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Heather Blanchard wrote:<br>
{I can't help but think that the end goal would be to restore the Rte.
1
corridor into a walkable community, similar to the approach
Hyattsville's downtown. There would be mixed use, incorporation of
community needs and consistent a<span class="Apple-style-span"
style="font-family: '-webkit-sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">esthetics</span>.}<br>
What a quaint little thought. Walkable, mixed use, consistent
aesthetics-these have been the fantasy thoughts of the good people of
Riverdale Park. Too bad they are not the dominant thoughts of the
pragmatists, developers and and power brokers in this town and county
who see gold in this strip of the nations oldest highways. We were
told, the corner was too valuable to allow old buildings and a landmark
mural to stand in the way of building a brand new franchise
business-Exhart Drugs. They (Exhart) were the only ones willing and
capable to pay the absentee owners who wanted more for their properties
than any small businesses could afford. The deal had to include several
other (old) buildings that might be considered (aesthetically
consistent). Money talks and the demolition of all but one of the
buildings was done surprisingly quick. Then came the never ending
struggle between big bucks business, power giddy governments, and the
good people of Riverdale Park. Financial problems knocked out Exhart
and led to "The Field of Rubble" The financial value of this large
buildingless property can only be developed by deep pockets with
political pull. The good people of Riverdale and historic
conservationists posed problems for the deep pockets. Walkable, mixed
use, and consistent aesthetics are not conducive to financial sharpies
who seem to put maximum profit over citizen,s desires. This is not
unusual and I do not mean to imply that all the investors and
developers are mean spirited, cold hearted crooks. They are practical
business people who usually feel they are doing good. <br>
My fantasy (suggestion) is to break up the property into separate lots
(originally the there were four separate lots). Then limited purchases
to small entrepreneurs. Assist these purchasers in financing the
building of small one or two story structures whose facade would be
aesthetically consistent with our late nineteenth-early twentieth
century style. Save and restore the one remaining building in the
original land purchase. It has some fine lines and good brick work. I
know the old argument that its an eye sore and not worth saving. They
use that to eliminate historic buildings and replace them with Rite Aid
cookeycutter brickwork. <br>
Finally, I think the town owes a reward to the owner of the Calvert
House who is the only one who has invested in a trellis in front of his
business. I said "invested" because it cost him plenty to make the
area aesthetically inviting and maybe even a little 'walkable'. We
need more business men of this nature. <br>
That's my rant. Once that fantasy is complete, we can turn our
attention to the other side of the street.<br>
Gerald King<br>
<br>
<br>
Heather Blanchard wrote:
<blockquote cite="midD4C80834-E68C-40A5-B8C4-00BB802A0AEC@mac.com"
type="cite">Appreciate all the kind words. I agree with both of you as
well, why would businesses want to develop in Riverdale Park when we
make it extremely difficult to build? But I would put forth that we
make it difficult because we don't know what we want, or, maybe, the
better thought here is that we aren't attracting the right development
to our town.
<div><br>
</div>
<div>I can't help but think that the end goal would be to restore the
Rte. 1 corridor into a walkable community, similar to the approach
Hyattsville's downtown. There would be mixed use, incorporation of
community needs and consistent a<span class="Apple-style-span"
style="font-family: '-webkit-sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">esthetics</span>.
I don't think a drive through bank really is a place where I want to
walk a dog, ect. </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>I agree we have to give to get. I guess my point is that in the
"getting" we should be a little bit more specific. I bet if the
development was a small Trader Joes, set back from the street with a
commitment to work within the historical a<span class="Apple-style-span"
style="font-family: '-webkit-sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">esthetics</span><span
class="Apple-style-span"
style="font-family: -webkit-sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px;">, </span>I
don't think the town would that developer such a hard time. </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>If you like Riverdale Park to be drive thru banks, McDonalds and
other "pad site" development in the middle of a historic district, then
the current direction is appropriate. </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>But if you want something like what is happening down the street
in Hyattsville - like a new bike store, a planned Bus Boys and Poets,
and a Franklins type of restaurant, then maybe you might reconsider how
we are accepting whatever comes along. </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>We need businesses. We just need to think about how allowing
this type of development will change the character of the community. </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Heather</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>On Jul 16, 2008, at 6:39 AM, <a
href="mailto:bruce.wernek@mindspring.com">bruce.wernek@mindspring.com</a>
wrote:</div>
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline">
<blockquote type="cite">
<div>I would also like to add that the litany of requirements
imposed upon Caputo by the Town/tenant has to be translated into
building permits, right of ways (sewer), road improvements at the Rt 1
intersection, architectural drawings, tenant leases, tenant rights of
refusals, build to suit tenant, build to suit Town, construction
contracts, endless legal fees, new churches being built (to replace the
one thats adjacent to the property, building maintenance on the
existing church (to be demolished), appeasement of town residents, etc,
etc, etc. <br>
<br>
Imagine owning a property which you want to develop but you can't
because of the previous reasons. At the same time it's eating a hole
in your pocket not to mention all of the complaints from Town
residents. If you want something to happen stop complaining and give
the guy a hand or we will have another "Jey's Auto" on our hands for
the reasons that Dwight articulated.<br>
<br>
Bruce<br>
<br>
<br>
-----Original Message-----<br>
<blockquote type="cite">From: Cranky old Coot <<a
href="mailto:lking@knob.com">lking@knob.com</a>><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">Sent: Jul 16, 2008 6:36 AM<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">To: TownTalk <<a
href="mailto:towntalk@riverdale-park.org">towntalk@riverdale-park.org</a>><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">Subject: Re: [RP TownTalk] Wachovia and the
Field of Rubble<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite"><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">As Alan said the history of the agreement
for what would be done with <br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">this peace of _private_ property at Rt
1/410 is long and filled with <br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">emotion. Players have come and gone some
have changed from one official <br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">position to an other.<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">
<blockquote type="cite"> ... why can't we -- as a community --
tell him what we want to see <br>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">
<blockquote type="cite">there? <br>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">And we wonder why development has been so
