Latest news with #Davis-Rogers
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
City considers plan for downtown signage
CUMBERLAND — Merje Design presented options for signs across the city to the mayor and City Council Tuesday. The 'wayfinding plan' came about after various experts were in Cumberland for the recent downtown renovation. 'When the consultants were here, they often got lost,' said Ruth Davis- Rogers, the city's historic preservation planner and grants manager. She said an initial $30,000 grant from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development was secured to hire West Chester, Pennsylvania, consultant Merje for the project. The exact cost of the wayfinding plan hasn't been determined. 'A lot of this will be grant funded,' Davis-Rogers said. Merje provided wayfinding for cities including Annapolis and Frederick, she said. 'We've been working with them for six months,' Davis-Rogers said. Merje partner Glen Swantak said Cumberland has a hodgepodge of directional markers. 'You've got a lot of signs,' he said, adding that an emphasis will be placed on consistent displays of parking availability in the city. 'It's very complicated to come into the downtown area,' he said. He also talked of direction to downtown needed for folks arriving at the Amtrak Station. Merje designer Madison Phillips said the next step for the wayfinding project will be development of a preliminary budget. In other city business: • The council proclaimed April 2025 as Fair Housing Month with a document that states Cumberland 'is proud to join the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in celebrating the fifty-fifth anniversary of the Fair Housing Act of 1968.' • The council met privately Tuesday to discuss board and commission appointments.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Eight of 10 spots open for Cumberland relocation plan
CUMBERLAND — Despite well more than 1,000 applications submitted to city officials for a pilot relocation incentive package launched last year, eight of 10 spots remain open. The Choose Cumberland Relocation Program offers a $10,000 incentive to folks who move to the city with an additional $10,000 'dollar for dollar match' for approved renovations to an existing home or for a downpayment on a newly constructed house. The 'talent attraction program' is for people who live outside of Allegany County, work remotely or are relocating to Cumberland for a new job, Ruth Davis-Rogers, the city's historic preservation planner, said in August. At that time, the Cumberland Times-News published an article about the opportunity. Reports from other news publications, including Newsweek and ABC, followed over subsequent days. 'We are receiving on average probably 20 to 30 applications per hour, in addition to phone calls ... even in the middle of the night,' Davis-Rogers said at the time. 'I can't even keep up with them ... my computer actually shut down.' Applications came from states including California, Oklahoma, Arizona and North Carolina. Tuesday, Davis-Rogers said Cumberland officials last year received funding for the relocation program from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development. 'We were awarded enough money for 10 awards,' she said. 'As of to date we've only made awards to five people.' Of those five, one closed on a house this week, one is still looking for a home and three dropped out. Of those three, 'one dropped out because they decided to move to Allegany County but found a home outside of the city limits that they liked, the other two were called back to the office and were no longer eligible to work remotely,' Davis-Rogers said. Now, 'we have eight positions to fill,' she said. The program will accept applications again until May 1. Accepted applicants must purchase a home within six months and live in it as their primary residence for no less than five years or the funding must be paid back to the city. Davis-Rogers said the city improved the process for folks to submit requests. 'We now have an application portal as well as a dedicated email where all questions can be directed,' she said. 'Applications must be made via the portal and, in order to submit, every question must be answered and the required information must be attached.' To learn more or apply, visit Cumberland-Relocation-Program.
