[RP TownTalk] code and vendors discussion

[marc stauffer]

> Re: [RP TownTalk] code and vendors discussion

Roland and all,

I agree with you that our town looks shabby.  At each main entryway  
to town we have abandoned properties (the Rt. 1 + 410 intersection,  
the south east corner of Madison + Rt. 1 , the both of the westward   
corners of Kenilworth and 410, the  Kenilworth area south of the the  
bowling alley, the emptiness of riverdale plaza).  Even if the town  
doesn't have much power to get privately held land to be inhabitated  
and spruced up, I don't think we are doing a bang up job with the  
ground the town control. For one, Beale circle looks really decrepit   
(dead trees, unkempt grounds, a jersey barrier or two sitting around)  
and that is a little area that could actually say to us (residents)  
and others that Riverdale Park takes care of its green space.  It  
could be a nice little park.  The development ideas for the corner of  
rt. 1 and 410 incorporate a small pocket park into the design  
guidelines.  Why wait for years for the development to happen to make  
Beale Circle a spot to notice and not to avoid looking at?  Two; the  
"Field of Dreams"  isn't kept up beyond cutting the grass (the  
infield is mostly weeds, the signage needs painting,etc.).  And the  
Riverdale Park signposts I see along River Rd. look pretty sad:  the  
planters are dented and have no plants in them, the signs are faded.

I also agree with you:
  "I absolutely do believe that sprucing things up could have many  
secondary benefits, say in the ability to attract good businesses."
I do think that is a basic first step to seeing things progress.  And  
beyond the efforts of the town and volunteers to help change things  
(like the tree planting day last month), can't the town demand more  
from the landowners who have sought (and in some cases were granted)  
accommodation from the town.  For instance, couldn't a condition of  
the Rt.1 + 410 development agreement be that until the time that  
construction starts the ground is at least green and not rubble?  I'm  
not saying that corner would become an astroturf park like what they  
did in Silver Spring on the fallow lot next to the movie theatre, but  
at least it could look better than the wasteland it is now.  It can't  
be good for people's sense of the town, or perhaps more importantly  
can't be good for the businesses adjacent to it.  For how many years  
does the Animal Hospital and the Calvert House have to have a rubble  
field as a neighbor? Similarly, can the state of the derelict gas  
station at Madison be very helpful  to the town's image or the  
businesses adjacent to it, especially now that EYA and DeMatha are  
doing work to their sides of the street? Maybe the town doesn't have  
any legal power beyond making sure basic code regulations are met,  
but it must have more persuasive power at its disposal given that the  
landowners seem to want accommodations from the town.

Best,

Marc
4913 ravenswood rd.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://riverdale-park.org/pipermail/towntalk/attachments/20071105/1ab903f9/attachment-0002.html>