Apartment Complex Proposal Has Condo Owners Concerned

The Windsor, the lone building of the Fieldside Village Condominiums, stands along Long Drive absent any of the retail and entertainment development the condo owners said they were promised.  Now, they may be getting something some condo owners say they do not want -- an apartment complex.

The 16 condo owners saw plans for a retail and entertainment center, similar to The Avenue in White Marsh with Ripken Stadium as the centerpiece, fail to materialize over the last four years because the developers backed out when the economy soured. The only new building going up is a business complex nearby being built by Kinsley Construction. 

Now a new developer, Southern Land Co., is proposing  “The Residences,” a complex of 200 luxury apartments with 89 detached garages, that would surround The Windsor. Plans for the apartments were presented at a city planning and zoning commission meeting on Dec. 14.

The majority of commission members liked the presentation, but the decision to approve was tabled so the company could have more time to address issues that concern the condo owners.

Condo owner Calvin Owens, 55, moved with his wife from Forest Hill to The Windsor. He said during the public comment period at the meeting that he is concerned an apartment complex built next to the condo building would lower the property value of the condos.

“I feel kind of held hostage we were told that no matter what we think (or) what we do, it’s going to happen. I felt very, very threatened by that,” said Owens.

Ron Schaftel, president of Southern Land Co., bought the property surrounding The Windsor one year ago. He has met with the condo owners to listen to their grievances.

“Before we came here tonight we made a point, which is something we always do, to reach out to the community. Especially in this case we were super sensitive to it because you’ve got 16 people sitting out there by themselves who were completely abandoned by the builder, by the original developer, and we knew that there would be a lot of anxiety as to what the future will bring,” said Schaftel at the meeting. 

An offer made to the condo owners was that the amenities enjoyed by apartment renters would also be available to the condo owners free of charge for the first two years. After that, expenses would be split among renters and condo owners. Those amenities would include a gazebo sitting area, fire pit and patio areas, pool, tot lot, doggy stations, car wash center with vacuum, gym, business center and a 5,000-square-foot community center.

Annual property taxes from the 200-unit complex are expected be $250,000.

There were a few cheers from at the meeting when Planning and Zoning Commission Chairman Joe Swisher mentioned Southern Land could buy out the condo owners.

“I'm concerned we're mixing apples and oranges,” said Swisher. 

Steve Bowers, 49, is another condo resident who feels “animosity” over what’s happened over the last four years at his development.

“We’ve been misled from the very beginning of this project. From the beginning we were presented on a sales presentation of a condo community with an entertainment and retail space directly across the street from us, and that’s the one and only reason my wife and I moved to Aberdeen in the first place," Bowers said.

"I know you have a slogan that Aberdeen is the Home of Opportunity. Yeah, I’ll be honest. From my view point, it’s not there.”