City Council Meeting, 8-1-2016
CITIZEN PARTICIPATION:
1. Tameka Washington, 12502 Scarlet Lane — Spoke against the proposed developments behind Marketplace and on the Jesuit property.
2. Fran Longwell, 12611 Safety Turn — Spoke against the proposed apartment complex behind Marketplace, it will increase the numbers of crimes in the City.
3. Albert Succi, 12209 Malin Lane — Spoke against the proposed apartment complex behind Marketplace; concerned with increased traffic and overcrowding of the schools.
4. Larry Swank, 12506 Scarlet Lane — Spoke against the development of the apartment complex behind Marketplace, would like Council to consider a smaller number of units for the building.
I am Larry Swank, a 40-year resident on Scarlet Lane, which is on the southwest boarder of Bowie Main Street.
I need to bring to the attention of my elected representatives two actions that I think the City Council must address regarding development activities at the Marketplace center. I will be brief.
Item 1 - On background, the 2006 Bowie and Vicinity Master Plan envisions a mixed-use activity center that includes the Marketplace. The plan paints an attractive picture of active commercial and residential components. It directs (policy) that development of Bowie Main Street does not adversely impact the character of existing residential neighborhoods.” A key strategy of the plan is to “consider a transition in building density and intensity from more intense uses located at the core of Bowie Main Street along MD 450 to less intense uses along the edge adjacent to residential neighborhoods.
WE HAD 10 YEARS TO GET IT RIGHT - WE GOT IT WRONG - AND WE ARE ABOUT TO MAKE IT WORSE
You only have one or two chances in a century to impact real development change. We have lost out on the appealing Bowie Main Street vision of an upscale destination with “unique character and sense of place.” In my opinion, we now have just another suburban strip mall.
I believe this misfortune was the result of not telling the developer what the city expected and not involving the community early in the project. The city has been playing “bring me a rock” with the developer on the residential component. Given the fact that that we do not have much space left for an apartment development at the market place, and the location is next to an established neighborhood, we must now require a very low density construction plan from the developer to be in compliance with the stated goals and policies of the master plan.
The developer has elected to ignore key components of the plan in development of the commercial component of the Marketplace. The developer agreed with the city to “… redevelop the Marketplace in accordance with particular concepts contained in the 2006 Bowie and Vicinity Master Plan.”
I am requesting that the City Council, with citizen input, develop more detailed parameters for the residential component, establishing upper limits on the number of units, building height, and design components (such as balconies on units overlooking the adjacent single family residences).
Item 2. The city has allowed the construction of a public safety hazard in the Bowie Main Street area at the intersection of MD 450 and Superior Lane. The new Marketplace pedestrian walkways along MD 450 and Superior Land just dump people onto the Shell gas station property with no sidewalk or signal-controlled safe crossing across MD 450 or Superior Lane. The Master Plan calls for providing street crossings marked by special materials, count-down crossing lights. Curb bump-outs, or other “safe crossing” measures at intersections.
Recommend the City Council direct the City Manager to correct this real-and-present danger as soon as possible. Please do not accept a response that it is “in the works” Ask why it was not planned go with the installation of the Marketplace sidewalks.