain sponge. Rainwater that skims over an impervious surface like a street, rooftop or sidewalk picks up everything on that surface before being funneled into downspouts and sent into rivers and creeks. This water, polluted with car oil, garbage, pesticides and fertilizer, harms life in the Chesapeake Bay.

"It's going to cost more in the short run," Pogell said, adding that the savings in terms of air conditioning and heating costs and the reduction in carbon dioxide emissions make up for it in the long run.

Weikel estimated a green roof could cost anywhere from $1,500 to $10,000, depending on the size.

In general, Kennedy said, green methods could be applied to additions. Several years ago, the commission approved a green roof on a new portion of a rehabbed residence on St. Mary's Street.

In addition, the Severn Savings Bank building on outer West Street opened last year with a green roof, and Anne Arundel County has been pushing for them on municipal buildings as well as at private businesses.

The city's parking and transportation coordinator, Weikel lives in a brick home with blue shutters on the series of houses that make up "Rainbow Row." The front of Weikel's home dates to 1859. The back was added in 1900.

Although Weikel's rubber roof is not historic, it is unclear whether his home can withstand the weight of the new roof and whether the roof installation would cause other problems, said Patricia Blick, the city's new historic preservation chief. She provides expertise to the commission and makes recommendations.

Blick recommended that the commission reject Weikel's proposal for a rain barrel, because Conduit Street homes do not have front yards -- porches abut the bricked sidewalks. She said that the barrel would have to be on the sidewalk, which would obstruct the public's right of way.

Weikel said the rain barrel would allow him to water his plants in the grassy cutouts of the sidewalk without carrying buckets of water from his back yard. The barrel, covered on top with mesh to keep insects out, would catch rainwater pouring from a downspout. At the bottom is a tap that can be connected to a garden or soaker hose.

"In a good, heavy rainstorm, you can fill up a 55-gallon drum in a half-hour," said Elvia Thompson of the Spa Creek Conservancy, which has launched a push to get homeowners in the watershed to install rain barrels. "It's amazing how much water is collected off your roof."

Weikel intends to put a lined, wooden, whiskey barrel in front of his home, not unlike those that were a familiar sight during Colonial times before the days of indoor plumbing.

Blick commended Weikel for trying to find historic materials, but she said the issue revolved around the public's right of way.

The commission is scheduled to review Weikel's proposal for the roof and the addition of a rain barrel at a public hearing at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the city council chamber.

The Spa Creek Conservancy will hold a workshop on rain barrels from 6:15 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. tomorrow at 15 German St.

Years early, mayor's race draws a crowd

By Nia-Malika Henderson
Baltimore Sun Reporter
April 27, 2007

Sure, the election is 2 1/2 years away, but the early bird could get to be the next mayor of Annapolis.

At least a half a dozen people are quietly - or loudly --- making plans to run to succeed two-termer Ellen O. Moyer. Some observers predict the field of candidates will include the entire city council.

No one will acknowledge a run, but at least two aldermen have already held fundraisers. Chuck Weikel, one of Annapolis' most visible Democrats, has scheduled a fundraiser, and the Annapolis Housing Authority board chairwoman, Trudy McFall, announced last week she won't seek another term, fueling speculation that she's weighing a run.

Dan Nataf, director of the Center for the Study of Local Issues at Anne Arundel Community College, said it's not uncommon for the race to take shape this early.

"When you are ready for a position which is the top of the ticket, it always helps to show commitment early on because it requires a lot of time to start contributions flowing and to get an organization together," he said.

Perhaps the most obvious signs that campaign season has arrived are the flurry of high-profile bills and the partisan trash talking. Alderman David Cordle accused Weikel of "playing politics" after he criticized Cordle's legislation to require sprinklers in new city buildings. Mayor Ellen O. Moyer said the same about Alderman Sam Shropshire after he proposed that the city apologize for its role in the slave trade. Moyer's spokesman, Ray Weaver, so accused McFall during talks about crime in public housing.

Former Republican alderman Herb McMillan, who lost to Moyer in 2001, then served one term in the House of Delegates, is criticizing the entire city government. While he said he hasn't decided whether to run, he sounds like a man ready to take the political stage again.

He called the Market House "a standing joke, and not a good one.

"I actually could have won that last race [against Moyer] and I look at the issues now and they haven't changed in eight years."

