In case you missed it, in last Wednesday's Aegis there was a notice of a community input meeting concerning Constant Friendship Lot 3. Although they had a county url in there to get more information, I couldn't find anything on the county Web site so I e-mailed them. I got a call from someone from the county, and she said they hadn't been yet notified about the meeting. I told her I was concerned about the increasing traffic and she said, "You know, all that was decided in 1987."
Today I received an e-mail response from Frederick Ward Associates, who sent me a PDF of the development. While I thought it might be another building behind Target because of the location, I was shocked at what I saw. It's not one building, but FOUR, with a huge parking lot. It is equally as big as the Target site, and it will use the same access road, on Arundel Court (the back entrance to Wal-Mart, first entrance to Target)
Once we figure out how to post the PDF, we will.
The meeting is set for 6 p.m. June 5 at the Ramada Conference Center in Edgewood. If you'd like more information, contact Kevin Small at ksmall@fredward.com or 410.838.7900.
While I understand that we need businesses -- don't we also need a way to get in and out of them safely? And how long must we hear everything was decided on 20 years ago?
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8 comments:
The Route 24 corridor was designated as the "heavy development" corridor back in the early 80's. Constant Friendship was designed to be what it is - an area of lots of houses with lots of shopping. I'm not sure why this is a "troubling development." It is what it is.
The problem is, as we've stated previously, not with the development, but how the development is thrown in without consideration to traffic issues. If Abingdon was incorporated, we'd be reaping large business taxes and have the benefits of controlling the roads. The county doesn't care what happens, or else it would not continually refuse to at least look at the traffic situation and at least have a plan for the types of businesses allowed. Do we really need 2 storage facilities across the street from each other?
Anonymous, if you actually live nearby and/or shop in that area, it is a most disturbing development. (Or were you being sarcastic.) Heavy development is something we can live with and probably enjoy, at least a little. Having ONE WAY IN AND OUT OF A MODERATELY JAMMED PACKED COMMERCIAL AREA is just stupid. There, I said it, STUPID!!! It may be "what it is" but that doesn't make it right. And, it doesn't mean that something shouldn't be done. There are two more spots on the Lowes Parking Lot Shopping Center sign, for Pete's sake. And, the land by by BJ's, last seen as up for auction, is zoned for restaurant development.
All that leaves us very disturbed. Zoning an area for "heavy development" shouldn't be a substitute for responsible infrastructure planning and the need to sometimes re-evaluate studies performed 20 years prior.
I live in Abingdon. When you live in a congested area, that's what happens. Stupid happens - over and over. Development throughout this county is done without little or no regard to traffic areas. Drive anywhere in Bel Air and you'll see that. Consider the fact that every time you turn around, some small area is being turned into yet another shopping center. Or more houses are being squeezed in. The bottom line is that the politicos like the development. Most people like it because it keeps their taxes relatively low. For now anyway. Of COURSE the whole concept of the Constant Friendship shopping center is STUPID. However, I'm not being sarcastic when I state that when you opt to live in a crowded area, this is what happens. I only wish we got something decent in return for the crowding. But then, the fact that I'm probably in the minority when I say I'm sick of chains and big box stores says more about me than anything else. Anyway, with luck I"ll be out of this county and state soon. I find Harford County to be a soulless, mind-numbing place to live with the exception of the library and the farmers market and a few privately owned shops.
Soulless, I think the apathy is what is hurting our community. And what a lot of posters don't realize is that Abingdon does not get the benefit of the taxes because we are not incorporated. I love development, I have lived here 20 years, but unbridled growth is not good for anyone. And for the people who are constantly complaining about moving, how fast can you go?
I have a question - what is happening to the intersection of 924 and Box Hill South?
I also have some other comments. We moved here from a relatively "dead" community in Baltimore County. When my kids were little, there were playgrounds within a 10 minute drive. When we moved from there, the playgrounds were demolished because the county couldn't keep up with the constant vandalism. There were no Targets and the only WalMart was crowded on a daily basis as the Abingdon WalMart is now on a Saturday or Sunday. The only decent restaurants were 20 minutes either way in Owings Mills or Ellicott City. There was no new library or new sparkling YMCA. Growth is a good thing. The roads just need to keep up.
Amen, that's the point, no one is protesting growth, just the planning involved. I am in Target almost daily, yes it's an addiction.
Actually, I do not think the shopping area is stupid. I think having a shopping area with one two-lane road serving as entrance and egress is extremely stupid. And, I also think that it's just plain laziness that the "politicos" choose to go with a traffic study that is, at this point, ancient. The gist of the original "Troubling" post was not geared toward Abingdon in general, but rather to the current state Constant Friendship Boulevard and how adding additional traffic will further increase the burden.
I would hardly consider Harford County mind-numbing. It is what you make it. I actually like it here. I don't have any warm, fuzzy feelings about the bombardment of chain stores, I can't wrap myself around the current state of Constant Friendship Boulevard and I think there was very poor planning of the infrastructure in this area. But, I opt to live here because it's not really that easy to just pick up and go when you own a home and have young children in school. And, we have wonderful friends in this area.
When we moved here, it wasn't what I would consider a crowded area. When it comes down to it, crowded really isn't the issue. And, I do understand about business tax revenue and all that mind-numbing stuff. Personally, I'm all for convenience, I'd just like to get in and out of Target and Chik-Fil-A in less than an hour. Good luck to you, anonymous.
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