[RP TownTalk] can't wait til Thursday's final Cafritz community workshop

[Dwight Holmes]

Am I the only one who can't wait til Thursday to hear what the Cafritz
development team tells us they gleaned of the two community workshops
they held?  And how they see themselves proceeding from here? (I only
wish I could be there on time, but a conflict will prevent that)

I would love to hear what other people are thinking, and what they
foresee as obstacles...  Does this seem like just one more proposal
that will likely disappoint or even just peter out in the end? Or is
it really something refreshingly different?  Other than save some of
us a bunch on gas money and driving time, how would it change our
community to have something like a Whole Foods store in town?  What
are the plusses? and minuses? And do we need a reality check before we
start planning our errand list around having a local Whole Foods!?!?
And what about Councilman Olsen's proposal that the residential aspect
of the project be an Over-55 community to prevent any negative impact
on our area's schools?

A bit of my reaction and links to some writeups elsewhere as well
(from http://rpcoffeehouse.blogspot.com/ ):

There's been little (no?) discussion of or reaction to the Cafritz
meetings on TownTalk. Perhaps we're all waiting to hear what the
Cafritz team has to say at the third and final meeting on Thursday,
June 14. My own reaction continues to be conflicted: While I'm
sincerely enthusiastic about the promise, I don't want to let myself
get carried away -- so I remain cautious. For one, as we all know,
there are a bazillion hoops to go through before the first shovel can
be pushed into the ground. Moreover, it's usually healthy to be at
least a bit skeptical; after all, doesn't this sound too good to be
true? The Cafritz family have brought in -- along with themselves --
*seven* different professional firms or agencies (along with donuts,
lunch, and a violinist) - what do they want from me? Surely, it's more
than my opinion?!? (And is it more than my support for a zoning
variance?)

Of course, this is a classic case of damned-if-you-do,
damned-if-you-don't. Had they proceeded headstrong with a proposal,
they'd be criticized for not soliciting community input -- and
deservedly so. Instead, they've gone to great lengths to approach our
elected officials, and then to arrange this series of meetings to find
out what our interests and concerns are. For this they should receive
credit -- and I believe they are. I certainly applaud them for their
approach thus far. Nonetheless, some degree of skepticism (or
cynicism) seems unavoidable, if not advisable: I guess I'll just fall
back on the famous words of Ronald Reagan: "Trust, but verify." :)

One thing I've started to wonder: Why don't the Cafritz family buy up
the Riverdale Park Industrial Park and merge that in with their
current holdings? Or even the USPS parcel (ahem... no pun...)?
(anybody know who owns that property?) When you look at the overhead
views or maps, the USPS and Industrial Park properties really stand
out as vestiges of the old, and obstacles to the new (at least to what
appears to be the future direction of the area).

Meanwhile, there are at least three writeups of the Cafritz
development and/or the workshop from last Saturday (June 2nd),
published on the following blogs, Rethinking College Park, Route 1
Growth, and Life in Riverdale Park:

from Rethinking College Park:

    "The Business and Retail arm of the resource team stated that
Whole Foods Mid-Atlantic President Ken Meyer has seen the Cafritz
Property and said he would like to put a store there. The company is
waiting on plans for the development in order to move forward. Fall is
a reasonable time to expect a more definitive position from Whole
Foods as to whether or not it will place a grocery store on the
Cafritz Property."

http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2007/409/

from Route 1 Growth:

    "My overall impressions were positive and I felt that the
development team was interested in engaging the public in this
discussion. County Council member Eric Olson termed the outreach
unique and important. Although no development plans have yet been
filed, one must keep in mind that the development group does have a
vision for the property. Certainly the selected team members, the
stated values and the workstation topics lead me to believe that this
project will tend towards high-density development. The very point of
having the community input meetings is to modify the original single
family zoning."

http://route1growth.wordpress.com/2007/06/04/summary-of-june-2nd-cafritz-community-input-meeting/

from a new local blog, Life in Riverdale Park:
http://lifeinriverdalepark.blogspot.com/2007/06/cafritz-property.html