[RP TownTalk] Field of Dreams

[Jonathan Ebbeler]

Dwight's post is mostly accurate - certainly the sentiments.  UMD owns most of the land including approximately to the fence line of the current FOD.  The new road will run on what was UMD land but has been (or will be) transferred to the town.

There were multiple alignments proposed, including one that would have run between the Raytheon and ACP buildings.  Our town did not take as active of a role in those negotiations as they should have with all the interested parties.  I am not convinced that the Mayor understood or knew about all the moving pieces in this project since he missed a vast majority of the meetings with the M-U-TC committee and the  Planning Board hearings.  He certainly did attend the Legislative and Worksession meetings, but that is not where this project was negotiated, decided, and discussed in minute detail.  I cannot speak to what he did behind the scenes, but in my conversations with the County and the Developer, the Mayor was and continues to be largely asleep at the wheel.

Our town generally has been a major impediment to why the project is taking so long.  Between RP's delays on the bridge landing/traffic circle decision and the recording of the Platt (which should have happened a year ago but just occurred), we have delayed the Whole Food's opening by 12-18 months.

Well-advertised public hearings on matters like this can encourage public discourse prior to decisions being made.  Ultimately this was an issue for the Mayor and  the Ward 2 Councilman to fight for and decide.

JWE
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