Crain West Residents Oppose Potential Office Site in Millersville

Nearly 50 residents from the Crain West community of Millersville stood up at Monday night's County Council meeting to oppose a nearby rezoning that would allow an office building to be built within sight of their homes.

The neighborhood of just under 100 homes was described by many as private and secluded. With just one entrance in and out, the neighbors have grown to enjoy their sense of security. But they said an office would drastically alter the character of their community, and even cause their land values to plummet.

“I don’t want to live in the shadow, or even worse, the bright lights of an office building,” said resident Cathy Sweet-Windham.

The neighborhood uproar comes over the proposed rezoning from R2 to C2 at 8657 Veterans Highway, which is adjacent to the Crain West community. The change is being sought by property owner Steven Curtis, who bought the property in 2001. A rezoning would allow him to develop the land into a number of uses on the property, including an office building.

Curtis himself was not present to defend his proposal from a stream of residents who sought to have his proposal dismissed by the council.

Susan O'Brien, a single mother that lives in the area, organized a petition with nearly 100 signatures opposing the rezoning, and many of them spoke at Monday's meeting.

Council Chairman Dick Ladd was impressed by the turnout by the small Millersville community.

"It must reflect the power of the single mom to get them all here," he said.

The neighborhood’s community association hired a real estate analyst to offer his expertise on the issue. Hugh Reese, a member of the appraisal institute, estimated that land value in the immediate vicinity would drop between 10-20 percent if the zoning change went through.

“The appeal of the community is that it has a private feel, it’s surrounded by trees,” Reese said. “The underlying land value will be affected if the commercial zone is (approved).”

Lynda Motiram, a teacher at Old Mill High School, brought in a poster showing her home in relation to the proposed property rezoning. Motiram pointed out that her dream home is adjacent to the Curtis property.

“Our home is the single greatest investment that my husband and I have made.  That investment, the nurturing environment we sought for our children, will be materially eroded if (the Curtis property) is rezoned from residential to commercial,” she said.

Annapolis attorney Bill Pitcher who represents Crain West, said the Curtis property has been in and out of the comprehensive rezoning process for decades, but always came back out as R2. Commercial zonings have been consistently denied, he said.

 “This has been going on for years and has been consistently turned down, starting back in the ‘60s,” Pitcher said. “To be honest we’re shocked that it’s here now.”

The county planning and zoning office is recommending the rezoning, citing that the property fronts onto Veterans Highway and that the rezoning would allow for a commercial district.

But the Planning Advisory Board, which reviews rezoning applications before the council, did not recommend the rezoning, claiming that it would violate the Severna Park small area plan.

“This property has several residential communities directly to the east, thus commercial zoning would be spot zoning,” according to the Advisory Board's documentation.

At the next council meeting, scheduled for Oct. 17, the council will again hear public comments on the proposed rezonings. After that, members of the council can formally add amendments to the rezoning bill, after which a vote will be taken. A final vote is not expected on the bill until November.

*Editor's Note, 10/5: Corrections were made to the original story to include the date the property was purchased, correct spelling of Lynda Motiram and attorney Bill Pitcher represents Crain West and lives in Annapolis.