[RP TownTalk] new sign on the Cafritz property!

Sun Aug 30 12:22:07 UTC 2009

Melissa,

The Belcrest Plaza project has nothing to do with the Cafritz Property development. It is located on the opposite side of University Park.

Anne

--- On Sat, 8/29/09, Melissa Avery <m.avery at rocketmail.com> wrote:

From: Melissa Avery <m.avery at rocketmail.com>
Subject: [RP TownTalk] new sign on the Cafritz property!
To: "TownTalk" <TownTalk at riverdale-park.org>
Date: Saturday, August 29, 2009, 8:49 AM

We now have our new sign up on the Cafritz property!
It is located by the entrance to WAMATA.
For those of you who are scratching their head wondering what the big deal is about the sign is-

It is very much in the intrest of Riverdale Park to establish the fact that the Town has a presence on the RT. 1 side of the Cafritz Property.

first, both University Park and College Park have organized groups that are monitoring the development. When the building happens, they do not want the traffic to exit out on to RT. 1, or through their neighborhoods.

That means it will have to be filtered through Riverdale Park's ward 1. What are the greatest possible paths?

The back side of the property abuts Rhoade Island Ave and the rail road tracks by the old ERCO building. 

If Rhode Island Avenue is opened again It will have to accommodate a sizable amount of traffic.  that would be going through half of what is now Town Center parking lot, and through the industrial area by Greg's Towing.

Then we will have a real mess to deal with at the Queesburry Road and Rhode Island Avenue  train crossing!

I know this Cafritz thing seems like a dream, because the property has been vacant for 50 years or so, but the entire area is currently in a state of transformation.

Any citizen concerned about the town, and especially those in ward 1 who will be directly impacted, we need to start taking this thing seriously, or we will wake up one day and find something we never bargained for in our back yard.

With the advent of the purple line, the character of the entire area is being redesigned by the developers. The type of development that  happens in our neighboring towns directly affects Riverdale Park.

For those who don't get the Gazette delivered to your street-

Heare is a shortened  article this week written by David Hill. Read full article on page A-4 
Mixed Use Proposal Irks residents

West Hyattsville complex could change area for worse

"University Park residents are worried that a proposed housing complex in West Hyattsville could bring pollution, noise and traffic to their town.
The New Belcrest Plaza would replace the existing 50-year-old low-rise apartment complex of the same name with 2,750 new housing units and more than 250,000 square feet of office and retail space.It would include a 4 story townhouse complex, 17-story high-rise apartments and a 33-story mixed use tower across from the mall at Prince Georges Plaza."
"If I wanted to live in Bethesda, I would live in Bethesda"said town council woman Anne O'Connor (ward 6). "the idea of moving low income families to make room for young, urban professionals doesn't feel right to me."
"Jonathan Glenn ( executive vice president of Silver Spring based Percontee Inc, which owns Belcrest Plaza)
said he expects most current tenants to move out , and for the existing complex to stop accepting new tenants in the coming year. Any remaining tenants, he said, would be relocated at the developers' expense."

The Proposed complex includes buildings that violate both the areas minimum and maximum allowable height of 6 and 16 stories tall.
the District Council would have to waive these zoning requirements and Prince Georges County Planning Board would also have to approve the project. Glenn said the approval process would likely take about 6-months"

 Melissa

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