Towson Residents Continue Call for Open Space

Towson residents spoke out before the Baltimore County Council Monday, calling for its support of developer fees to go toward open space.

There were hundreds of residents, including children in jerseys, who attended the council meeting in Towson, where residents cite a lack of open space as a quality of life issue that is affecting their community, according to The Baltimore Sun.

Developers are required to put money toward open space, but this amount varies based on where developments are located in the county.

In 2000, the fees for open space in Towson’s core were reduced in part to allow for student housing, according to The Baltimore Sun.

Currently, the Towson Recreation Council is paying more than $50,000 annually for private fields because the county is not providing adequate open space for the area’s children, according to WBAL.

The council is in the process of considering a revision to its open space fee system, and at least one councilman supports change.

“Many thanks to all those who attended tonight’s hearing on open space fees,” Councilman David Marks, whose district includes Towson, wrote Monday night.

“My appointee to the Planning Board, Scott Jenkins, voted against the Planning Board report that recommended a status quo rate schedule, and I have said many times that the fees should be adjusted. Now the County Council turns its attention to the fees and how we can make Towson—and all of Baltimore County—greener.”

Towson Residents Take Stand for Open Space