10 Fast Facts for Laurel Historic District Commission Residents
The last few months as a new member of the Historic District Commission (HDC), I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with a number of folks, learning more about Laurel’s HDC processes, and helping find answers to questions residents have asked.
It occurred to me that it may also be helpful to share some ‘fast facts and tips’ for residents of Laurel’s Historic District, whether you’ve been here for a bit or are newly moved into town. So, a la Dave Letterman, here’s an unofficial ‘10 Fast Facts for Historic District Residents’:
- First, sometimes there’s understandably confusion between the Historic District Commission and the Laurel Historical Society. The HDC is an official part of the Laurel City Government with the mission to ‘promote the preservation of Laurel’s historic sites’ and which handles decisions around structural changes in the Historic District designated area. The Laurel Historical Society is an independent non-profit with the mission to ‘deepen an understanding of Laurel’s past and inspire for its future’. Sometimes the Laurel Historical Society can help residents or the City understand what things looked like around town as part of their work, but they don’t handle any decisions for the City.
- Which leads me to #2: Residents (and businesses) of the Historic District who plan to make changes to their property’s exterior will generally need to submit an application for approval to the HDC. This includes most items from windows & paint, to house additions & tree removals.
- Some applications can be approved directly by City staff within 7 - 10 days if it’s considered “in-kind” – This means the color, style, and material is the same as the existing. (E.g., you need to replace old gutters with the same ones you had before.)
- There’s also a fast-track provision for ‘emergency approvals’. For example, you have a hole in your roof and need to get the roofer out right away to keep water out of your home.
- Most other applications will generally need to be approved as part of the monthly meeting of the HDC, which is usually held the third Tuesday of each month. The key thing to know, is that the application must be submitted roughly a month prior to the meeting and can be accomplished online. (The official meeting schedule contains corresponding application submission dates, so be sure to look for those.)
- A help to Historic District residents: Qualifying project costs can receive a 10% City real estate tax credit, so be sure not to miss out if it applies to you. Qualifying costs include materials and are for homes identified as having historic impact. (So project costs to modern-styled structures in the Historic District generally won’t qualify.)
- Which also bring us to two other tax credits: Laurel has a historic rehabilitation City real estate credit of 25% and Maryland has a Homeowner Tax Credit against income taxes of 20% for eligible renovation or rehabilitation costs. These have a little more added criteria, but can definitely be worth it if you’re undertaking a big project.
- Tip #8, remember that after receiving HDC approval, some projects will also need typical permits as well, so you may have one more step. (For example, garages, fences, sheds, decks, driveways, etc.) Permits aren’t issued by the HDC, but by the City’s Fire Marshal and Permit Services (FMPS) Department, which are also processed online.
- A common question I’ve received: what about work related to trees? First, a tree not seen from the public right-of-way does not need HDC approval to be removed. (Though be aware an alley may deemed a public right-of-way.) Second, removal of a dangerous or diseased tree also doesn’t need HDC approval as long as a letter from a certified arborist is received attesting the same. Other than that, tree removal from public right-of-way will generally need HDC approval, and all tree removals will usually be accompanied by a request to plant a replacement native tree.
- Lastly, you can download a HDC Information Packet right from the HDC pages of the City’s website, as well as find a host of information there. There is a lot, so don’t hesitate to call or email the City team to help get clarification and save yourself some time and effort – staff recommend contacting them early on the front end of a project so they can help guide you to a speedy approval.
I hope the above is helpful, and certainly if there’s ideas, questions, or other, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me as well and I’m happy to work on getting an answer for you. And together, we can help Laurel preserve part of its heritage as a 150+ year old City anchoring the center of a historic state!
Small biz Roundtable / Black History Month / Town Hall Highlights & Pics
»Laurel Board of Trade Small Business Roundtable«
Thank you to the Laurel Board of Trade (LBOT) for sponsoring, and thank you to the City Department Heads for making themselves available, as small business owners and non-profits from around Laurel gathered at Council Chambers to learn the resources available to them from the City and to share ideas and connections on enabling small businesses to flourish in our town. Many great and candid conversations were had both in general session and afterwards, and I was encouraged by the commitment and drive of our small businesses to impact the Laurel community for the better. (Side note: My heart was very much warmed by one attendee’s comment that we’re ‘courting her to Laurel’ with the support and encouragement provided here.) 🙂 And I know there’s even more good to flow from this meeting.
