Standing-room only: 300 in the hall...

And another 100

outside

Olesker

Owens

McPherson interviews

Parkies outside

Spevak: on the job

three weeks

Tufaro: BBC never responded to our

three offers

All Photos:

D.P. Munro

Roland Park Special Meeting a Roaring Success

July 1, 2008

11:30 p.m.

Called at short notice by the Roland Park Civic League, and a small army of volunteers, to discuss the recently announced intended sale of Baltimore Country Club land to the Keswick Multi-Care Center, the special neighborhood meeting well exceeded organizers’ expectations. Having marched from the Roland Park library to St. David’s church, three hundred concerned Roland Parkers crammed into the church’s meeting hall. Another hundred stood outside and listened to speakers whose cords snaked out through the windows. The media were well represented with print and TV reporters Michael Olesker (Examiner), Terry Owens (WMAR) and Kelly McPherson (WJZ) all in attendance, among others.

Announcing that many residents’ feelings were frankly “hurt” by the Keswick/BCC fait accompli, RP Civic League President Philip J. Spevak — on the job only three weeks — pointed out that it was not until June 11 that he and other league officers were notified of developments by BCC and Keswick. Multiple RP requests — June 11, 12, 16, 18 and 19 — for plans and other information had been ignored, he said. Spevak explained that the BCC/Keswick arrangement is far beyond the mere talking stage: there is in fact a signed contract for the land, with closure dependent on only two things:

• A two supermajority vote of the BBC’s membership (two thirds of those present or proxied at a scheduled July 15 meeting, with a quorum requirement of 500).
• City approval of a change in the land’s zoning from its current low-density R-1 zoning, this to occur in the autumn.

Despite this, said Spevak, the Civic League has established a land-use committee to examine the issue. He then called upon this committee’s chairman, David F. Tufaro, to address the meeting.

Tufaro, a developer and former Civic League president, stated emphatically that Roland Park had in the past demonstrated its willing ness to “put its money where its mouth is” by offering to buy the land — not once, not twice, but three times. Tufaro said that in 1999, 2001 and 2003 Roland Park had made offers, each time at over $4 million. Each time, area elected officials had expressed support. David Tufaro’s full report may be read here, but the summary is:

1999 Proposal

• $4.25 million with a deposit of $200,000. (This is $5.53 million in inflation-adjusted 2008 dollars.)

2001 Proposal

• $4.20 million with a deposit of $100,000 ($5.14 million in today’s dollars).

2003 Proposal

• $4.20 million with a deposit of $100,000 ($4.94 million in today’s dollars).

(The entire BCC lot — all 30 acres, not just the 17 proposed for sale to Keswick — was in January 2007 appraised by the state at $1.99 million (http://dat.state.md.us).)

Despite numerous follow-up letters from the RP Community Foundation, said Tufaro, the club never responded to any of the offers.

League President Spevak then invited the various public officials present to speak. State Delegate Samuel I. Rosenberg (D-Dist. 41) described the tract as “sacred ground” and pledged to work with the community to preserve it. The sentiment was echoed by state Senator Lisa A. Gladden (D-Dist. 41), who suggested that it might be possible to get state Program Open Space funds to help with a Roland Park purchase of the land.

A considerably more non-committal Sharon Green Middleton, city council member for the 6th district (into which falls Roland Park), said that she was at the meeting to “gather the facts” and that the zoning matter was “a decision that I will have to make.” She expressed no clear support for or opposition to the Keswick development.

Finally, David Tanner, executive director of the city Board of Municipal and Zoning Appeals, stated that the permitted land use would have to be changed from its current R-1 zoning to the far-higher-density R-5. “You need to do your homework” if you are opposed, he said, “But you’re headed in the right direction.”

Responding to an earlier point made by Spevak, BCC representative Timothy D.A. Chriss said that no development plans could be made available to Roland Park until after the BCC’s July 14 vote (the date apparently moved from the 15th). He went on to add that it would have been better if the Civic League had waited to hold this meeting until after the BCC vote, a suggestion received with some incredulity by the assembled crowd. After the vote, he said, BCC would share the plans with the community. (RolandPark.org heard mutterings from the audience about shutting the barn door after the horse’s having bolted.)

Keswick CEO Libby Bowman said Keswick intended to be a good neighbor but declined to be drawn when asked if the large and oppositional turnout at the meeting had swayed her views.

Thirty or forty residents stood in line for up to an hour to ask various questions, the breakdown being one in favor of the development and the rest opposed, some emphatically so.

D.P. Munro

Web-site Editor

RolandPark.org

rpcommunication@rolandpark.org

This says it all

Rosenberg: "sacred ground"

Gladden: possibility of Program Open Space funds

Middleton: "a decision that I will have to make"

Chriss: RP should have held meeting after BCC vote

Bowman: Keswick wants to be a good neighbor

Click on photo for larger image.