Almond: White Marsh Prospered, Owings Mills Did Not
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Council Chairwoman Vicki Almond Monday night said her amendments to a bill affecting the Metro Centre at Owings Mills and other nearby projects was meant to ensure the area prospered economically.
The amendments, which irritated Councilman Ken Oliver, protected the proposed redevelopment of the Owings Mills Mall and the Foundry Row project proposed for the Solo Cup property.
Oliver's bill, in it's original form, would have delayed or derailed those projects, Almond said.
Oliver accused Almond and Councilwoman Cathy Bevins of being unduly influenced by former County Executive Jim Smith and the Towson law firm Smith, Gildea and Schmidt, which represents Foundry Row developer Greenberg Gibbons.
Almond, in her statement after the vote, compared Owings Mills to the White Marsh area, which she said has prospered while Owings Mills has not.
Below is Almond's complete statement:
"On behalf of this council I would just like to say that transit oriented development legislation is groundbreaking for us. It's been very, very difficult to get a handle on it.
"In this TOD bill, there are 14 exemptions for Mr. Brown and nothing is going to hurt the Metro site and the TOD. There's been federal, state and county money and personal money put into this project. It will happen.
"The amendments were for the purpose of allowing future development around this TOD site and to make Owings Mills, which is partly mine and Councilman Oliver's the best that it can possibly be. This is our last chance to get it right.
"White Marsh went ahead and grew and prospered and Owings Mills did not. Now we have a chance to let that happen. I hope this council can come together to see that all these developments happen and prosper."
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Chuck Burton
10:22 am on Saturday, July 7, 2012
White Marsh began as a mostly blank page, and this allowed for largely coherent planning of its development. That is why it has been so successful. Reisterstown-Owings Mills is strung out as seperate independent mini-developments along several miles of Rt 140. The only coherent development in the area is the New Town - not really in the corridor. Red Run Blvd could have been a nexus of integration, but has become largely a string of offices with little else. The Mall has been a failure. Owings Mills Blvd has some possibilities in the area of Stevenson University, especially if it can be tied in with a cleaned up Rosewood property. This leaves Painters Mill Rd, where the metro Center and Foundry Row could work together with the S Dolfield business-commercial park to become something of a center or nexus for development around the metro station along with redevelopment of the Mall as a residential-office-park. It's about the last chance we have to put a "there" there in Owings Mills.
Trixie Leigh
3:59 pm on Saturday, July 7, 2012
Owings Mills did not prosper due to public transportation and those who use it. If White Marsh gets a metro or a Light Rail, then it will follow what Owings Mills has already done. Just watch!
FIFA_archived
4:15 pm on Saturday, July 7, 2012
Don't be afraid or shy. Just who uses public transportation Trixie?
kl
7:20 pm on Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Please no public transportation in White Marsh ! Bad enough when they load in on mta buses for games downtown, YUCK !
Steve
5:57 pm on Saturday, July 7, 2012
.........or get even better like Hunt Valley Town Center
Bart
6:46 pm on Saturday, July 7, 2012
Hunt Valley Town Center - now there's a hopping place! That has made such a turnaround; they're still building new stores.
We went there last weekend and it was great. A band was playing, there was dancing in the street, all the restaurants were packed, WITH wait times. And all WITH the light rail. Imagine that!
Steve
7:13 pm on Saturday, July 7, 2012
I was there at the same time. You couldn't get a parking spot anywhere near the movies. We had to park past Dick's.
Spring Heeled Jack
9:07 pm on Saturday, July 7, 2012
Bryan! You need to work on your written work. Its like reading a new law proposed by (Jack and denied by Jill but supported by Jacks brother which Jill also supports only because she supports Jack's dad). Being a jerk I know and I understand the story is confusing to define to us "laymens"; but break it down buddy. Still a fan of ya!
Spring Heeled Jack
9:08 pm on Saturday, July 7, 2012
Can someone give the non-baised 411 on this? Sounds very intriguing.