(Photo credit: City of Laurel)
»Black History Month Celebration«
What a powerful and heart-filled program put together by Council President Kyla Clark bringing together so many members from across our community to remember the past and celebrate the future during Black History Month. The spoken-word poem recited by KayKiara, the keynote by Joanne Awuor Oport of Africans for Mental Health, the singing by Laurel High School choir, historical notes from our Mayor, the featured non-profits, the small business vendors, and more were so uplifting. And not to mention the Electric Slide dance and music at the end. It’ll be hard to top this one next year and thank you to all who were involved in making it a great success! (P.S. You have to checkout the video of the event online produced by the LaurelTV crew.)
(Photo credit: The Laurel Independent)
»Laurel Town Hall Listening Session«
The Mayor held his second annual Town Hall Listening session on Feb 7 to both have Departments share about key accomplishments from this past year and to take notes of residents' ideas and concerns for helping make Laurel even better. It was a pleasure getting to meet those who were present in person, both to hear the ideas they shared from the podium, and also converse with them before and after the session on topics on their mind and ideas/ questions they have. Definitely want to encourage residents to reach out any time, either via email or I always enjoying meeting folks in person (e.g., at in-person Council Meetings the end of each month). As I shared during the Town Hall, you really are the beating heart of the City and you are the builders of community we are all trying to serve, so never hesitate to connect and let the City know how it can help.
(Photo credit: City of Laurel)
Clippings from VoL, Winter 2025 Edition
If you haven’t had a chance to pickup a copy of the latest edition of the Voices of Laurel, I recommend you check it out as it’s chock full of some great reading. The paper provides useful updates from around town, plus also neat long-form reminisces and reflections on the Laurel community that are great to read as you wind down at the end of the day. :)
Some clippings from the Winter 2025 edition:
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Recap and pictures of the Voices of Laurel Day at the Races at Laurel Park last October
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Laurel neighborhood highlights from Oldtown (Caitlin Lewis), North Laurel (Angie Latham Kozlowski), South Laurel (Diane Mezzanotte), West Laurel (Virginia May Geis), and Russett/ Maryland City (Brenda Ziegler Riley)
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Profile of Laurel High School graduate turned rock-and-roll star, Marty Friedman.
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Wonderful reflection of Laurel Elementary School Media Specialist Shane Walker about his experiences with bus duty.
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Reminisces of Richard Friend on his Laurel High School Earth Science Teacher Herb Desind, and Kevin Leonard’s remembrance of the 1972 George Wallace attempted assassination in Laurel.
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Great profiles of community warriors, Laurel Fire Department awards, history crumbs, and more!
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Oh, and there’s an article in there from me too titled, “Laurel: A Community of Communities” 🙂
Pickup a copy at one of the news stands around town (includes Municipal Center, Food Lion, Laurel & Russett libraries, & more) check out the PDF version online, or peruse the posts of the Voices of Laurel website.
While you’re there, perhaps even consider making a donation (see button at bottom of page) to this non-profit powered by volunteers - I know they’ll appreciate it! 👍
Join L4P Neighborhood Litter Clean-up this Sat, Feb 15
Hello neighbors! – Extending an invitation to the Laurel for the Patuxent’s ‘Neighborhood Litter Clean-up’ morning at McCullough field tomorrow, Saturday, February 15 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.. Details from the event page:
Help clean up the areas surrounding McCullough Field! We’ll meet at 8th St. at the pavilion across from the library playground.
Please bring gloves. We will provide trash bags and a limited number of trash picker devices.
Students can get Service Hours Credit for helping with the clean-up. To receive credit, you must bring a Service Form with your name filled in to the clean-up. We cannot complete credit forms after the event.
So come enjoy being outdoors while helping enhance the natural beauty of our neighborhood and connecting with neighbors!
Snow Emergency Declared starting at 1 p.m. today, Feb 11
Mayor Sydnor has declared Snow Emergency status effective starting at 1 p.m. today, Tuesday, February 11.
As described in the Executive Order 2025-03:
This storm is expected to bring a possible accumulation of snow of up to six (6) inches in the City of Laurel. Among other things, the possibility exists that the City may have to eliminate or restrict parking on certain City streets designated as snow emergency routes and other areas that have been identified as critical locations. This Executive Order shall remain in effect until further notice or until it has been amended or rescinded.
