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Readers Respond

A development fight worthy of The Sun's attention

Baltimore Sun
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Baltimore, Md. 2/6/16 Staff Photo by Brian Krista Increased traffic along Northern Parkway is one of the points of contention for local residents opposed to a new apartment complex, on land adjacent to Belvedere Towers on Northern Parkway on Saturday, Feb. 6.

Baltimore, Md. 2/6/16 Staff Photo by Brian Krista Increased traffic along Northern Parkway is one of the points of contention for local residents opposed to a new apartment complex, on land adjacent to Belvedere Towers on Northern Parkway on Saturday, Feb. 6. (Brian Krista / Baltimore Sun Media Group)

It's nice to see that The Baltimore Sun is taking an interest in development disputes with its editorial "The Royal Farms that won't die" (Aug. 9). Over the past few months, we in North Roland Park and surrounding neighborhoods have begged The Sun to highlight our fight to stop an 148-unit apartment development, the Overlook at Roland Park, near the intersection of Northern Parkway and Falls Road, right behind the Belvedere Apartment Building ("Controversial Overlook at Roland Park moves forward," Aug. 8).

Councilman Isaac Schleifer assisted the developer in getting a PUD to bypass regular zoning codes to build a far bigger building than would have been allowed under the new zoning codes that took effect on June 5. The building that the council approved will tower two stories above the Belvedere. As in the Baltimore County Council meeting, the vote to approve the new development at the Baltimore City Council meeting happened so fast that those of us in attendance had to be told that it was over,and we had lost. To add insult to injury, the Belvedere is being reconfigured so there will be up to 50 more apartments on the market.

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Traffic from almost 200 new housing units will pour out onto Northern Parkway and Falls Road. A traffic study was commissioned by the city which basically said that the intersection was a failed intersection and more traffic doesn't matter — once failed, it can't fail any further. The latest is that despite disapproval by the Department of Planning, an outdoor lighted sign on the Belvedere that is over four times (475 percent) the permitted amount established in the zoning code, has been approved in the past few days. Alterations to the building where this sign will be attached happened months ago. How did they know that the sign would be approved?

Nancy Cormeny, Baltimore

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