Strange Bedfellows

The site of a former gas station in Towson is slated to be the next honor for the county’s Olympians.

County Executive Jim Smith announced over the weekend that he wants to turn the site of the former Shell Station off the Towson Roundabout into Baltimore County Olympic Park.

Smith, in remarks made during Saturday’s festivities honoring Michael Phelps and other Maryland Olympians, said he would re-dedicate the empty lot currently now Towson Circle Park.

“This park will have special recognition of all Baltimore County’s Olympic medalists,” Smith said in an Oct. 5 release of his remarks from the night before.

The land used for the park has a somewhat controversial history.

In August 2007, the county paid $500,000 to Motiva Enterprises. The agreement came after about three months after Smith announced he would use the county’s condemnation powers to acquire the site. Motiva Enterprises, which operated a Shell station on the site, has been involved in cleaning up gasoline contamination there and is expected to continue those efforts through 2009.

Councilman Vince Gardina, a Democrat who represents the 5th District, including Towson and Perry Hall, praised the idea. When the initial announcement was made in 2007, Gardina said he expected the spot would become “a quiet oasis.”

“When you’re in the midst of a desert, anything can be an oasis,” Gardina said.

Bryan McIntire, Gardina’s Republican council colleague, painted another image of the future greenspace at one of the county’s busiest intersections.

After voting to approve the sale in 2007, McIntire suggested another name to me for the park - “carbon monoxide park.”

Given media reports of heavy smog in Beijing during the Olympics this summer, perhaps McIntire’s name is apropos.

As a child, I was often told my mouth would get me in trouble.

A few weeks ago, after Michael Phelps won his eighth gold medal, I was speaking with a county spokeswoman about the inevitable county tribute.

Being the smart aleck that I am, I suggested recycling the orange 8s that were painted on streets around the county in July 2007 in honor of Cal Ripken Jr.’s induction into the baseball Hall of Fame.

Those 8s were painted with orange paint bought at Home Depot. The expectation was that, in a year or so, wear and weather would erase them. But they’re still there, including the two painted near the Old Courthouse - one on Washington Avenue, the other in the intersection of Pennsylvania and Baltimore avenues.

“You could paint them gold,” I said, believing my tongue was firmly planted in my cheek. Apparently, Ed Adams, the director of the county Department of Public Works also made the suggestion about the same time.

This morning, County Executive Jim Smith and Debbie Phelps, the swimming star’s ever-present mother/stand-in, officiated over repainting of the 8 in the intersection of Pennsylvania and Baltimore Avenue gold (technically, it’s goldenrod, I’m told).

County Executive Jim Smith is supposed to be resting at home until October as part of his recovery from triple-bypass heart surgery a month ago.

But then Michael Phelps won eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics. And a parade to honor Phelps requires public officials to announce it.

So, Smith got a doctor’s note and will make his first public appearance since his Aug. 13 surgery at St. Joseph Medical Center in Towson. The county exec will join Gov. Martin O’Malley and Mayor Sheila Dixon at a press conference to announce a parade for Phelps tomorrow at noon.

“He’s got medical clearance for this,” said Don Mohler, a county spokesman. “This was pretty important to him.”

This is the second time Smith has honored Phelps for his Olympic performance. Four years ago, Smith hosted another parade for the swimmer and called the event “Phelpstival.” The swimmer also received a key to the county.