Below is a picture of the City’s snow emergency route, where cars should be moved from, to help keep critical paths clear (also available in PDF). And more on snow removal and snow emergency procedures can be found on DPW’s Snow Removal page.
Forecasts keep varying, so smart to keep an eye on and hopefully another beautiful winter event here for Laurel. ❄️☃️ And a big thanks to our Emergency Management, Department of Public Works, Police, and other Laurel teams that help us bridge us to the other side!
UPDATE 12 Feb 2025: The Snow Emergency order has been lifted effective today, Wednesday, at 11 a.m.
Submit your Master Plan Community Survey before Feb 17
It happens only once every 10 years, so be sure to get your feedback and ideas into the Master Plan Committee to help inform and influence their planning process — The Community Survey opened February 4 and will close on February 17 at 5 p.m.
It covers questions like what you think the City should prioritize, which transportation options are important to enhance, what recreational options should be added, types of business & industries you’d like to see in town, what needs to be improved, and more. In total, shouldn’t take any more than 10 minutes, and likely a little less.
So don’t hesitate, click here to begin the survey and be a part of helping shape the City’s outlook for the next 10 years!
Laurel’s Black History Month event Sat, Feb 8
Celebrate Black History Month here in Laurel by coming out to the Multiservice Center from 1 - 3 p.m. tomorrow, Saturday, February 8. There’ll be food trucks, black-owned businesses, performances, resources, and more.
Additional details are below — It promises to be a great event and a great celebration that you’re sure to enjoy. So come on out, meet neighbors new and old, and see you there! :)
Info for City Council Meeting - 10 Feb 2025
See the City of Laurel’s meeting page for the official record, and if any agenda item holds interest for you, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me as your voice helps me shape legislation and decisions.
Watch live online via LaurelTV or the MyLaurel app, or on your TV via Comcast Channel 996 (HD)/ 71 (SD) or Verizon FiOS Channel 12. And if you’d like to register to speak, simply reach out to the City Clerk’s office.
AGENDA
- Call to Order - Council President Kyla M. Clark
- Roll Call - Sara A. Green, CPM, CMC, Clerk
- Approval of Minutes: January 27, 2025 Regular Meeting; February 5, 2025 Work Session
- Report of the Mayor and City Council
- Mayoral Appointment: Nadol Hishmeh, Master Plan Committee, 02/10/2025-02/10/2027
- General Public Hearing
- Resolution No. 3-2025- A Resolution of the Mayor and City Council of Laurel, Maryland Declaring Support for the Preservation of the Federal Tax Exemption of Municipal Bonds.
- Adjournment
FREE screening of The Six Triple Eight movie on Feb 12
As part of honoring Black History Month, the Greenbelt Cinema will be hosting a special screening of “The Six Triple Eight,” a film about the historic battalion of all-female, African American soldiers who, despite discrimination and war-time conditions, sorted over 17 million pieces of mail to restore morale to service members and families.
The FREE event will take place on Wednesday, February 12th, the 80th anniversary of the 6888th unit landing in Birmingham, England to begin their assignment. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the movie begins at 7:00 p.m.
And as an added bonus, Retired Master Sergeant Elizabeth Anne Helm-Frazier is a local expert on the history and significance of the 6888th unit and will hold a Q&A after the film with several other 6888th special guests.
More information can be found on the cinema’s movie page, and it looks to be a great event!
UPDATE 11 Feb 2025: Due to the anticipated inclement weather for tomorrow, we have POSTPONED “The Six Triple Eight” event to Wednesday, February 19th at 7pm (doors open at 6:30pm.) We apologize for any inconvenience, and we hope to have you join us next week for this wonderful event! (Use same link above for information for the new date.)
Mayor's Town Hall Listening Session tomorrow, Thu, Feb 6
Mayor Sydnor extends an invitation to all residents to come to a Town Hall Listening Session tomorrow, Thursday, February 6 from 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. at the Municipal Center. And if you’re unable to attend in person, it will be broadcast live through the normal LaurelTV streams (see my Council Meeting post for all the normal links).
The Mayor and members of Council will share some highlights, but the focus is for residents to share their questions, ideas, concerns, suggestions, and more. (It can even be a first opportunity to share thoughts about the full re-write of the City election laws being decided by Council this month.)
Note that the Mayor has structured the event as listening session, so all present will be invited to speak and share their thoughts, but no replies will be given on the spot. Instead, the Mayor will ask members of his administration to compile replies in a report to be issued within sixty days. (I’ll plan to post that report here once it’s released.)
