City Council Meeting 1-3-17
I am Larry Swank, a 40-year resident of Scarlet Lane and back-fence neighbor with the Marketplace
I talked with you on the night the Council received the 1st Berman Enterprises presentation on the Marketplace development effort. I mentioned:
(1) citizen expressions of astonishment at the size and density of the proposed apartment complex,
(2) the fact that the apartment complex would increase residential units in the S-Section by over a third with no road improvements possible for our overcrowded streets, and
(3) the fact that this project will impact more than the skyline of your neighborhood, it will change forever the low-density makeup of Levitt Bowie north of Rt. 50.
The Bowie citizens I talked with presumed a residential component at the Marketplace. However, they foresaw one with townhouses or condominiums in keeping with the prevailing character the neighborhood.
The Burman presentation tonight is much like that first presentation to the Council. They want to maximize the number of residential units with no concern for: dumping more traffic on our overcrowded streets; departing from the Bowie Master Plan (Bowie Main Street); or, meeting a written agreement with the city that the Marketplace development would not adversely impact the character of existing neighborhoods.
It has been stated that a large residential component at the Marketplace is critical to attracting business tenants and filling the commercial space at the center. The fear is that the Marketplace cannot reach its full potential, including tax revenue to the city, without this huge residential component.
In fact, the Marketplace is already located in the center of 23,400 potential customers, age 19-75. They live in the 8545 residences stretching from Rt. 50 to Rustic Hill Drive, along and east of Rt. 197. The 600 or so tenants the developer plans to add on the Marketplace site would increase his potential customer base by a mere 2.56% (two and a half %). This small increase in potential customers would hardly be the determining factor in attracting new business tenants. However, adding an over-sized apartment complex would surly anger most of the 23,400 impacted citizens who are the true target customer base.
I recommend, of course, that the Council support the citizens of Bowie, the Planning Department, and the Public Works Department in rejecting the proposals before you this evening.
However, I could envision a right-sized residential component of the Marketplace: a plan in line with low density construction called for in our Master Plans; one that matched the character of existing neighborhoods; and, one that would keep additional traffic to an absolute minimum. The developer should be given an upper limit of units that is in keeping with Planning Department guidelines. Citizens should be given the opportunity to comment on all future residential component plans.
Thank you for time and your service to the citizens of Bowie