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<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> Since the Patriot Group's "Condo" buildings do not meet all the </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> mandatory M-UTC conditions, it will come before the town council </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> for approval in about a month or two. </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> I will vote NO to 5-story buildings.</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> I have expressed my concern that the scale of the buildings at 5</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> stories is not appropriate for the historic town core. I also</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> believe that the units will become rental properties (our town is</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> already about 60% rental). Patriot confirmed that if they can't</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> sell the units then they will rent them.</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> Patriot insists that they cannot build a 3-story project. Well,</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> if they can't, then someone else can. But as long as there is a</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> chance that they can push through a 5-story $70 million project</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> then they will continue to insist on it. Once it is firmly rejected, </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> then they or someone else will find a way to build something </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> more appropriate. </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> Any 5-story building will set a precedent for the other historic</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> core area properties - those on Natoli Place and on R.I avenue,</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> that is, the old print shop, Dorsey plumbing, the book store building </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> and all the town center shops. </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> Do you think Jamal will be happy with 2-story buildings if he </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> can build higher? If we let Patriot go to 5 stories, we can kiss </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> the rest of the historic core good bye. And in a few years we </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> will likely see high rise buildings extending out from that core. </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> Again, I will vote no to 5-story buildings. I hope that the council </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> will turn this down. But if it passes, I expect to see it challenged </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> by a referendum. </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> Gerry Keirnan expressed that, as a council member, he would also</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> vote against the proposal as it currently stands due to the very small</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> size of the units and the lack of amenities. </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> Gerry stated: "As a life long apartment dweller, the important</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> items for apartment living are floor space and closet space or</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> extra on-site storage. Patriot proposes apartment sizes</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> significantly smaller than existing apartments in the town (e.g.,</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> the one bedroom is 576 s.f. on the drawing provided to the M-UTC</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> committee two months ago). While Patriot contested my analysis,</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> one of their recent developments in Silver Spring has similarly</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> sized units (see the floor plans at www.CrescentCondo.com). As</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> for common amenities, the proposal has no party/meeting room, nor</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> is any additional on-site storage for the use of the occupants</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> shown on their drawings."</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> I calculate just 470 sq ft for their "Truffaut" which is their smallest </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> one bedroom at their Silver Spring site, www.CrescentCondo.com. </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> -Rob Oppenheim</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> Ward One Councilman, Riverdale Park</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> 5902 Cleveland Ave, Riverdale Park, Md 20737-1930</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> Home Office: 301 779 1745</FONT></div>
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