Committee Opposes Plans for Homes on North Patuxent
The Odenton Town Center Plan Oversight Committee voted against recommending plans for 51 new homes on North Patuxent Road and Becknel Avenue. County planners will have the final say.
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The committee charged with reviewing development projects in the Odenton Town Center has cast a blow to plans for 51 homes at the corner of North Patuxent Road and Becknel Avenue.
The Odenton Town Center Plan Oversight Committee on Tuesday voted 4-2 to against the concept plan by Elm Street Development, instead recommending that the density of the project be reduced by at least a third.
With the vote, the committee essentially sided with neighbors and local historic preservationists, who said the plan was not in keeping with the character of the area, located just to the east of the Odenton MARC station.
Plans call for 48 townhomes and three single-family homes, with some live-work units included. Other single-family homes on North Patuxent, including the historic Padgett House, would remain in place.
The final say in approval of the project lies in the hands of the Anne Arundel County Office of Planning and Zoning, which has already crafted letters indicating support of the 51-home proposal.
An official from the development team said reducing the number of homes by that amount would not be economically feasible.
“We’re going to continue to work with the county,” said Stephen Horne, a vice president with Elm Street. “The density and concentration of the town center drives the land value, and in order for there to be enough housing to manage the population boom, we’ve got to have that kind of density.”
Developers have been seeking approval for new homes on North Patuxent for more than a year. Earlier proposals called for as many as 90 homes. The proposal on Tuesday called for the fewest homes of any previous plan and featured only single family homes along the streetfront, but committee members were still not swayed.
Specifically, members said they believed that the number of townhomes would counter guidelines in the Odenton Town Center Master Plan for development to follow the character of the town’s historic district. Many neighbors also opposed the plan.
“The project doesn’t fit with the neighborhood,” said Jim Matthews, whose house would be located in front of the townhomes. “It should be single-family homes. I know that may not be as cost-effective, but it’s the only appropriate way.”
Earlier in the evening, the committee heard from members of the Odenton Heritage Society, who said townhomes would not be in keeping with the neighborhood.
Supporters of the plan countered that major provisions in the master plan encouraged higher density, and that the rules for the historic district only addressed issues relating to architecture.
"I think it was the wrong decision," committee chairman Jamie Fraser said. "The [lower] density we voted for is not in the best interest ... my side of it is that there should be higher density near the train station and the town center in general."
Meanwhile last night, residents along North Patuxent Road submitted a petition stating that they were not properly informed of zoning changes that allowed for more dense residential development. Mike Fox, a county planner, said such zoning changes were approved in 2004, when the Odenton Town Center Master Plan was being crafted.
Brian
8:03 am on Wednesday, August 1, 2012
"...economically feasible." Translation is wont make us enough money. Greed, it can be a terrible thing.
McGibblets
12:30 pm on Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Brian:
Just out of curiousity when was the last time you asked for a pay cut or told your employer you were less greedy and didnt want or need as much money as they were paying you. If you're not employed and this doesnt apply, by all means disregard.
Brian
1:41 pm on Friday, August 3, 2012
@McG
It was about 3 years ago when they were going to lay off people. I asked for a pay cut if it would help keep the jobs of those who were going to get laid off.
I am sure it isnt what you wanted to hear.
McGibblets
2:05 pm on Friday, August 3, 2012
Are you sure? Im curious as to what makes you so sure what I want to hear... I was asking a question, I simply wanted an answer....
So you're desire to keep others employed drove you to ask for less money, is that correct?
Brian
2:18 pm on Friday, August 3, 2012
Is that what you really what to know or is there a hidden agenda to your line of questioning?
McGibblets
2:20 pm on Friday, August 3, 2012
Is that a yes or a no?
Brian
2:23 pm on Friday, August 3, 2012
Its no, I am not sure what you want to hear.
Do you have a hidden agenda to your questioning?
McGibblets
2:27 pm on Friday, August 3, 2012
Why all the discussion about 'agenda' this is a comment section, I asked a question pertaining to a comment you made.