I plan to arrive early and stay late at the session, so please don’t hesitate to come up and introduce yourself and directly share your thoughts and ideas as well – I’m happy to answer any questions I can for you and to follow-up with you on any I don’t know right away. Also feel free email me if you’re unable to make in person – hearing from residents is critical to me in being able to know what’s helpful to make our City even better.
So come on out, if only to meet neighbors and hear what others have to say, but also to add your voice to helping make Laurel a great city to live, work, and play!
MLK Wreath / Eric’s ID / Troop 1250 Highlights & Pics
» Laying of Martin Luther King, Jr. Wreath «
Walking along the garden pathway next to the Municipal Center, you’ll find an important monument to Martin Luther King, Jr. and a testament to his words and actions which have shaped our country for the better. It was an honor to join in remembering Dr. King, his legacy, and to reflect on how we can live them out today. Thank you to all who came out!
(Photo credit: City of Laurel)
» Eric Grantham and Ms. Linda Carpenter-Grantham «
As past Chair of the Citizens Advisory Committee for Persons with Disabilities, it was my pleasure to be able to correspond with and play a small role in arranging for Eric Grantham and his mother to visit City Council last week and share their story advocating for non-apparent disabilities and Eric’s ID Law. You can learn more in my blog post from last fall, and please mark your calendars for the Maryland House of Delegates hearing scheduled for February 13 (HB0707) where their bill will be introduced and hopefully pass this state legislative session.
(Photo credit: Ms. Linda)
» Troop 1250 Constitutional Rights & Obligations «
And last Wednesday it was a pleasure to visit Troop 1250 here in Laurel to help members complete their requirement to meet with an elected official and discuss the constitutional rights & obligations of U.S. citizens. One of the things I asked them to do was first imagine a country with no rights and only obligations … Then flip and imagine a country with no obligations and only rights. I was pleasantly surprised that they recognized the second was actually just as bad as the first, since, in their words, everybody would just go around trying to take and never give, which doesn’t work as a society. Good job Troop! :)
(Photo credit: Shane)
Re-Write of City Election Laws currently before Council
Following the 2023 election season, the Board of Election Supervisors, in consultation with the Clerk to the Council and legal advisors, have been working diligently to pull together a re-write of the City’s election laws as a means to update and add clarity. It covers everything from who can vote, how votes are cast, rules to apply for candidacy, types of actions candidates can take, etc.
That work now comes before Council and is docketed for consideration this month (February). A few notes:
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Some of the changes are typographic in nature, while others represent material changes.
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The changes themselves are spread between two documents: (a) Charter Resolution 181 to amend the applicable provisions of the City Charter, and (b) Ordinance 2038 to amend the applicable provisions of the City Code. So to get the full impact, you’d need to look at both documents.
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(Side note: Quick breakdown on the difference between the City Charter and the City Code: By analogy, you could say the Charter is like the Constitution for the City, while the Code is like the laws. The Charter is typically more high level and comes with additional difficulties to amend, while the Code typically leans more to detail regulations and can be revised in a more standard method. Both are available online.)
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The proposed changes are available via the City’s Meetings & Agenda page - Simply navigate to the next City Council meeting and click on the link for “Agenda Packet”. If the documents get revised between meetings, going to the most current meeting should get you the most current version of the document.
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As it currently stands, the documents would be expected to follow the normal process of: (a) an initial look during the Work Session on Feb 5, (b) First Reading with opportunity for public comment during the Regular Meeting on Feb 10, and (c) Second Reading with opportunity for public comment plus possible vote during the Regular Meeting on Feb 24. (UPDATE 10 Feb 2025: The documents are expected to go through a second Work Session, currently being scheduled. Residents can still share thoughts during General Public Hearings at regular Council Meetings, or anytime directly with Councilmembers.)
Because the City election laws affect basically everybody (covering who can vote, how, who can run for office, how, etc.), it’s one of those items I’d highly encourage folks to engage with. You may already have opinions on City election procedure based on your own experience — If so, I’d very much be interested to hear it. And you may read parts of the documents you’re most interested in and have a question or concern — I would very much like to listen.
My goal is would be that at the end of the day, there’s a process that’s clear, provides an even field, respects residents’ voting rights, and provides a simple path to the best possible outcome for our City every two and four years.
