Towson Residents Take Stand for Open Space

Towson residents literally took a stand about the need for open space in their community recently before the Baltimore County Planning Board.

“...there were so many people [that] we filled the room, the entire hallway and entrance area of the building, and spilled out onto the sidewalks!” the West Towson Neighborhood Association reported.

Local leaders asked children to stand up for part of the March 19 meeting to show planning officials, who are reviewing open space regulations, the many kids whose neighborhoods lack fields for play.

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.

Open Space is Required for Development

In Baltimore County, developers are required to contribute 1,000 feet of local open space per residential unit. If they do not contribute space, then they must pay a fee that goes toward acquiring or maintaining open space elsewhere.

The fees vary based on where developments are located in the county and range dramatically.

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. While one of several major projects in the pipeline does involve such housing—101 York reportedly will house 600 students on York Road—others such as the mixed-use Towson Row project include much more.

• Off-Campus Student Housing Proposal Raises Concern
• $300 Million Towson Row Mixed-Use Development Coming Downtown

As it stands, developers in the core of Towson pay little to no fees, according to WBAL.

Review of Open Space Waiver Fee Underway

In a recent report, planning and zoning staff recommended staying with the current fee structure because a flat fee of $1,600 (what it would cost to acquire 1,000 square feet of parkland) would be less than the average of $1,665 that the county takes in under the current fee structure, which is based on zoning.

County Executive Kevin Kamenetz also wants to maintain the status quo, according to The Baltimore Sun.

Not all elected officials are so confident in the current system.

“I have been a vocal proponent for our recreation councils and for open space in general, and look forward to the upcoming dialogue on how we make Baltimore County greener,” Councilman David Marks, who sponsored a bill requiring the fee structure’s review, said after last week’s meeting.

“We are not going to leave the fees at zero,” Marks told The Baltimore Sun.

The planning board will next meet at 4 p.m. on April 2, and a vote on the open space fee structure is possible.

Citizens spilled out of the Baltimore County Planning Board meeting on March 19. Photo Credit: West Towson.