Councilman Opposes Royal Farms Gas Station Proposal

TOWSON, MD — A councilman who previously supported the development of a Royal Farms on Bosley Avenue at York Road is changing course. Councilman David Marks, whose district includes Towson, said he plans to put an end to the county's consideration of the project.

"It is time to bring closure to the controversy over the development of the gasoline station at York Road and Bosley Avenue," Marks said in a statement Wednesday.

"I will introduce at the next County Council meeting a resolution that ends any further review of the gasoline station at the Towson Station Planned Unit Development," Marks said.

Originally, he supported the idea of a planned unit development (PUD) to allow Royal Farms to build gas pumps on property that sits at the "gateway" to Towson. However, the project was contingent on community participation and collaboration, and he listed four reasons for his newfound opposition explaining why those were not happening.

"An overwhelming number of residents do not want this project to be built," Marks said in his June 28 statement, which is printed in full at the bottom of this article. "Neighborhood associations should not have to exhaust tens of thousands of dollars opposing this project, and Baltimore County should not have to deal with the uncertainty of waiting years to receive profits from the sale of this land."

More than 200 people reportedly attended a meeting this spring opposing the development of a 24-hour gas station on Bosley Avenue at York Road, according to WJZ.

At the meeting, a representative for developer Caves Valley reportedly said Towson Station, the proposed development including Royal Farms and two retail buildings, would be "the nicest looking thing along this stretch of York Road."

The Royal Farms project has been on the table since 2013 when Baltimore County considered selling the land, estimating the property would be worth $8.5 million. Previously, it was home to the Towson fire station from 1958 until the new firehouse was operational at the end of 2015.

The firehouse moved in December 2015 to 204 Courtland Avenue to a new building with drive-through bays and other features reflective of current public safety standards.

According to the county, the new firehouse cost $7.6 million. When it opened, county officials said the cost to taxpayers was $0 because the sale of the land where the firehouse used to be would cover it.

• Panel Recommends Selling Towson Fire Station Property
• Towson Celebrates New $7.6M Fire Station

After trees were uprooted at the site in the spring, Baltimore County Chief Administration Officer Fred Homan said at a council meeting that the county was "trying to accelerate the close of the property" by clearing the land since "the county needs the cash" to finance the new fire station, the Towson Flyer reported.

Marks cited the bulldozing of 30 trees as a violation of the council's resolution, approved in 2016, which stipulates that "...existing mature trees that surround the site are protected." Due to the breach, he said the review of the project should be terminated.

In addition, Marks said that the improvement of Bosley Avenue was of import to the greater community and should not be mired by this project.

"The driving conditions on Bosley Avenue are a nightmare, yet when I asked the Deputy County Administrative Officer about plans to resurface the corridor, his response was that improvements would occur after Towson Station was finished," Marks said this week in his statement.

"Given the likelihood of appeals, this means that Bosley Avenue will continue to deteriorate for at least another two or three years," Marks said. "That is unacceptable, particularly with new projects like Towson Row expected to open in that time."

The following is the complete June 28 statement from Councilman David Marks about the project.

"END REVIEW OF THE TOWSON STATION PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT" by David Marks

It is time to bring closure to the controversy over the development of the gasoline station at York Road and Bosley Avenue.

I will introduce at the next County Council meeting a resolution that ends any further review of the gasoline station at the Towson Station Planned Unit Development. I do this for four main reasons.

Lack of Public Support. The legislation that created Planned Unit Developments was authored by then-County Councilman Kevin Kamenetz. This law emphasizes collaboration and input.
The gasoline station reflects neither of those goals.

An overwhelming number of residents do not want this project to be built. How can its advocates claim with any credibility that this project meets a minimum of community support?

Violation of Council Resolution 113-16. In December 2016, the Baltimore County Council passed Resolution 113-16, which continued the review of the Towson Station project. The resolution placed specific conditions on development of the property. The language was very clear: the trees at the corner of York Road and Bosley Avenue should be integrated into any development, to the greatest extent possible.
The County Executive’s staff then bulldozed approximately 30 trees with no notice to my office or the public. The removal of the trees eliminated a major hurdle for the developer, whose attorney later said that even more trees will be destroyed should the project be approved.

Delayed Improvements to Bosley Avenue. The driving conditions on Bosley Avenue are a nightmare, yet when I asked the Deputy County Administrative Officer about plans to resurface the corridor, his response was that improvements would occur after Towson Station was finished. Given the likelihood of appeals, this means that Bosley Avenue will continue to deteriorate for at least another two or three years. That is unacceptable, particularly with new projects like Towson Row expected to open in that time.

Long-Term Litigation. It is highly unlikely that this project will be approved before the end of the Kamenetz administration, as required by the contract of sale. Towson Station is a lower-quality, and more controversial, project than other Planned Unit Developments that have been proposed in Towson. It will be fought long and hard.

Neighborhood associations should not have to exhaust tens of thousands of dollars opposing this project, and Baltimore County should not have to deal with the uncertainty of waiting years to receive profits from the sale of this land.

The County Executive was right in 2013 when he argued that the county property at York Road and Bosley Avenue was not being utilized for its highest and best use. But he was also right when, as a Councilman, he proposed the Planned Unit Development law that encourages high-quality developments with broad public support.

Patch file photo of Royal Farms.