Thomas and I just got back from the La Plata town hall meeting, and the council voted to send a letter to the State Highway Administration (SHA) recommending AGAINST a traffic light at 301 and Oriole Lane in La Plata, MD.
There was a very large crowd of people in attendance, mostly residents of the subdivisions that would be affected by the Kohl's development plan. Quite a few people spoke out regarding both Kohl's and the traffic light proposal, and they were in large part opposed to the potential development.
There's a few thoughts that have been running through my mind since the meeting, and I think it's important to look at this development plan from all angles.
TRAFFIC CONCERNS
People are worried about drivers using their community as a pass-through to get to Kohl's. I agree that traffic will become more problematic as people look to these communities as a short cut to their destination, and people should be concerned.
Residents have been told that Oriole Ln. itself cannot be closed because of emergency vehicle access. Several residents have pitched the idea of closing off the community access to Rt. 301 completely by closing Oriole Ln. I think that the idea of shutting off access into the community is a smart idea!
How about this: Turn that section of Oriole Ln. between where Kohl's entrance is and where the Hawthorne Green homes begin into a restriced use (i.e., emergency vehicles only) zone? This would allow Police, Fire and EMS access while preventing people from cutting through the area for convenience.
HOME VALUE CONCERNS
I've heard a lot of people voicing concern over what this Kohl's project is going to do to their home values. In previous posts I mentioned that people who may have a view of the proposed project are at risk of home devaluation. This proposal affects more than just those specific homes in Hawthorne Green, however, and I will discuss the potential impact further in my next post.
~Jonathan Benya
I refuse to let this be a rant about rapid over-development here in Charles County and specifically, La Plata, MD. I'm not against growth, development, and modernization (I know, I'm a Realtor, isn't it my job to promote growth and development?), in fact I think that Charles County, Saint Mary's County, and Calvert County are the undiscovered gems of Maryland. I love living here, and part of the reason for that is because of the mix of suburban and rural environments that are close at hand.
La Plata has been my favorite locale in the county for quite some time now, and I have very fond memories of going to Golden Corral and Johnny Boy's as a child, and I remember being heart-broken when I was off at college and the tornado came through, devastating the small town I loved.
Perhaps we have the tornado to thank for the changes, or maybe La Plata is simply a town who's time is due, but if residents want to maintain the atmosphere we all know and love, then smart development is what we really need.
In the past few years we've seen Wal-Mart throw it's hat into the ring, building their store in a prime location (despite their failure to build a Supercenter), with Target following closely on their heels. Safeway built themselves a shiny new building in a shiny new location, Petco did the same, along with Applebee's, multiple drug stores, and plenty of smaller businesses. Add to that list the upcoming Lowes, Home Depot, another Starbucks, and (possibly) Kohl's.
All of this development was non-existent just a few short years ago, but suddenly La Plata has become the hot new market to build a business. Here's the rub: Everything that has been built/proposed is doing little more than continue to fracture the small-town feel of La Plata.
If residents look to other highly developed localities that still have that homely feel, they'll notice one thing that La Plata has not done, and the difference is glaring: Pedestrian accessibility. Take a stroll through Old Town Alexandria, and you'll notice that the area, despite is incredible population density, still manages to retain a comfortable and unique sense of familiarity. The variety of stores is impressive, and it thrives on the individuality of the area.
Now look at Waldorf. Built as a road town on a popular trucking route (just like La Plata), Waldorf was built as a series of small mini-strip malls with a couple of stores each and shopping was inconvenient until the mall came in.
(Interestingly enough, the latest shopping center in Waldorf is starting to take on a life of it's own thanks to the convenience and variety of stores, from Starbucks to Petco to TGI Friday's, it's added much needed variety to the local shopping choices. Combine it with accessibility to both the Ice Rink and Best Buy, and now you have a popular shopping destination!)
But WHERE does this exist in La Plata? More importantly, where are the plans to establish this? In my mind, the biggest mistake in Waldorf development was the absence of attractive shopping with pedestrian accessibility. Take Bowie Town Center, for example. There you have an attractive, well planned location to get your shopping done. In Waldorf, you're starting to see smaller versions of this trying to compete with the mall. But what does La Plata have?
Simply put, it doesn't. Looking for electronics? Try Target. but if you want to shop elsewhere for clothing, hop in your car and drive to Wal-Mart. Still not what you want? Hop in the car again, try Kohl's. No? Well, I'm sure they'll build something else in another location you'll have to drive to. (and probably cross 301 for as well).
