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Monday brought disappointment to a Towson community when the Baltimore County Council failed to pass a revision to a Planned Unit Development (PUD) that could have ended a project that stood to place a 12-pump, 24-hour gas station and convenience store on the corner of York Road and Bosley Avenue — amid a residential neighborhood, school and two churches.
The PUD, which was introduced by District Five Councilman David Marks, would have allowed for a zoning modification to the property not currently zoned for a gas station.
Marks later rescinded his support of the project, due to a lack of community support and the suspicious removal of protected trees from the property, introducing the PUD revision. Monday’s vote for the revision failed to pass. And a distraught community is ready for a legal battle, some say.
Leading up to Monday’s vote, the Post reported on the hefty campaign donations by the developer, Caves Valley, its partners and associated businesses, to the County Executive and all current council members: Did Caves Valley’s Campaign Contributions Pave Way for the Towson Gateway Project?
County Executive, Kevin Kamenetz, released a statement today, stating that he is seeking a compromise with the community.
There has been no response from the County Executive’s Office, nor Caves Valley Partners, on the optics concerning the $100,000-plus combined campaign contributions by the winning developer, its various LLCs, partners and associated businesses.
Press release from the County Executive’s office:
Towson, MD — Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz has persuaded the developer of the proposed Royal Farms gas station in downtown Towson to meet with the surrounding community to consider a change in the proposed project that would eliminate the gas station component of the development plan.
Developer Caves Valley Partners has a County Council-approved contract to redevelop the county-owned site at York Road and Bosley Avenue into a retail center that would include a Royal Farms convenience store with a 24 hour gas station. Despite multiple Council approvals of the project, there is still some community opposition to the gas station aspect of the proposal.
This past Monday, the County Council tabled a proposal to revoke the gas station plan. Nevertheless, in response to a request by Council Chair Tom Quirk, Kamenetz has met with the developers and they have agreed to reach out to the community to discuss a compromise. Caves Valley Partners has suggested that elimination of the gas station aspect of the project could result in a request to reduce the current purchase price of $8.3 million.
Any renegotiation of the purchase price would have to be approved by the County Council. Kamenetz has requested that Chairman Quirk assist in the mediation discussion between the developer and the community. County Executive Kamenetz has requested a deadline of thirty days to pursue the mediation.
