'Spark' Ignited About Joppa Road, Loch Raven Boulevard District

TOWSON, MD — A town hall about revitalizing Joppa Road near Loch Raven Boulevard drew approximately 50 people Monday night. They traded ideas about opportunities and challenges the area presents, during the forum at Loch Raven High School.

Councilman David Marks called the Oct. 14 gathering to solicit input from both business owners and residents about what they would like to see in the Loch Raven/Joppa Road commercial district.

"As [downtown] Towson builds out, I suspect you're going to see entrepreneurs taking a second look at this area," Marks said. "Hopefully we can get some spark of activity...not the scale of downtown Towson maybe but certainly the spirit of redevelopment."

One woman chimed in that she wanted to see a bookstore, recalling there used to be a Barnes & Noble and Borders close to Towson. These days, she said she would have to drive to White Marsh or Reisterstown Road, which she was not going to do. (A chorus of "Ukazoo" came from other attendees, directing her to the independent bookstore in the 8600 block of Loch Raven Boulevard.)

Another woman at the meeting said an incubator space could be an attraction in the Joppa-Loch Raven area for budding entrepreneurs.

Marks, whose district includes Towson, has assembled a task force on the issue of the Loch Raven business district.

"This task force is going to hopefully identify a vision and strategies for improving the quality of life, economic vitality, public safety, aesthetics and infrastructure of this area," Marks said.

Loch Raven is one of Baltimore County's 18 designated commercial revitalization districts, meaning it is eligible for certain tax credits. The task force will focus on the Joppa Road area from Hollenshade's Auto Service at Drumwood Road on the west to Oakleigh and the beltway to the east, Marks said.

Jordan Levine, who said he owns the Ethan Allen building, is the chair of the task force. He is also the co-founder of Pelican Property Management. He said he approached Marks about the area being overlooked despite its potential, and as a result, he was asked to spearhead the task force.

"We have to work with all the business owners...to try to raise the bar together," Levine said. He and Marks mentioned Chesapeake Employers Insurance, which employs 450 people in the 8700 block of Loch Raven Boulevard and whose workers cannot walk someplace for lunch. Among other ideas, he said the task force could look at putting parcels of land together in different ways so that people could "live, work and use services" in one space.

Other members of the task force include the owner of Ryan Fowler's Guitar Experience in the 1600 block of East Joppa Road; the owners of the building that used to house Hooters in the 1600 block of East Joppa Road; Michael Weber of the law firm Weber Messick in the 1700 block of East Joppa Road; former Councilman Wayne Skinner; and others.

Marks said a list of the task force members would be distributed later, when multiple attendees asked who was on it. The task force has not met yet, and the town hall meeting was designed to give its members input to work with as a starting point for revitalizing the area.

One purpose of the task force could be to "come up with design standards for construction in this area," Marks said. Loch Raven Commons, including Wawa, was someplace he pointed to as an example of how new developments could elevate aesthetics with landscaping and other elements.

Lack of a central chamber of commerce made it difficult to create a sense of a cohesion, Marks said, since these entities can apply for grants and advocate for the business community as a whole.

Cindy Eisenrauch said she started the Loch Raven Joppa Small Business Association, which now has 22 small businesses among its membership.

Those attending the town hall mentioned longevity of some businesses in the area as a source of strength, like Pastore's Italian Delly, which has been in the 8800 block of Loch Raven Boulevard since 1979, and Hollenshade's, which began as a gas station in Towson in 1939.

Residential communities have also been around for some time, Marks said, stating that Ridgeleigh Manor, Loch Raven Village and other neighborhoods "stabilize this entire corridor."

After discussing strengths of Loch Raven and Joppa — such as green space, strong schools, location near the beltway and established neighborhoods with a sense of community — the town hall focused on challenges.

Concerns mentioned by attendees included crime associated with motels; lack of parking for area businesses; sidewalks not up to Americans with Disabilities Act standards; traffic congestion; lack of consistent aesthetics/design standards, making Joppa Road seem more like a highway than a Main Street; no anchor drawing people to the community; and turnover in housing.

Property values have gone up, and now they're going down, Eileen Bumba of Long & Foster said. She mentioned Ridgeleigh, where after buying houses,"developers are basically renting them out."

Motels were 90 percent of Loch Raven-Joppa's concerns, according to Tim Hollenshade Sr. of Hollenshade's, adding any vision for the area was a "pipe dream" until the motel issues were addressed.

Marks said that he had heard concerns but responded to the suggestion that the county take over the motel land by saying that this was not the solution.

"We can't go in and condemn property," Marks said. "What we can do is create incentives" that attract developers.

"The task force will provide input if there's going to be zoning changes," said Marks, who noted the comprehensive rezoning process in Baltimore County just began. The comprehensive rezoning process started in August and lasts about a year. Approximately 25 percent of Baltimore County was seniors, and senior housing was going to be needed, Marks said.

Next, the task force will use the input from the discussion to form recommendations before the next town hall, which Marks said would be in February.

At that point, Marks said, the community could work on capital budget priorities for the upcoming fiscal year.

Photos by Elizabeth Janney.