From Jeff Dinger of the Bel Air South Community Foundation:
We as citizens, expect to have some say, some choice, in what land is developed and how it is developed in our communities. These choices effect our lives, our quality of life, our enjoyment of our environment, and ultimately our pocketbook. When balanced develop practices are followed, the community benefits. When it is not, traffic congestion, crime, and lack of enjoyment (due to loss of open-spaces, parks, and fields to play sports on) quickly follow.
So what can we do?
1) On April 7th, County Executive David Craig will host a review (Phase II) of the Master Land Use Plan for Harford County. PLEASE ATTEND!! This is one of the few chances that we have citizens can offer a clear, concise voice about how we do love our homes, our county, we understand changes will occur and development can be managed to benefit us all positively but only if you attend.
Here is a link to the meeting which will be up at HCC, Chesapeake Hall: http://www.harfordcountymd.gov/PlanningZoning/index.cfm?ID=673
FOLLOW UP MEETING
April 7th
6:30 – 8:30 pm
Harford Community College Chesapeake Center Dining Room
We also encourage you to register on the website, as comments will re-open on April 8th, and will allow you to register/comment on the process further after the meeting.
For a review of the past meeting, go here: http://www.harfordcountymd.gov/PlanningZoning/Documents/259.pdf
2) If you live in the Bel Air zipcode, you may have heard about Wal-Mart considering the site bordered by 924/Plumtree/24. This is a real possibility. I along with a group of other concerned citizens have formed the Bel Air South Community Foundation, Inc.
Our mission is centered on the guiding principles of serving our local community. Our long-term focus is to help build a community where local residents and local businesses have a vested and mutual interest in each others well being and common goals to ensure an enjoyable and safe community for present and future generations.
Where is our focus (land): If you are an HOA board or a business owner, or resident and live near just North of Ring Factor Road down to Singer Road (south), from Rt 152 (West) over to Rt 543 (east) , this is our chief area of focus that has been under-represented and split apart by the Master Land Use Plan into different regions.
We have several HOA’s devoted to our cause and are underway with contacting each HOA within this region of Harford County and you can help by volunteering your time and effort to have your voice heard and help shape the future of Harford County. We will be at the Master Land Use Plan meeting and you are welcome to email us directly at BelAirSouthCommunityFoundation@gmail.com or by going to our FaceBook page (a website will be re-launched soon).
It is only with your assistance that we can help educate the County Council to the importance of keeping “B1/B2/B3” zoning out of Residential areas. This ENTIRE issue is a result of under-represetation and misunderstood consequences by not being involved in Zoning appeals. If we as citizens do not speak up individually and through organized, charitable, foundations, then we do not provide the “balancing voice” that can help keep aggressive development at bay and our community character intact.
where/what is Bel Air south? just exactly how big is Bel Air now? but as for the poor planning in developing the county i agree we the people need to speak up and voice your concerns.
To whit … the Christmas shopping /parking debacle last December when it took hours upon untold hours for shoppers to get out of the parking lot and onto 924!
a Walmart in that location will be the straw that breaks the camels back
924 is congested at several points throughout the day now. Imagine the congestion once the Walgreen’s opens AND if they build this new Walmart. You will need to leave a half-hour earlier just to make it anywhere on time. And then imagine the congestion when the buses from Patterson Mill (and the driving students) are added to the mix at 2:15!
HS Students driving…..they are the least of your worries. What about the senior citizens who haven’t had an eye exam in 10 yrs and have reflexes slower than a turtle on qualudes and still driving a boat of a Buick?
Note: A Sonic is to be built (CIM occurred back in Feb) next to/near the new WalGreens. This will be on the property (Walgreen’s/Lorien side), which is across from the 20 acres WalMart site on plumtree/924.
Go, Jeff!! Nothing like getting a good grass-roots movement going to help keep Harford County on the right track. When citizens are aware – developers beware!
I admire those who are taking a stand against this but I doubt if it will make any difference. It’s true the people vote but the developers and companies are the ones who make the big campaign contributions and the alleged under-the-table payoffs. From my involvement in the anti-development movement many years ago, I learned that most people have no idea about what’s going on in county government. They vote for the candidates who saturate the TV and radio with ads claiming they’re going to save our rural heritage, even though they’re the same ones voting for all the development.