As for the new Kohl's, well, it's possible a few people may be able to see it from their back yard, but plant a few trees and it's no big deal, right? Wrong! La Plata is simply not the sort of town where building big box stores up against private homes is necessary. If it were, then we'd need to see an inviting pedestrian oriented environment, which La Plata does NOT have.
In all honesty I'd love to see a cozy walkable main street in La Plata (No, Charles Street doesn't cut it, although it may have the potential), but for now, let's start to consider how we approach new development in a different fashion. I like the fact La Plata is dedicated to ensuring the look and feel of new construction in the area, that's a big part of it.
But why not have a plan to bring shopping closer together, where pedestrians can stroll through breezeways in the center, and enjoy a mixture of chain stores as well as independent shopkeepers? A location to take the kids in the winter to enjoy holiday displays in windows and colorful lights hanging from ornamental lamp-posts? Think of the impact that a well developed, easily accessible, central location for shopping would be rather than continuing to hodge-podge development into whatever tract of land still has trees sitting on it?
I understand that a plan like this does not materialize on it's own, but what if the town or county developed a plan in partnership with a developer? It could ensure that the town will preserve it's atmosphere while allowing the region to flourish into a destination that all of Southern Maryland could be proud of.
~Jonathan Benya
Century 21 New Millennium
Charles County Real Estate Home
Southern Maryland Real Estate Blog
I attended the La Plata town hall meeting last night to see what exactly was being proposed with the new proposed Kohl's department store in La Plata, MD. Let me say that I was some kind of impressed! It was the biggest crowd I have ever seen at a town hall meeting, It was literally standing-room only all the way out into the town hall foyer!
The town hall meeting was geared specifically to residents in the subdivisions of Jamestowne, Quailwood, and Hawthorne Green. So why all the fuss? Well, for a couple of very good reasons. I have included a map showing the proposed site location so all of you know what was proposed (understand this is only for reference, and should not be taken as any sort of guarantee in regards to location, size, etc.). You can click on the image to expand to full size.
Location
The red box is the proposed location for the Kohl's Department store, as well as a bank and some sort of smaller retail location, according to the developer who spoke at the meeting. The yellow and blue blocks show the location of the Pepsi plant on 301 and another possible location for future development.
Concerns
One of the biggest issues that residents were worried about was the traffic. According to the developer, the entrance/exit to Kohl's would have to be on Oriole Ln., which is currently a 2 lane residential road that leads into the immediate subdivisions. It would require that another traffic light be added to Oriole Ln, and the developer claims that it will not cause any additional traffic congestion by having an additional light on Rt. 301, but many local residents did not share his confidence.
Another large concern was the environmental impact of the whole project. There is a possibility that some residents may be able to see the store from their back yard, and there were also concerns about water runoff, noise pollution, and sound pollution.
Residents were eager to offer alternative site locations, but the fact is that this plan is for the location more so than it is for Kohl's. It just so happens that Kohl's is the store that is being proposed, but they are not the developer nor did they. Local residents need to decide if the town should allow any sort of development to proceed, and if not, there needs to be a reason why they come to that decision.
Touchy Subject
Residents who have their homes backing up to the property claimed they were told that "It would never be developed". At the time they purchased, there were no known plans for development there, but they were fed a fairly common line from the company that built their homes. If it's not in a land trust of some sort, there's always the risk it'll be developed. Especially when the land is as valuable as this 10 acre parcel on 301.
Can that be enough reason to stop the development? Well, the developer has claimed to have a plan to prevent the residents from being disturbed by building a wall and planting trees, so at least there's some sort of offer being made, and it shows the town that the developer is willing to address local concerns.
What About Traffic?
The traffic concern is a big issue here. If a traffic light were to be added on 301 at Oriole Ln, the developer says that it won't slow traffic significantly on 301. Do YOU agree? I'm not a traffic expert, but I'd like to to study any sort of traffic proposal that claims another light would help. Granted, if Kohl's were to go there a light would be NEEDED to help get people in and out of Kohl's and to discourage them from joyriding through a residential subdivision. How badly will it slow traffic on 301 though? That's the study I want to see.
Will It Affect Home Values?
Ah, there it is..... the $100,000 question.... (or more, depending on the value of your home). A homeowner that's getting hit in the pocketbook so that a developer can make an extra buck can yell louder and faster than any other force known to man! It only makes sense, really. Why should someone else be allowed to get rich while his actions cause your finances to sink?