Please reach out to share your questions, ideas, or thoughts as your voice helps me shape legislation and decisions. Thank you! 😀
Info for City Council Work Session - 6 Feb 2025
See the City of Laurel’s meeting page for the official record, and if any agenda item holds interest for you, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me as your voice helps me shape legislation and decisions.
Watch live online via LaurelTV or the MyLaurel app, or on your TV via Comcast Channel 996 (HD)/ 71 (SD) or Verizon FiOS Channel 12. And if you’d like to register to speak, simply reach out to the City Clerk’s office.
AGENDA
- Call to Order - Kyla M. Clark, Council President
- Resolution No. 3-2025- A Resolution of the Mayor and City Council of Laurel, Maryland Declaring Support for the Preservation of the Federal Tax Exemption of Municipal Bonds.
- Ordinance No. 2038- An Ordinance of the Mayor and City Council of Laurel, Maryland to Amend Chapter 6 regarding City Elections
- Charter Resolution No. 181- A Charter Resolution of the Mayor and City Council of Laurel, Maryland Amending, Rearranging and Renumbering Article 600 to 617 related to Elections
- Possible adjournment to Closed Session to obtain legal advice. The Authority for this Closed Session is contained in the Open Meetings Act General Provisions Section 3-305 (b) (7) to consult with counsel to obtain legal advice regarding proposed election law amendments.
- Adjournment
Announcing Passage of My Co-Sponsored Legislation on Disabilities & Seniors
I was pleased to join with Councilwoman Christine Johnson to propose, and on Monday pass, legislation that enhances the representation of those with disabilities and for senior residents here in Laurel.
Last term, while I was Chair of the Citizens Advisory Committee for Persons with Disabilities, I worked to re-boot the Committee and add to the committed core members. In the process, I learned that we had many experienced and dedicated individuals in Laurel that work with and even themselves experience a disability, but were unable to contribute to the work of the Committee because their residence was outside the City limits. So, in consultation with Committee members, I sought to expand our membership requirements to provide first order of preference to City residents, but that should the Committee still fall short, it would have the ability to avail of the expertise of those who have deep ties in the City, like business ownership or employment within the City limits. This would enable the goal of the Committee reaching its required quorum so that it could continue its work in advising the City Council and Mayor in the needs, programs, and supports for persons with disabilities.
Around the time I was working on the modifications, I was approached by Councilwoman Christine Johnson who has a deep commitment to Laurel’s senior residents and was exploring ways for the City to become more alert to their needs, to provide them a voice to City matters, and to act as a focal point pulling together helpful resources. After considering different options, and instead of standing up an altogether new Committee which would face common resource constraints, she proposed expanding the Committee to include senior residents. It was important to recognize that both persons with disabilities and senior residents have concerns unique to each, but that there were also areas of overlap and natural collaboration. I consulted with the existing Commitee members, and they agreed that it did indeed seem a good idea.
Text of the Resolution 1-2025 contains the specific provisions, including that 2 members be persons with disabilities (or relatives or caretakers), 2 members be persons over the age of 55 (or caretaker), 2 members of the general public, and 1 member from the City Council.
It was pleasure to collaborate with Councilwoman Johnson on this work, and I’m hopeful for its ability to further the City’s commitment to and service of persons with disabilities and our senior residents. And related – if you are, or someone you know is, interested to learn more about becoming a member of the Committee, please contact me and I’d be happy to share more information and help.
Clippings from the Jan 2025 edition of The Laurel Independent
I haven’t yet had a chance to share from the latest edition of The Laurel Independent, but wanted to be sure to pass along a few clippings folks may find interesting:
- It was very much good news that residents of The Tiers of Laurel Lake Condominiums were able to remain in their homes after wide collaboration to shore up the egress points for the units.
- Laurel’s non-profit Friends of Tonga was chosen by Detriot Lions offensive tackle Giovanni Manu to be featured on his My Cause My Cleats design.
- PG County has been changing how their senior property tax credit works, with further developments still to come.
- 438 homes are expected to be constructed this year among three different developments in Laurel.
- Laurel resident Rishawna Gould publishes her first book honoring her mother’s and aunt’s memories through a tale of a children’s adventure.
- And more!
Check out articles on Streetcar Suburbs News website and a full digital, flippable version on their Streetcar Suburbs News Issuu page — Physical copies also come via mail and are available in many hotspots around town.🔥And consider donating in support of local journalism, it’s needed!
