[RP TownTalk] The Field of Rubble

[Sarah Wayland]

Hi Stuart, et al.,

(1) Mayor Archer has arranged for the developer of the lot to come to 
our next council meeting (on Tuesday, September 6th at 8 pm.) The 
announcement of the meeting (sent to TownAnnounce last week) is 
appended just after this message. Interested parties are *definitely* 
encouraged to attend.

(2) Now that you know that, I'll try to give a brief summary of the 
history of the Field of Rubble (a name I personally intend to adopt 
for all future use. We were calling it Berlin 1944, but your name is 
much more apt.)

As you may or may not know, Eckerd Drug requested a curb cut from 
State Highways that would allow cars to enter and exit the parking 
lot for the corner building more easily. State Highways did not give 
them the curb cut, and Eckerd's backed out of the deal. This happened 
*after* the demolition of the buildings on the corner, and left the 
developer, Potomac Development, with no tenant or buyer. Joe Caputo 
of Potomac Development is now working on a deal that would put new 
buildings on the lot. Part of his presentation on Tuesday evening 
will, I hope, be on his plans. I've heard that he hopes to start 
development next spring, but we'll know more after the presentation 
on Tuesday.

(3) The only silver lining in all this is that because Eckerd backed 
out of the deal, the new development will have to adhere to the MU-TC 
zoning guidelines developed by Parks and Planning in conjunction with 
Riverdale Park town residents, business owners, and town officials. 
The originally proposed Big Box Warehouse development did not conform 
to these guidelines. A copy of the guidelines can be found at:

http://www.mncppc.org/cpd/riverdalepark.htm

(4) Regarding the properties in Town Center at the corner of 
Queensbury and Rhode Island Avenue, I have heard that Douglas Jemal 
has started handing off management of many of his properties to a 
separate concern (I don't know the name.) He is clearly aware that he 
has let too many of his properties sit vacant for too long, and has 
decided that having someone take care of the property management, 
while he takes care of purchasing and development, is the right way 
to go. This is a fairly recent transition (e.g., sometime in the last 
3 months.) I know that getting businesses into these properties is a 
Very High Priority of the Archer administration, but I haven't heard 
any more about what is going on there recently.

That's all I know!

-Sarah Wayland


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From: "Alan K. Thompson" <webmaster at ci.riverdale-park.md.us>
To: town-announce at riverdale-park.org
Subject: [RP Town Announce] SPECIAL PRESENTATION at Monthly Town Council
	Legislative Session (9/6/2005)

The Town Council will have its monthly legislative session next
TUESDAY, September 6, at 8:00 pm (Town Hall, 5008 Queensbury Road).
It is on Tuesday rather than Monday because of the Labor Day holiday.
I will put out more detaills about this over the weekend, but just
heard about the following presentation and thought I should get it out
before the weekend.

Joe Caputo of Potomac Development -- owner of the vacant lot at
East-West and Baltimore Ave. -- will be at the Legislative Meeting
next Tuesday, Sept. 6th.  We will put him on the top of the schedule
so he should make his presentation shortly after 8:00.  There will of
course be time to answer questions from the audience.

-- 

Sarah Wayland & Alan Thompson
twacks at his.com