Owings Mills Library Opens

The new Owings Mills branch of the Baltimore County library official opened today. There was much fanfare, including special dignitaries such as Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz, Baltimore County Councilmen Ken Oliver, Todd Huff, and Vicki Almond, and representatives for other dignitaries who couldn't take the time out of their schedule to be there.

If you're not familiar with the area, the library is located in the former parking lot of the Owings Mills Metro Subway.  It's a very pretty and architecturally pleasing building, as pleasing as architecture is allowed to be in the 21st century.  The complex is being celebrated as a Transit-Oriented Development with one entrance and two exits.  What better way to manage traffic flow than have the 4,500 daily commuters using the Owings Mills Metro flow through one single traffic light onto Painters Mill Road?  Add in residents to the upcoming 250+ apartments that are being built, plus traffic for the new Baltimore County Community College Owings Mills campus, library traffic, and traffic for the forthcoming retail shops, etc....  It'll be as pleasant as walking through a daisy field on a warm sunny day in May.

I learned of the official ribbon-cutting ceremony about a month ago and that Kevin Kamenetz would be there.  No doubt he will run for Governor at some point, so I might as well get some pictures of him, right?  I managed to get away from American Corrugated Amalgamated Conglomerates of America for about an hour and head over there.

Mr. Kamenetz was the last to arrive and he mingled with everyone, mostly the people he knew, for about 15 minutes, then gave a decent speech about the efforts to make everything happen.  This project has been on the books for 15 years.  Hard to believe.

Here is Baltimore County Councilman Ken Oliver doing what he does best.  Pretty much standing around doing nothing.  Unfortunately I forgot my Nikon, so you have to settle for iPhone pictures.

Here are Baltimore County Council members Todd Huff of the DUI fame and Vicki Almond, who seems to have no arrest record.

Here is Kevin Kamenetz giving a warm and funny speech recognizing everyone for their efforts.  Standing behind him is the Director of Baltimore County Public Libraries Jim Fish (tall with glasses) and Howard Brown, the developer of the firm David S. Brown Enterprises.  County Executive Kamenetz admitted that the two bump heads a lot.  I love his honesty!

And for the record, did you know that Jim Fish is only the 3rd Director of Baltimore County Public Libraries since 1949?  That is some low turnover.  Or is it the mafia?

Here's the official ribbon-cutting ceremony.  County Executive Kamenetz admitted this time that the plaque that was made for the ceremony misspelled Owings Mills.  Probably not a good idea to mispel a plack et teh libary.

It was a pleasant ceremony library is really nice.  You should defintely check it out.  And when you do, I hope you can get in and out of the exit with ease.  I wish it were in Carroll County.