Towson Associates LLC, the owners of 305 W. Chesapeake Ave., are asking for a zoning change that would allow the development of a dormitory for Towson University students.
Councilman David Marks said he will vote against the plan, and he expects other council members will follow his lead.
305 W. Chesapeake
“I have consistently opposed more intense zoning west of Bosley Avenue, the traditional boundary of Downtown Towson. I would certainly oppose a dormitory here. The petitioners, who never contacted me, must not have read the difficulty that occurred when a developer proposed a dormitory in the Towson Triangle, an area closer to the downtown core and recommended by the Master Plan for such uses,” Marks said in an email. “In 2012, our office downzoned the Southland Hills mini-park and the ‘green ravine’ to prevent future development. This year, our office has initiated a downzoning of the Towson Y property, the Greenwood site, land along Charles Street, and other areas that deserve protection in western Towson.”
Towson Associates did not return a call for comment. The re-zoning proposal will be discussed at a Planning Board hearing at 6 PM on March 22 at Perry Hall High School.
As the resident next door to 305 W Chesapeake Ave I am appalled at the proposal of a dorm. I can assure you that a dorm is the last thing we would like to see occupy this office building. It most surely will negatively impact our property values and the quiet family atmosphere we have come to love here in Southland Hills neighborhood. I live at 307 W Chesapeake Ave, the neighbors to the west of me and behind me on Florida Ave are all home owners and not apartments. The evenings and weekends here are peaceful when the offices are closed. We can play with our children in the yard, or take a walk because the streets are quiet in the evenings. Bringing dorms into our neighborhood will bring late night traffic along with parties and other typical college life noise and disruption. This will negatively impact our neighborhood. Please reconsider and find a more suitable location for college students.
I agree that a dormitory next to residential communities is not a good idea when the quality of life for the current residents is considered. By the same token, I do question why the 101 York Project was put through as a PUD when none of the adjacent communities have identified any community benefit.
In rebuttal to the justifications listed above:
A college dormitory does not keep with the character of the Southland Hills community. We are a residential family oriented community.
All of the residences abutting 305 W Chesapeake Ave along Florida Road, Colonial Court, and Bosley Avenue are individual homes.
This is not shown in the aerial photograph that has been cropped to Towson Associates, LLC’s advantage.
There are very few properties that have been rezoned for apartments in the neighborhood.
The offices in the homes on Chesapeake Ave across from 305 W Chesapeake Ave operate on business hours which are usually Mon thru Fri from 9 to 5.
Student housing would be a 24/7 operation. It would adversely affect Southland Hills by adding to traffic congestion, noise pollution, and increased foot traffic through our community. This, in turn, would lead to decreased property values.
This large office building, known as 305 W Chesapeake Ave, has been an eye-sore to the Southland Hills community and Towson since the mid 50’s when the site was sold by a politically connected family who had zoning fast-tracked and construction started before the community was aware of what was happening.
The current office building is bad. A college dorm is unacceptable.
we can not open our curtains because of the eye sore next to us.
I have reported that fence to code violations more than once. They just received another citation this week for fence repairs to the rear of the parking lot. Unfortunately, zoning can only require repairs. They cannot make them construct a new fence.
This is a very bad idea!
Student dorms do not belong in Southland Hills. We are a quiet residential community that has been subjected to more than enough infringement with the never-ending expansion of Towson University.
Towson Associates, LLC does not maintain the property now. The required fence on the perimeter of the parking area is in a continual state of disrepair encouraging foot traffic through private property on Colonial Court. What will happen if the building and grounds are rezoned from office to student housing?
Thank you Councilman Marks, for your concern.
This clearly is an intrusion and would affect the laid-back, quiet character of the residential neighborhood west of Bosley Avenue. Dorms belong on college campuses. Thank you, Councilman David Marks for fighting this, and for all of your efforts to increase green space and downtown developer fees to help pay for parks, ball fields, and other open space needed in Towson. A vibrant downtown Towson is a good thing, as long as balanced planning accompanies the growth.
No, not a good place for a dormitory. Entirely too near a nice quite neighborhood. College students need a buffer between their quarters and the real world.