In the September 2009 primary, he could face two-term alderman Cordle, who grabbed $16,000 at a fundraiser earlier this month and plans to schedule more. In the meantime, he's the face of proposed sprinkler legislation and said he'll get credit for "sticking by my guns on my adequate public facilities ordinance."

Cordle said he has broad support, that he will stay in city politics, and that it "is certainly possible that I have plans further than my council seat. And that leaves one option."

Shropshire, of Ward 7, has gotten air time for two piggyback bills - the slavery apology and anti-smoking legislation - but the state beat him to the punch by passing both first.

"There's a group of people pushing me to [run], and I told them I'll let them know in a year and a half," Shropshire said. "I'll make that decision when I think I'm the right person to do it and when I think absolutely I have something to offer."

He raised $8,000 at a fundraiser on April 12.

Also, on the Democratic side, some read McFall's decision to not seek reappointment to the housing authority board of commissioners as proof she'll seek the mayor's seat. Earlier this year, Weaver, Police Chief Joseph S. Johnson and Moyer slammed her calls for more policing in the public housing communities as political grandstanding.

Asked last week about a run, McFall, chairwoman and founder of the nonprofit Homes for America, said: "We'll see. ... I'm thinking about what I want to do next to serve Annapolis."

Another possible contender is Weikel, chair of the politically neutral Annapolis Charter 300 celebration, the city's parking committee and the District 30 representative on the Anne Arundel County Democratic Central Committee. He is holding a fundraiser on May 10 and has a Web site, www.democratsforchuck.

"People frequently ask me about running for mayor due to my community involvement," he said. "But it's unrealistic to consider a 30-month campaign."

Nataf said much can happen in that time to shift the Democratic-heavy voting field. As high-end communities sprout up, more Republicans could move in, he said. Registered Democrats have a nearly 2-to-1 edge over Republicans in Annapolis, but independent voters are a significant factor.

Because of the city's small population of about 35,000, it could come down to old-fashioned door knocking and flier drops, he said.

"The numbers that candidates have to mobilize are tiny, and if you are at it for awhile, an intrinsically nice person and active, you can at least be taken seriously. It's not a hard thing," he said. "But thank God for primaries."

Online at: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/annearundel/bal-ar.mayor27apr27,1,5027008.story?ctrack=1&cset=true

Published April 27, 2007, The Baltimore Sun
Copyright © 2007 The Baltimore Sun

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County Democrats look to bounce back

By Jeff Horseman, Staff Writer

Long the kingmakers in county politics, Democrats can't be blamed these days for feeling like the king's fool.

The latest setback came last month, when the county Democratic Central Committee failed to field a full slate of County Council candidates.

Two years ago, President Bush carried Anne Arundel County despite losing Maryland. And a majority of county voters in 2002 helped to make Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. the state's first Republican governor in 36 years.

Also in 2002, the GOP took control of the County Council for only the second time in three decades of charter government.

Democrats still hold most of the elected offices in Anne Arundel, and have the advantage in voter registration. But with the general election less than four months away, the party faithful wonder what went wrong as they seek to regain their clout.

"When you're in a majority position in this state, you begin to rest on your laurels a little bit," said Don Lamb-Minor, an Annapolis-based political consultant.

For generations, Democrats dominated the county's political landscape, exerting their influence through groups like the Stoney Creek Democratic Club in Pasadena.

"There were no Republicans sometimes running for office," said Stokes Kolodziejski, a former state delegate from Curtis Bay and chairman of the club's board.

Mr. Kolodziejski, 78, said the club had about 700 members when he joined it in 1952. Today, he said, it has fewer than 300, and many of those are old-timers.

Registered Democrats outnumber Republicans in Anne Arundel 132,846 to 117,641, according to the county Board of Elections.

But the GOP has gained ground in recent years. In February 2000, Democrats held a 21,000-voter edge. By February 2003 that gap had shrunk to about 16,200. During the same time, the number of independent voters grew from 7,500 to more than 41,000.

The county had the largest increase in Republican voter registrations in the state from 2000 to 2003. The GOP voter rolls grew by 13.3 percent, compared to 6.8 percent for the Democrats.

Even with their edge at the polls, Democrats couldn't deliver the county in key elections. Mr. Ehrlich captured 114,000 votes in Anne Arundel in 2002, second only to his tally in Baltimore County, where he was raised.