Master Plan Committee 1st Meeting on Wed, Jan 29
The loosely year-and-half-long process of the Master Plan Committee kicks off tonight at the Municipal Center at 6 p.m. — The Master Plan is what guides the City, developers, and other stakeholders in a vision for how the City can grow and develop towards a bright future, and is updated every 10 years.
This first meeting is to provide brief introductions, discussion of what a Master Plan is, and an overview of the process, among other items. Throughout the process there will be surveys and inputs sought from all interested parties, but be aware that the first meeting won’t have a “Public Hearing” section but focus more on sharing the first round of basic information.
More about the Committee and a schedule of meeting dates can be found on the Master Plan Committee page, and I encourage everyone to stay tuned to developments and be sure to provide your insights as the process unfolds.
PG County Executive Candidate Forum in Laurel on Jan 30
You’ve probably already received your mail-in ballot for the special Primary Election on Mar 4 (with special General Election to follow on Jun 3), but you may not be familiar with the list of County Executive candidates – We’ll you don’t have to travel far, because both Democrats and Republicans are coming our way this week on Thu, Jan 30 for a Candidates' Forum, and you’re invited.
Doors open at 6 p.m. and the event starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Laurel Boys & Girls Club Phelps Center at 701 Montgomery Street. The event is also expected to be live streamed if you’re unable to be present in person.
Additional information (including live stream link once available) can be found on this Bowie Sun page so come on out to learn more about the candidates and to help you cast your vote. :)
UPDATE: Here’s an article from The Laurel Independent that provides comments shared by the variety of candidates present at the forum and can be very useful to understand differences and areas of emphasis by each as you make your decision.
My Vote on Charter Amendment 180 on Dividing CREM Department
Thank you so much to members of the public who reached out via email and who came to tonight’s Council Meeting to share your thoughts on Charter Amendment No. 180 to consider dividing the existing City Resources & Emergency Management Department (CREM) into two departments: the Department of Human Services and the Department of Emergency Management – it is extremely helpful to hear from residents whenever a change like this is being considered for our City.
I wanted to provide a brief recap of the comments I made during tonight’s proceedings in the process of casting my vote:
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First, I’ve persuaded myself both ways on this Charter Amendment at least a couple times each, because I can see the merits of two sides
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On the one hand, it’s natural that with the addition of the new Multi-Service Center (MSC) and its role in our City, that resources be strategically aligned to empower it to flourish in its mission
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On the other hand, adding to our City’s departmental count in order to create a department for something we already created a department for not even a full two years ago when we already anticipated this (i.e., CREM was formed in March 2023 with one of the principal reasons to oversee the MSC) made it harder to grasp
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The other part for me is also that it’s not so much that Human Services shouldn’t be its own Department (for which I see a lot of solid reasons), but that in this plan, Emergency Management becomes a Department of 2 people all out on its own. And while they are a critical asset for us to have as a City, their function seems better fitted to an Office rather than a Department, perhaps an Office under the Department of the City Administrator where it was before.
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So it’s not to say that there was nothing favorable in the proposal, but that in its current state, it was difficult to conclude it was a ‘complete enough’ plan to accomplish the stated objective, which is a good one, but I believe would benefit from some additional attention.
In the end, my vote was “Yes”, with an ask of the Mayor to give consideration to folding the Department of Emergency Management into another Department in time to avoid un-needed financial burden on the taxpayers.
As a procedural note, a Charter Amendment cannot take effect until it goes through an extra special process including 40 days of being posted publicly and ensuring no more than 20% of qualified voters sign a petition rejection its adoption.
(Separately, something I’ve been meaning to share with folks that I think many people may not understand about the mission of the Multi-Service Center: The program of the MSC is not actually overseen by the City at all. It’s overseen by a non-City 501c3 non-profit that recruits and monitors other non-profits and government organizations to provide services. In many ways, the City is acting merely as custodian of the building, helping provide a venue through which those organizations can deliver services.)
Preserving the Dam behind the City
The story of Laurel in many ways traces its roots back to the Patuxent River – you might even say, Laurel “sprang” from the river.
The reason, is that the beginnings of our town started to take shape when a grist mill was setup in 1811 powered by the waters of the Patuxent. By 1845, it had bloomed to include a second mill (now processing cotton), and together, the mills employed more than 700 workers who now took up residence here with their families, putting “Laurel Factory” on the map. Many of our early churches were organized within that same decade, and finally in April of 1870, the city itself officially incorporated as just “Laurel”. (Which means we’re approaching our 155th birthday this April.)