You said: "3 years ago when they were going to lay off people. I asked for a pay cut if it would help keep the jobs of those who were going to get laid off."
Which can be likely interpreted to a "yes" your desire to keep others employed drove you to ask for less money... but you now contradict that. If that was not your intent on asking for less money, what was?
As far as what I want to hear, now that its been brought up twice by you, is nothing but honest answers. Honest, legitimate discussion, that is what I'm aiming for... not agenda/wanna hear dialogue.
Brian
2:40 pm on Friday, August 3, 2012
Then to answer your question...my intention was to let ownership know that I would rather take a pay cut than to see the 15 or so people lose their job.
tracy
8:25 am on Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Sure wish a committee had opposed the plans for the Nevamar parcel. Bonadventure was never informed of what they planned to do in our backyard until it was finalized.
Theresa
9:11 am on Wednesday, August 1, 2012
It's horrible what they are doing to Odenton. I've lived here 40 years and can't bear to see it turn to concrete :(
McGibblets
12:31 pm on Wednesday, August 1, 2012
The changes I've witnessed in the area in the past three years alone have prompted me to start looking elsewhere.... somewhere less MD-ish.
Chris W
10:43 pm on Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Don't let the door it you on.....
Well, you get the idea.
Gerri Cappuccio
9:12 am on Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Odenton is turning into a ghetto with the building of so many homes. What about the schools? What about the infrastructure? Traffic is becoming awful and Odenton will probably get more homes. Odenton will be nothing but a housing development. It will remain a nothing town.
Edward Charles
10:04 am on Wednesday, August 1, 2012
There is a major disconnect between the committee's action last night and the legal requirements in the Odenton master plan. The committee voted to re-write law which they have no authority to do. The attorney on the committee and the chairman were in the minority in opposing the "Let's play Solomon" motion.
Diane in Odenton
11:21 am on Wednesday, August 1, 2012
" . . . not in keeping with the character of the area . . ." Yeah, the townhouses they put up on 175 in front of the Bonaventure community were not in keeping with the character of the area either, but they shoved them in there anyway. :(
Cecilia Pfau
11:34 am on Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Greed, greed, greed, greed, .........sad, sad, sad sad! People, don't forget the folks who are allowing all of this to happen in Odenton. Don't vote for them ever again, don't trust them or listen to their BS. Where is all of the money going that the State got from the lottery? Schools.......no, fire dept.....no.......,police dept.......,no, roads.......no. People who probably don't even live in or near Odenton are taking a diamond and turning it into coal. How can it be stopped?
McGibblets
12:33 pm on Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Cecilia:
Just out of curiousity when was the last time you asked for a pay cut or told your employer you were less greedy and didnt want or need as much money as they were paying you. If you're not employed and this doesnt apply, by all means disregard.
CM
12:09 pm on Wednesday, August 1, 2012
The Odenton Town Center Masterplan has been on the books for more than a decade and is the guidance document for 10000 new residences. Even a bad plan is better than no plan at all. Wonderful BRAC is responsibile for housing demand. BRAC doesn't mean better jobs for locals it means people moving to town looking for a place to live. Most the most part Howard County has absorbed the initial crunch because they weren't hamstrung by poor infrastructure and school problems like dear Anne Arundel. At the meeting last night SHA indicated that Jessup/FT Meade corridor is the first priority for roadwork. Rt170/RT175 intersection is not even in there plans. If its not in their plans now it will be a decade before anywork is done at that intersection.
Local governments love new housing. With each settlement on a residential unit comes a years worth of property taxes( taxes that are not allocated by budget) that our dear executive can spend on whatever project or community he favors.
JFB
10:28 pm on Friday, August 24, 2012
In some respects I must disagree with your "bad plan is better than no plan at all". If you have a bad plan, you can work to make it better... if you have a bad plan and you move forward with a bad plan the results will ALWAYS be bad.
