[RP TownTalk] District Council to Vote on Cafritz, Monday, July 9, in Upper Marlboro

[Lou King]

There are several points I think should be made:

1. Whether you support or oppose the rezoning you should express your 
opinion so elected official know you views. (even tong-in-cheek 
suppression of others views is counter to what we are celebrating this 
week.)

2. The Cafritz group was encouraged to use the M-UTC process.Through 
that process the local communities have a larger say, opportunity to 
review and affect any development project. Other zoning processes start 
at the County level, skipping the local input/control level that the 
M-UTC process provides. Personally, I'm in favor of local control/local 
Government.

3. No matter what happens with the Cafritz property, M-Square when 
completely built-out is projected to employ 6,500 people. 
(http://msquare.umd.edu/about/um-research-park/) It is going to require 
many good ideas to deal with that impact on the local communities 
surrounding M-Square. Assuming 50 riders/bus that is 130 buses just to 
get to work. Buses, trains, Purple Line all will be needed. The impact 
of M-Square is going to "leak out" and impact the surrounding 
communities even with the most optimistic projections for use of public 
transit.

The proposal for the Cafritz property is just one of meany ideas that 
will be needed to deal with the impact of M-Square. Cafritz could 
provide housing for 900+ families/workers within walking/biking distance 
of M-Square. Keep in mind not all of those 6,500 workers are going to be 
higher income managers. For every manager or engineer there are several 
supporting employees; facilities maintenance, food workers, secretaries, 
technicians to clean the labs, English majors (hopefully) to write the 
papers.

I live on Queensbury too, insight of the Baltimore Ave/East-West Highway 
intersection. I see daily the effect of people traveling from where they 
can find/afford housing to where their jobs are. I am all in favor of 
moving their homes closer to their jobs. Not forcing more people onto 
the roads to get to where the jobs are offered.

Lou
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