slow to come to Riverdale <br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">Park? If this were your house (not your
neighbor's house) would you <br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">feel the same? First, 'we as a community',
want to discuss whether your <br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">house will be historically correct;
anything from provincial to Federal <br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">to Victorian (before the mansion to after)
- what you can afford is not <br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">part of this discussion. Even after you
decide on a design that is <br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">historically correct let's discuss it.<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite"><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">Now that "we" have approved what "your"
house will be, let us discuss <br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">historically correct lead-base paint. Now
the color. Now when that is <br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">decided, lets go back and require "your"
house be multi-family - "we" <br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">don't care how reclusive you are. Oh and by
the way "we" think your <br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">front door should be on the other side.<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite"><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">"We" also have views on your landscaping,
where your driveway should be, <br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">the number of parking spaces.<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite"><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">Do you still want to build "your" house in
Riverdale? Or will you find <br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">it easer to build somewhere else? I'm
really sorry if you already own <br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">the property in town. Now that Riverdale
has tipped its hand it will be <br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">hard to find someone else to sell the
property to or build on it.<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">==<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">I'm sure I have overlooked something (Ok
the lead paint may be a <br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">stretch) but all these topics were part of
the council's discussion. In <br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">many cases a topic was addressed by both
M-C-TC and then again by the <br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">council. Time at council meetings was spent
discussing where the <br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">planters should be and what should be in
them; Council members spent <br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">time counting parking spaces and the pros
and cons of where the front <br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">door should be.<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite"><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">The council (I think, maybe it was M-U-TC)
required the bank building be <br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">a multi use building. How many thriller
books/movies do you know of <br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">where the basic story line involved
tunneling from an office/building <br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">into the neighboring bank? Just lately I
have seen a NCIS and Sherlock <br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">Holmes episodes with this plot element.
Logic not withstanding Riverdale <br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">may have the only suburban bank with a
building tent.<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">
<blockquote type="cite">Why are we letting developers just offer
up development that isn't <br>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">
<blockquote type="cite">right for the area? ESPECIALLY, since
that piece of property is one of <br>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">
<blockquote type="cite">the most valuable and visible that this
town has.<br>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">I question the view that the development
'isn't right for the area.' <br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">Established businesses don't survive,
spending money expanding into an <br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">area that 'isn't right'. Their criteria may
be different than your, but <br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">I will bet before they spend millions of
dollars they have spend lots of <br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">time, and money, making sure the location
is right.<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">
<blockquote type="cite"><br>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">
<blockquote type="cite">If there is any redress on this
development, it would be great to <br>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">
<blockquote type="cite">know. Maybe we need to rethink how a
development like this can get <br>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">
<blockquote type="cite">through the council with a,
"well...okay..."<br>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">A review of the council meetings would
indicate that is not what <br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">happened. But then if more people attended
council working and <br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">legislative sessions maybe ...<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">
<blockquote type="cite"><br>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">
<blockquote type="cite">Just think about Hyattsville - they stuck
to their guns and are <br>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">
<blockquote type="cite">experiencing PLANNED, gradual, steady and
hopefully sustainable <br>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">
<blockquote type="cite">development. There might be lesson's
learned from our sister <br>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">
<blockquote type="cite">communities as we go down the road of
development.<br>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">There may also be a lesson in that the
development STOPS at the <br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">Riverdale Park line. You can tell where
Riverdale starts. Just look for <br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">the defunk gas station.<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite"><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">The good news is there is an established
process, developed with lots of <br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">public input, for controlling the growth of
Riverdale Park.<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite"><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">The bad news is there is an established
process... I am a newcomer to <br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">Riverdale (~1995) and have seen more
businesses leave/close than open. <br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">There is Rt 1/410 - Right we now have McDs.
How about town center? Ask <br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">the Dunn's. On the up side there is the
Farmer's Market however.<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite"><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">COC<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite"><br>
</blockquote>
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