New Look For Downtown Bel Air - SKYLINE?

Bel Air, Maryland - Lanette Branch, Realtor

Who'da thunk I'd ever use the words Bel Air and skyline in the same sentence? I mean, really, considering the fact that Bel Air has no skyline, it all seems too incongruous. But there they are, in the same sentence, and still Bel Air is without a skyline - but not for long.

Apparently, town officials are in the midst of planning for Bel Air, Maryland's first 5-story building in the downtown district. Woo-hoo! No, really - whoo-hoo! This is a big deal for Bel Air residents. Just as we're getting used to the idea of the newly re-vamped downtown Bel Air, complete with an impressive Visitor's Center, here comes the news about a 5-story building. Actually, the plans include four different projects all within 3 blocks of each other, reaching up to five stories each. There's an administrative building, two "mixed-use" buildings" and a residential building in the works. Most notably, the 5-story administrative building would consolidate many of the government building currently scattered throughout downtown, I suppose.

I know I should embrace the change but, honestly, I'm having a little difficulty here. Hailing from the big city of Baltimore, I've been vibing on the small to midlin'-town feel of Bel Air for more than a few years. I really like this place. It's "the heart of Harford," where all of Harford county Maryland's government offices are located, yet it still has that quaint "town" feel to it. Bel Air skyline just doesn't sound right!

Foresight - now that's a word I'd like to see paired with Bel Air planning officials. I really hope the town's officials have thought this whole thing through - like where are all the folks squeezed into this big ole 5-story administrative building going to park? It's on the same vein of where all those kids of the parents buying all those new homes in Bel Air going to go to school - but, I digress.

That's a subject for a different post.

Maybe I'm jumping the gun. Maybe a little thought has actually gone into the town's increasing infrastructure needs. Perhaps one of the "mixed uses" of at least two buildings is as a parking garage?

Respectfully submitted,

Lanette

I'm sold on Bel Air and I'd like to sell you on Bel Air, too!