Two years later, Mr. Bush carried the county with more than 133,000 votes, although his Democratic challenger, Sen. John Kerry, won the state.

Republicans got some help from conservative Democrats in Anne Arundel, especially those in north county. Sen. Ed DeGrange, D-Glen Burnie, and retiring Sen. Phil Jimeno, D-Brooklyn Park - both longtime incumbents - have conservative reputations.

The county's top elected Democrat, County Executive Janet S. Owens, is also fairly conservative. By contrast, Democrats around Annapolis, such as Mayor Ellen O. Moyer, are generally considered more liberal.

Chuck Weikel, an Annapolis Democrat running for a central committee seat, acknowledged the divide.

"I don't see it as a philosophical battle so much as who's taking this seriously," he said.

"Where (the central committee) is now, they should have been a year ago."

Sitting back

Most Democrats blame complacency for the party's woes. In its heyday, the Stoney Creek club mobilized voters, licked envelopes and made campaign signs for candidates, Mr. Kolodziejski said.

That's changed to the party's detriment, said Ann Marie Remillard, central committee chairman.

"We've left the (campaign) organization up to the people running for office," she said.

By contrast, county Republicans are hustling.

The county is considered crucial to Mr. Ehrlich's re-election, and the GOP is setting its sights on the District 31 Senate seat being vacated by Mr. Jimeno in hopes of gaining ground in the General Assembly.

Chuck Gast, county Republican State Central Committee chairman, said Republicans started working on this year's election four years ago. After recruiting local candidates, the party sent them to workshops on how to campaign effectively, Mr. Gast said.

When Steve Thibodeau moved to Gambrills four years ago, he registered as a Democrat. Within a couple weeks, he got his first piece of political mail - from the Republicans, said Mr. Thibodeau, another central committee candidate and president of the county's Young Democrats.

"You have a lot of Democrats who don't know other Democrats," he said.

Mrs. Remillard, who has been involved in Democratic politics for more than 20 years, agreed that Democrats have been complacent.

She also blamed demographics, noting the county's population growth and the influx of professionals, especially government workers who she said "didn't want to wear their politics on their sleeve."

Older, blue-collar Democrats resisted the change, and there was a lack of clear party leadership from lawmakers, said Mrs. Remillard, who's running to keep her central committee seat.

Walt Dow, president of the West County Democratic Club, said county residents' long commutes to work played a role in draining Democrats' strength.

"There's no time to get involved," he said.

But Mr. Gast said Republicans stayed active despite busy schedules.

"It's more like another full-time job for me personally," he said.

By the time the July 3 filing deadline for candidates came, Democrats had no one to challenge the four Republican County Council incumbents. Mr. Kolodziejski said it was the only time he could remember that happening.

The central committee has since drafted people to run against Vice Chairman Cathleen M. Vitale, R-Severna Park, and Councilman Ed Reilly, R-Crofton.

Getting pumped?

Despite recent setbacks, the Democratic Party is far from dead in Anne Arundel. Annapolis' mayor, the county executive, the state's attorney and a majority of the City Council and General Assembly delegation are Democrats.

Democrats are hopeful that the public's frustrations with Mr. Bush, the war in Iraq and gas prices will trickle down to local races.

"I think we've had a dose of the Republican philosophy and I think people don't like it," Mrs. Remillard said.

"The Republican Party is re-energizing us with some of the things we're doing," said Tito Baca of Arnold, who was picked to run against Ms. Vitale.

Mr. Dow said the West County Democratic Club, which started last year, now has 150 members.

He and Mr. Lamb-Minor said Democrats need to address people's basic concerns, such as the rising cost of college and health insurance.

Mr. Lamb-Minor said he's seen Democrats rally around House Speaker Michael E. Busch, D-Annapolis, a prime GOP target who clashes with Mr. Ehrlich.

"In general, it's been a good wake-up call for Democrats," he said.

Mr. Gast said Democrats have "gone to extremes," and the GOP's message of limited government and low taxes will resonate with county voters.

"This is just the beginning," he said. "Our goal is to make Maryland a two-party state."

Still, he's not about to count the Democrats out.

"A few years back, the Republicans were down and out," Mr. Gast said.

Online at: http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2006/08_02-40/TOP

Published August 02, 2006, The Capital, Annapolis, Md.
Copyright © 2006 The Capital, Annapolis, Md