Dann Karlson
12:24 pm on Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Good for the committee! Of all the projects planned for or underway in Odenton this ranks up there as the worst of them. It's clear these developers do not have any appreciation for the character of the neighborhood. In fact, the last thing Odenton needs right now is more high-density housing given the glut of apartments now available (and not renting well) in Odenton Town Center and at the nearly-vacant Ryan townhome lot across the street behind the old Bethel cemetary. The huge Flats170 project coming to the former Nevamar site is going to just add to the problem. What Odenton needs are more viable businesses and other amenities to attract residents...not just more housing.
Edward Charles
2:27 pm on Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Land in the heart of the town center and especially along the train tracks should be developed into the highest density allowed by zoning law. The decision violates the intent of the master plan.
JFB
10:31 pm on Friday, August 24, 2012
Agree with high density, disagree with the layout of the plan. The decision was a good one.
CM
7:05 pm on Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Aside from the fact that neighbors of the project don't want townhouses the plan itself got voted down by the Committee 4 -2 the way it should have. The developer claims to be a good guy who is developing at half the allowed rate, but the reality is that a significant portion of the property is a BGE easement which is slated to be a road and its no good to him anyway. Crossing the railroad tracks in that area will require a bridge.
Edward Charles
9:31 am on Thursday, August 2, 2012
About that bridge: The State's engineer and the County's Transportation director stated earlier in the meeting that there is no funding available for the road or the bridge into the foreseeable future. The guesses offered ranged from the year 2025 to "not in my lifetime". The western bridge landing is on Fort property. Don't count on crossing that bridge anytime soon.
CM
7:53 pm on Thursday, August 2, 2012
The point is that because the land is slated for a roadway in the Odenton Town Center Plan nothing can be constructed there. The developer is building on every square inch of the property that can be developed contrary to what he was attempting to sell at the meeting.
Edward Charles
9:59 am on Friday, August 3, 2012
Went to the library and looked this up. The road/bridge is not in the County's capital projects program.
It's a land taking for zero dollars by the County. At least they get something for nothing out of this.
tracy
8:17 am on Friday, August 3, 2012
170 Flats are HUD funded, after the first developer dropped out for lack of funding. Luxury apartments? I am sure there will be many changes to the original plans that were in the library.
Robert
10:09 am on Friday, August 3, 2012
Could the Patch post a map or drawing of this development? I can't visualize where these homes would be. . . .
joni mcduffie
12:56 pm on Friday, August 3, 2012
i don't know who you are, edward, but i get the feeling you DON"T live in historic odenton or appreciate our town's heritage. this is one tiny area we are hoping will escape the developer;s ax
Edward Charles
4:16 pm on Friday, August 3, 2012
Hi Joni,
I live nearby and to want to know what is going on. I'm not fortunate enough to live in a historic home within the historic district but that doesn't change the fact that there is no funding at the County, State, or Federal level for roads or bridges in this part of Odenton.
We can complain about the traffic but the State says it's not going to change for the better for 20 or 30 years. We can complain about the zoning changes made in 2003 or 2004 but that won't get us anywhere either.
Edward Charles
4:21 pm on Friday, August 3, 2012
Joni,
I do appreciate Odenton's heritage but feel it is not being publicized or celebrated strongly enough to make people aware.
Ed
Tim Lemke
1:24 pm on Friday, August 3, 2012
Robert - I am working to get a map. But if you stand at the corner of Becknel and North Patuxent and look south, you'll see some single-family homes on your right side. Some are historic (the Padgett House, Journeay House) and will remain in place. The developer wants to add three single family homes along that stretch. Then about 100 feet behind those homes, in the wooded area bordering the MARC station, would be the townhouses. The entrance to the development would be off an extension of Becknel. It's about an 8-acre parcel.
Robert
4:39 pm on Friday, August 3, 2012
Tim, thanks for the response.
John
5:11 pm on Friday, August 3, 2012
Sound like time for a moratorium on new housing. My parents live in such an area in MD and it's like heaven. The vampire squid developers were sent packing after the local area almost reached saturation.