Op-ed by Councilman David Marks
On December 11th, I sponsored a community meeting to address concerns about the Starbucks restaurant proposed at York Road and Regester Avenue. I appreciated the input of everyone who attended this meeting.
While some people are excited about the prospect of a Starbucks restaurant at this location, the overwhelming preference of many residents is to not have a drive-thru lane. The current plan includes a northern entrance from York Road, and an exit onto Regester Avenue. Residents are justifiably concerned about the safety of children who walk to school along Regester Avenue, and I agree. Unfortunately, this plan was approved by the executive branch of government, with little input and no required traffic study.
I will be submitting legislation on Monday that requires a traffic study for projects that include a drive-thru, such as this Starbucks restaurant. The traffic study and any recommendations would be reviewed by the Department of Public Works (an executive branch agency) and the Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee (a volunteer board). My intent is to continue the dialogue about how this restaurant should be modified to address the community’s concerns.
I also urge residents to let the Starbucks corporate office know of their concerns, as I have done. The District Manager is Lynn Goldstein at 410-218-9281 or lgoldste@starbucks.com. The government affairs contact is Kim Winston at 415-318-6337 or kwinston@starbucks.com.
Southern Towson is one of the most “walkable” areas in Baltimore County. Residents here value pedestrian connections, bike lanes, and the opportunity to frequent stores and other destinations while driving in a car. I want to preserve the character of this area, and I believe we should be doing whatever can to improve pedestrian safety. In fact, the legislation creating the Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee was my first bill as a Councilman in 2011.
For that reason, I will be submitting a resolution to the County Council that adds the commercial area of Southern Towson to the places where new construction must be evaluated by the Baltimore County Design Review Panel. The Design Review Panel includes architects and other professionals. Then, once this area is designated, our office will work with communities such as Anneslie and Rodgers Forge to craft the metrics by which construction should be evaluated.
In the meantime, please contact Starbucks to make them aware of your concerns.
Councilman Marks represents the 5th District of Baltimore County
I contacted Ms Goldstein on 11/23/16 and she disavowed any knowledge of the project. I left a message for her on 12/08/16 encouraging her to attend the community meeting sponsored by Councilman Marks. She doesn’t seem to be responsive to this matter.
Thank you, David Marks! These are terrific ideas. Can we also resolve the troubled Royal Farms mega-gas station project? A lot of the same issues — emphasis on a greener walkable Towson, need for traffic studies, negative impact on neighboring communities — apply as well!
For those with concerns, here also is Royal Farms’ email and contact info: Royal Farms, 3611 Roland Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland 21211, Toll-Free: 844-266-7223 and email: corporate@royalfarms.com
And Caves Valley: 1 Olympic Place, Suite 1210 Towson, MD 21204, 410-427-6700 (Anyone have a good email address?)
Caves Valley does some cool in-fill development projects. Yet respect for the very valid concerns, and an openness to feedback, is sorely needed here. These are local companies, and they need to step up and listen to their own communities.
See other Flyer stories, including http://towsonflyer.com/2016/12/13/controversial-starbucks-royal-farms-plans-discussed-monday-night/