So you can see how the River, the mills, and the dams powering that mill are really touchstones to Laurel’s birth and parts of its identity. Even today, you can make your way down to the parking lot at the west end of Main Street, get out and walk a couple hundred yards, and see the remnants of the dam still there, albeit crumbling.
Which is why it’s a great relief to share that last year the City received funds from both federal and Maryland grant efforts to shore up and enhance this critical reference point for our City, for our and future generations. Our appreciation goes out to our federal and State delegations for their support, and also a big champion of the project, past Councilman, Michael Leszcz. Included in the project will be preventing further erosion of the stone areas and making them safer, making the approach area and parking lot more accessible, and enhancing many of the historical markers to further tell the story of our town’s beginnings.
While the exact details and timing are still being worked out, if you’re curious to learn more, you can check out the draft engineering report with some of the areas needing attention and some of the ideas on what comes next!
Laurel: A Community of Communities
(An article I wrote for the Jan 2025 edition of ‘Voices of Laurel’ – See links at the bottom for the growing database of communities & how to submit yours.)
Each of us starts life in a “community” called family. And as we grow, we naturally become part of more and more communities: Aunts, uncles, cousins; Church, and its sub-communities, like choir or committees serving to those in need; School, our class grade, school groups & friend groups; Hobby and recreation groups like sports leagues, motorcycle groups, Scout troops, candle makers, and book clubs; Public service like soup kitchens, historical societies, charities; And the list goes on.
I like to think of all these communities as a rain forest ecosystem: flowers, birds, trees, monkeys, fruits, insects, jaguars, canopy, undergrowth, water, air, sun. Deep, rich, interwoven, interdependent. Communities overlapping, mutually enriched, vibrant, teeming with life and resilience.
But modern life comes with its challenges: commutes, homework, dishwashers needing repair, working late, lawn mowing, bank password resets that still don’t work. And then there’s the competitions for attention: TV & movies on demand, football & baseball season, video games, social media scrolling, the latest news updates.
It can be easy to find ourselves sliding into a mindset that ‘we’ll go out and connect with others’ later, it’s ‘just one more thing’ when the rest of life feels like a lot already. And self-care is important: we need to have cared for ourselves so that we can care for others.
But there is an odd converse too: Connecting with and caring for others, strangely and somehow stirs a part core inside us. It flips a switch and lets juices flow within our souls that aren’t touched by or activated in any other way. Ultimately, we need to reach into and expand that part of us if we are to be who we truly are — We are social beings, meant to explore and to become, precisely through our interactions with others, in community with them.
Which leads to a further realization too: We are community - community isn’t ’out there’, it’s us. Ain’t nobody here but us people. What we do, is what our community is, you, me, and all of our neighbors, taken together. Whether it’s taking a couple extra minutes to shovel the sidewalk for our elder neighbor next door, asking our neighbor across the street to help retrieve an Amazon delivery when we’re out of town, sharing about our family’s health ups & downs, offering some fresh made iced tea to the contractors, actively slowing down at the crosswalk near the grocery store — each one of these small acts, these are community. Part of the rich tapestry.
And a natural next step is joining a community with others. Whether it’s the new Reader’s Theater group at the Selbourne House and open to all, where members rehearse scripts under the able direction of Mr. Charles Clyburn, then do dramatic reading performances for the community. Or the indoor radio-controlled car racing hosted at Hobby Works that starts in January. Or the Hooked on Crochet group formed by Heidi Temple that meets Sundays at Panera. Or the Laurel 4th of July Committee that puts on such a fantastic event each year, but who themselves are in need small and big helping hands to ensure this tradition can continue for our town next year.
So a note of encouragement: There is so much good going on around our wonderful town, and so many wonderful people. But I also observe communities growing thin, and folks searching for the depth they know can’t come from behind our screens, but only from authentic, patient human connection in the groups in which we can share our small moments and the path of our life lived together.
Ultimately, our community needs you, needs me, needs all of us together — a community of communities, teeming with life and resilience, mutually enriched, and vibrant.
(Note: Help build a living list of ‘community groups’ that call Laurel their home — It’ll provide folks a wonderful insight into the rich tapestry we have, and also be a place folks can come to find a community to connect to. To have your group added, please complete this simple online form. And thank you to the many communities and community members that make up our hometown Laurel!!)
