Thanks to a concerned citizen and friend, I have an answer to my traffic study question! She e-mailed the planning and zoning department and received this helpful answer below:
Thank you for your email regarding land use and traffic concerns along Constant Friendship Boulevard. Constant Friendship received approval for full build out prior to the establishment of Harford County’s Adequate Public Facilities (APF). However, a traffic study for the project was prepared by The RBA Group in June of 1987. All road improvements required in that traffic study are in place.
In addition, the Maryland Transportation Authority (MdTA) is planning improvements to the traffic patterns in that area by reconstructing the I-95/MD 24 interchange and reconstructing the intersection of MD 24/MD 924/Tollgate Road with a grade separated intersection. The improvements to the MD24/MD924 intersection should begin this year, hopefully as early as June. This project is proposed to alleviate the traffic issues at Constant Friendship Boulevard and Tollgate Road. The site, however, is physically constrained from providing an additional access into the development.
All of the lots along Constant Friendship Boulevard were approved as part of the original plan for the area. Under Harford County’s Subdivision Approval Procedure, all large-scale developments proposed for that area must be reviewed by the Development Advisory Committee (DAC). According to Section 5.03 (c) of the Harford County Subdivision Regulation, a notice is posted on the property at least 2 weeks prior to a DAC meeting with the date, time and location of the meeting and telephone number of the Department of Planning and Zoning. The regulations require that the notice be conspicuously placed on the property along the frontage near the right of way with a sign measuring 22-inches by 28-inches and with red lettering. I realize that it can be difficult to read the specifics of the sign as you drive by, so please do not hesitate to contact our Development Review Section to get more information about the project being proposed.
This would be funny if it wasn't so sad/discouraging. Think back to 1987. For those of us who didn't live here then, someone filled me in on what the neighborhood was like:
No Wal-Mart
No Constant Friendship townhomes, Dominion apartments
No Abingdon Elementary School (or neighboring townhouses)
Tollgate Road did not go through, stopped at Singer Road (no Monmouth Meadows)--in fact when this person bought her house, they said Tollgate would NEVER be a through-road.
Only development: Constant Branch
Also, were those signs for the new stores posted in 1987? I remember the sign for Lowe's, but never saw a sign for the pet store.
Feel free to add your comments below. And I guess the message from the county is this: there's nothing you can do, because it was all mapped out 21 years ago.
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3 comments:
Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell. - Edward Abbey
I've lived here since '79. The view from my Bel Air bedroom was an expanse of farmland, woods, a few churches and a school. Now its houses, houses, houses and a few shopping centers.
There was NOTHING at Constant Friendship including what you know of as Route 24. All that traffic was using what is now known as 924. Most of that area was a densely wooded "wilderness". When the shopping center with Weis was built we wondered WHO would shop there? If we had only known... But don't worry...I'm sure the great county of Harford is already planning for our better good in 2028!!
I think it is absolutely crazy to assume a plan developed in 1987 could possibly still be considered good in 2008. If we have to build new schools to accommodate the growing number of families in the area, and there are countless statistics recounting the growth in the county, then there is clearly more traffic on the road! Time to reassess.
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