Howard County School Board Writes to Transportation Officials

The Howard County Board of Education planned to send a letter to the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) this week to inform the department about plans for a middle school on Coca Cola Drive—a site that could be less than 2 miles from a proposed freight hub.

The Maryland Department of Transportation and CSX are currently evaluating four sites for a train-truck operation called an "intermodal facility," and one location is within 1.5 miles of the .

“We've drafted a letter and are expressing that we’d like them to consider our plans as part of the [intermodal site selection] process,” said Janet Siddiqui, chair of the Howard County Board of Education, speaking during an .

Siddiqui said that the board would be sending a letter to the Maryland Department of Transportation this week, copying CSX and the Environmental Protection Agency, which is involved in a  at each of the four proposed intermodal sites.

When Patch asked Siddiqui after the Oct. 29 meeting what her intent was in sending the letter, she said it was “to inform them” that the board was proceeding with plans for the middle school.

As of Wednesday, the school system declined to comment on the status of the letter or release it to Patch.

Transportation officials said they would have a site selected for the intermodal facility by summer 2012.

Construction will start by March 2012 for the middle school, according to Ken Roey, director of facilities for Howard County Public School System. The school is slated to open by fall 2013.