I am skeptical that the Walmonster will be stopped. Last place that I lived failed to keep the fourth within a 10 mile radius from going up, despite community outrage. Crime and trafic in area increased dramatically, and traffic accidents became a daily occurance.
Where was that? It may be helpful to have documentation of increased crime and traffic accidents that are attributed to the building of a Wal-Mart
Save money, live better……………………right?
Right?
*crickets*
I think it’s probably too late already – Now in addition to the mess they’ve created on Bel Air Road, they want to do it again. I say name it Reisterstown Rd #2 (combined with Liberty Rd too). Glad I got out of there 15 years ago. I lived in Bel Air South before anything was there – no Kleins, Festival, DuClaws, Dunkin Donuts, Bob Evans or the Tollgate Rd extension all the way to I-95. Beautiful back then.
It is not too late, the permits have yet to be granted join us to help the fight.
http://www.facebook.com/belairsouth.communityfoundation
Say what you will about Edgewood or Joppatowne but I’m really glad I can drive in there and out and not have to make that part of my daily life. The traffic and congestion is a nightmare, and sorry to say isn’t going to get better. I’d say call it Arundel Mills Blvd II.
Sorry while we are on the subject can anyone confirm if we are getting a Bass Pro? Sorry heard some conversation on it and didn’t want to get my hopes up!
Oh boo hoo hoo. Patterson Mill area used to be farm fields – where were all these whiners when farms were sold and land was gobbled up by all the pretty houses. Now that the development envelope is one big congested mess forever and ever what’s one more Walmart. Instead of whining, be glad we wouldn’t have to drive down to that Constant Friendship nightmare shopping area – Now that is one mess, especially on Saturdays. I used to be one of those OMG no more development people – but since the pillaging began over 20 years ago – what’s one more business and more traffic.
The more houses that are allowed to be built, the more people you have. The more people you have, the more money there is to attract businesses. The more businesses you have, the more people there are who may want to live close to them. The more people you have, the more houses there are that will be built. The governor suggested something that I agree with, although I am no fan of his. Make it illegal to build a house in the state, or at least make it necessary for state approval for a house to be built. Take away the planning from the local governments. If you do this, it helps a lot with corruption. Who is there to speak for those who would rather live near farms? Who is there to speak for the poor cows? Cows arent that bad, even though they draw flies in summer. They dont complain, and they make great burgers.
Taking the Wal-Mart from the Constant Friendship nightmare would bring tremendous relief to that area. Does this possible development need to be studied and the public kept updated as it progresses? Sure. I hope that the newly formed Bel Air South Community Foundation is going forward with an open minded view of this development.
As far as the State making building decisions, please. How could anyone think giving Marty and his cronies anymore power would be a good thing?
I doubt they’re planning on closing the Abingdon Walmart when they build one on Plumtree.
I’m sure they can find some space to stuff another one in someplace around here. HdG, Edgewood, and Darlington don’t have their own Walmart’s yet.
I was amazed when I heard it as well, but apparently they can not do the expansion to the Abingdon building to make it a Super Wal-Mart (one with grocery) so they started looking for a large parcel to move to.
Just how many Walmarts can you have in a 10 sq mile area?
I have lived here my entire life and watched this county fall victim to development and an invasion of cookie-cutter families. You know the ones I mean – one kid who has to schedule a “play-date”, huge SUV for that one kid, big house with the yard smaller than my town house. If you are one of these people and posting to stop Walmart, you are a hypocrite. I you moved here in the past 10 yrs, you are the reason for all this.
So, Jeff, how does one participate in the Bel Air South Community Foundation or keep up with its work? Is there a web site?
There is a facebook site for the Foundation.
http://www.facebook.com/belairsouth.communityfoundation
to Join, open the above link and send an email
No!!!! to Walmart. We have a super Walmart on Bel Air Road in Fallston.
Why do we need another Walmart barely 5 minutes away? It will built in a residential neighborhood. Keep it where it is in an industrial, commerical setting at Constant Friendship.
no wallmart this is a bad idea