Leeds Avenue residents and business owners will have an opportunity to review the county plans for improving about a mile of this Arbutus roadway.

The Baltimore County Department of Public Works will host a meeting from 7 to 9 p.m. Aug. 5 in the cafeteria at Arbutus Elementary School, 1300 Sulphur Spring Road, to discuss the Leeds Avenue Roadway Improvement Project.

In particular, department officials want to discuss how the project may affect property owners along Leeds from Linden Avenue to about 150 feet south of the Beechwood Avenue intersection.

They also will ask about possible roadway trouble spots that public works engineers may not have noticed for this area, which parallels Southwestern Boulevard.

"This is an important improvement to the community," said David Fidler, a spokesman for the department.

"It is taking a one-mile stretch of road that is not in good condition and improving it with resurfacing, sidewalks and new curb and gutter."

Anyone may attend the meeting and comment or ask questions about the project, which is expected to begin in spring 2009 and cost about $3.25 million.

Because most of the improvements will occur within the bounds of existing county rights-of-way, the project probably will not require additional rights-of-way on privately owned property, according to Fidler.

In addition to county- or state-owned land, the construction site will extend past 79 privately-owned properties, he said.

Most of the private land involved is residential, though five of the properties are commercial and another belongs to the Episcopal Church of the Holy Apostles at 4922 Leeds Ave.

The current plan calls for resurfacing the roadway, reconstructing curbs and gutters and improving or replacing residential and commercial driveway aprons that intersect Leeds Avenue along the project site.

In addition, the plan includes construction to replace and enlarge existing sidewalks, where possible, to a width of 5 feet.

The wider sidewalks are intended to meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.

"(This improvement) is needed to provide safe pedestrian access and establish a clear division between them and the motorists," said Bryan Sheppard, a legislative aide to Councilman Sam Moxley.

Moxley represents the 1st District, which includes Arbutus.

The project will not widen the existing roadway, but will improve driving conditions, pedestrian access and storm water drainage, Fidler said.

Construction should get under way by next summer and be completed in about nine months' time, Fidler said.

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