Well, think of it this way.... We all know that real estate is all about 3 things: Location, Location, Location, right? So, consider a scenario for just a moment:
You have to move to Georgia tomorrow. You have your choice of 2 small, quaint towns. Town "A" forces you to drive 15 minutes to get to any sort of shopping beyond the grocery store and the auto parts store. Town "B" has a couple of discount department stores, pet stores, office supply stores, multiple eateries, etc. Which do you choose?
If you can get all of the amenities you enjoy in the small town feel you want, the choice is simple, right? Who wouldn't want the convenience if that small town feel was still there. Town "B" wins.
Oh, Sorry, I forgot to mention. If you decided on town "B", you have to live behind one of the department stores, But don't worry, it's got a scenic view...... At night if you look out from your second floor window you might be able to see the night shift employees having a smoke break on the loading dock.....
Not as appealing right? That's they catch to it all. It has the possibility of dragging down values on the homes most directly impacted by it's location, but overall, it has a chance to raise values overall by raising the local quality of life. What's key here is to get out, and make your voice be heard! If you've got something to say or a concern you want addressed, now is the time to do it!
Call your local members of the town council, speak up at the next town hall meeting! I'll continue to keep up to date on the project, and as soon as I know more I'll post it here!
~Jonathan Benya j.benya@c21nm.com
Century 21 New Millennium
9405-A Chesapeake St.
La Plata, MD 20646
301-653-8116
Southern Maryland and La Plata Real Estate Website
Southern Maryland Real Estate Blog Home
The proposal for a Kohl's Department Store in La Plata, MD will be discussed tonight at the La Plata Town Hall Meeting.
La Plata Town Hall is the location for a meeting at 7 p.m. Jan. 14 between representatives of Kohl’s department store and members of the Quailwood, Hawthorne Greene and Jamestown communities to discuss the proposed construction of the store on Oriole Lane in town. La Plata Town Council members will be on hand to discuss the community’s issues and concerns regarding the proposal. Town hall is at 305 Queen Anne St.
If you're a Charles County resident, you should be there! This is another MAJOR development proposal in your back yard, and you deserve to know what's going on! I'll be there this evening, and I hope you will to!
~Jonathan Benya
Century 21 New Millennium
Here's the latest on the current Calvert County real estate market! Sluggish sales trends are continuing to force prices down while making it increasingly difficult to get a home sold due to the market pressure.
What's Good:
The number of active, available homes on the market has fallen again. As fewer and fewer homes are listed for sale, the difficulty in selling should (at least in theory) ease. June of last year saw over 1,100 active listings, while in December that number was closer to 950. There's a couple of reasons for this.
First, many people don't like to deal with the hassle of trying to sell their home in the middle of winter. Holiday stress is high enough without having to worry about people showing up at all hours of the day to tour your home. I expect that the number to climb again as the spring approaches, and you can see that historically, the number of active listings always falls during the holiday season.
The second reason is that a number of homeowners have decided to rent their home rather than sell it, so as homes are rented out they are no longer listed for sale. Creative moves like this are becoming a serious option to more and more people these days.
The average sales price of a home in Calvert County did manage to rise again this month, but buyers continue to sit on the fence and sellers get more anxious, and with sales and pending settlements at a 10 year low, I don't see this as indicative of a market improvement, but rather it is skewed by a few sales of select large homes.
What's Bad:
Sales rates have continued to fall, as have the number of pending settlements. This figure is particularly disheartening to sellers right now because it underlines the difficulty the are currently experiencing. Traditionally sales tend to pick up once winter ends and I know quite a few sellers who are anxious to see the cold weather snap and the rate of sales rise.
The average number of days on market has jumped again. at over 175 days, this is the highest Charles County has seen in 7 years. While this should not be a surprise, it does not look like it is going to change anytime soon, and I would anticipate that this will continue to climb while the market deflates.
Wrap Up:
The Housing Slump continues to place pressure on the local Southern Maryland real estate marketplaces. Foreclosures are also continuing to rise with many lenders anticipating an increase in foreclosure this year over 2007. Lending criteria is also continuing to creep upwards while interest rates have managed to hit a 2-year low this past week. Be sure to check back every month to see the latest analysis of what's going on in your back yard!
~Jonathan Benya
Century 21 New Millennium
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