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

[Don Lynch]

You left out one essential point.

The council should never have allowed such a devastating traffic 
possibility to go forth.

I am not relieved to hear mitigating measures.

I don't see any heroes here.

Don

-------- Original Message --------
> From: "Jonathan W. Ebbeler" <jebbeler at efusionconsulting.com>
> Sent: Thursday, July 05, 2012 8:20 PM
> To: towntalk at riverdale-park.org
> Subject: [RP TownTalk]  District Council to Vote on Cafritz, Monday, July 
9, in Upper Marlboro
> 
> The RP Town Council is the only authority who may make changes to town 
roads
> (which Queensbury is one).  The Council may turn roads one way, put 
speed
> bumps, rumble strips, restrict access at certain times or altogether, 
put
> more stop signs, stop lights, or any other measure that is deemed
> appropriate.  The State Highway Administration has that same authority 
over
> MD-1/Baltimore Avenue, MD-410/East-West Highway, and MD-201/Kenilworth.  
I
> have not been privy to any conversations that indicated that Queensbury 
is
> to be widened.  That would be antithetical to the M-U-TC zoning's 
purposes;
> wider roads encourage higher speeds and are by their inherent nature
> less-pedestrian friendly.  
> 
>  
> 
> To address some of the more technical questions that were raised:
> 
> -the traffic counts are a highly debatable number (there were multiple
> studies done with different results).  Even the worst case scenario 
however
> did not put the trips anywhere near 2000 additional trips on Route 1
> 
> -there are mandatory restrictions in place concerning new traffic 
generated
> by the proposed development
> 
> -a new private shuttle will be funded by the developer to run between the 
CP
> Metro/Marc, PG Plaza Metro, and RP Marc station
> 
> -all the traffic studies projected that many of the housing units will 
be
> serving the offices at M2, UMD, and commuting into DC.  Much more 
traffic
> was generated based upon the retail (2/3) vs. the residential (1/3)
> 
> -there are mandatory steps that have to happen prior to construction 
permits
> including an Adequate Public Facilities study and a traffic study (for 
town
> roads) that address infrastructure and public safety issues
> 
> -Route 1 at Van Buren will have a stop light with pedestrian crosswalks, 
the
> Town Council and Public Works is aware and currently working on 
addressing
> pedestrian crossing from Town Center to the Town Center Market
> 
>  
> 
> I walk to and ride the MARC train most mornings with 2 members of the 
M-U-TC
> committee, three other members have the businesses at Town Center;
> membership was specifically contemplated to include people who 
inherently
> understand the local design and pedestrian issues that the zoning
> contemplates.  Every application that has been before the committee has
> focused its comments on two primary areas: 1) design and 2)pedestrian
> orientation.  However, the M-U-TC committee itself can only advise on
> pedestrian safety issues when there is a development application - it is 
up
> to the Town Council to vote as a whole as to how to take the opinion.
> 
>  
> 
> The Council has moved over the last 12 months to begin to address these
> concerns.  SHA has been brought before the Council multiple times to 
listen
> to our concerns.  I would like to point out that a direct consequences 
to
> this was the Rt1/Queensbury intersections being painted with at 'Don't 
Block
> the Box' signage.  This by itself does not solve the problem but it is a
> single step towards abating the problem.  I believe there should be red
> light cameras as well and selective traffic enforcement.  For the
> Queensbury/Town Center intersections we are awaiting the results of a
> traffic study to better avail ourselves of solutions.  Keep in mind that 
the
> town does not have unlimited resources; we have a maximum of 3 officers
> patrolling every shift and pulling 1 or 2 officers to write traffic 
tickets
> means other parts of the town and public safety are not being served.
> 
> I appreciate the general civility that has been shown.  I realize that 
there
> are some that disagree with the development but it is always important 
to
> realize that many of us are neighbors and friends and see each other on 
a
> weekly basis at the farmer's market etc.  Disagreement is expected, and 
I
> believe incredibly healthy in any discussion.  Any single issue as
> complicated as the rezoning of close to 40 acres is going to bring up
> enormous challenges, questions, concerns, fears etc.  It is important
> however to move forward from any disagreement still as friends and 
neighbors
> since although there may be disagreement on one issue there is likely to 
be
> agreement on many others. 
> 
>  
> 
> Jonathan
> 
> 
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