In The Sun article "Towson Manor Village Community Association raising questions over rezoning proposals" (Aug. 16) Rachel Pacella underscored the concerns of one of the lovely residential Towson neighborhoods that are threatened by higher-density, taller development at the edge of downtown Towson, directly across York Road from their community.
A letter from Elizabeth Miller in the Towson Times on Aug. 16 laid out the disappointment of the environmental community in the watered-down, weak zoning overlay for downtown Towson that the County Council adopted on August 1. She also stated the Green Towson Alliance's plan to continue to argue for greater environmental protections as development proceeds. The Green Towson Alliance (GTA) is a coalition of Towson-area environmental volunteers including community association presidents and board members, and leaders of local environmental groups.
The Green Towson Alliance strongly urges the Baltimore County Council and Councilman David Marks to incorporate the following recommendations on zoning at their meeting later this month.
First, regarding the map that will define the area to be included in the Downtown Towson Zoning Overlay:
The Towson Triangle (between York Road, Towsontown Boulevard and Bosley Avenue) should not be included in the map, as it should contain a significant amount of open space — a public park in the heart of Towson. The Towson Gateway property (at York and Bosley, near Kenilworth Drive) should be included in the map, as the design guidelines should apply to development there. The Goucher College property at Dulaney Valley Road and Southerly Road should be included in the map if and only if an agreement and covenants are made with the neighboring residential communities such that BM zoning upgrade is permitted; with BM zoning, the Goucher property must be included in the map to assure that quality design and environmental standards apply.
Second, regarding the Comprehensive Zoning Map Process (CZMP):
In the Towson Triangle, county-owned land should be designated as Neighborhood Commons. The American Legion property should not be upzoned, especially as the legion has not yet determined what they would like to do; it is unreasonable to foist upzoning on neighboring communities, especially in view of the extreme increase in high-rise development already approved and started nearby in downtown Towson. The property at 101 York should not be upzoned, in order to preserve a transitional area between the low-rise homes in the communities, Towson University, and the high-rises in the downtown area just to the north.
The Green Towson Alliance appealed to Mr. Marks to support these positions, and we ask the County Council and the County Executive to do so also. The neighborhoods of Towson deserve better protection by our elected officials, providing more open space and stronger application of contemporary environmental standards to protect our community's long-term vitality.
Dr. Carol Newill, Towson