[RP TownTalk] Jey's Auto

Tue Sep 13 00:01:51 UTC 2011

There were several emails about this so I will try to address as many of the
topics as I can from memory.  The site, which is in Riverdale Park, was
originally an Exxon, purchased by Jey as his first business.  The tanks were
removed many years ago.  I do not know if the soil has been tested or not (I
suspect it has not) but this will only come into play well down the line if
he is actually interested in selling and we engage in more serious purchase
discussions.  The land (a little more than ¼ acre) is appraised at 300k and
probably overvalued at that given the potential environmental issues – there
is little value in the structure; the required renovations most likely
exceed the currently taxed value.  The  Hyattsville site plan includes
buildings such as Jey’s and the Laundry because they are both in the middle
of the EYA development and clearly delineated as not part of the ‘site plan’
through the use of a different color.

As far as the information we have, the land is not being held for
appreciation purposes.  EYA attempted to purchase the property multiple
times as did multiple other potential buyers offering well north of what the
property will appreciate to over the next decade plus.  Over the years Jey
has repeatedly, and most recently several weeks ago, come back to the town
attempting to re-open the site as a gas station.   The site is within the
M-U-TC zone requiring a special permit to obtain an occupancy and use permit
as a gas station.  The last several times this was presented to the M-U-TC
committee the application for a gas station was turned town.  The M-U-TC
committee will not support the site as an operable gas station, and the Town
Council has not expressed any support for this site for a gas station.  So
we are at an impasse.

Jey has been cited for numerous violations by the Riverdale Park Code
Enforcement Division and this property has since been referred to the Prince
George’s County DER Zoning Unit.  Jey’s Auto is not getting away with any
Code Violations and the Town is doing everything legally possible to remedy
the situation.  We have tried repeatedly to work with the owner but Jey has
not brought the property into code compliance.  We have both RP Code and PG
Code dealing with this and cannot get the compliance issues dealt with; if
someone has an idea of how to get Jey to bring the property into compliance
there are many people in this County that would love to talk to you.   The
town is not setting a precedent for buying derelict properties any more so
than was done with the Town Center – there are strategic reasons why Towns
can and should buy individual properties from time to time.  This property,
as a cornerstone site, currently detracts from all the other small
businesses on Rt1 and is the first thing any potential investor sees when
driving into our town.  

Through the District Court the Town could could have the municipal
infractions ajudicated, ruled in our favor at which time we would have the
legal authority to have a contractor perform the work and a lien placed on
the property.  There are multiple problems with this approach though.  First
the contractor costs could exceed $100k and second the end result would
still result in a code-compliant, yet still vacant, shell. We would expend
the legal costs, manpower, and cash tied up to pursue this end and still be
in an identical situation today – having a property the owner has no
interest in developing into anything other than a gas station.  We would be
expending public funds to renovate a property for a use that the Town will
never allow.  I would venture a guess that this is precisely why Jey does
not bring the property into compliance; why would any rational business
owner spend the money only to be refused a Use and Occupancy Permit?   The
quicker, less cumbersome, and more straightforward approach is just to
acquire the property and give it a purpose or use that is more in harmony
with the area.

The Resolution concerned engaging in a conversation (i.e. negotiations) to
purchase the land; if one looks at the history of the property we are one of
many, many suitors and I am not sure why any one would think Riverdale Park
would be successful in its purchase where others, including Hyattsville were
not.  That being said, the days of vacant and absent landlords are over.  

Best,

Jonathan

Jonathan W. Ebbeler

Town of Riverdale Park | Councilmember – Ward One

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://riverdale-park.org/pipermail/towntalk/attachments/20110912/b9fd205b/attachment.html>