Riverdale Park Station - News, Events, Updates, Questions and Developments Etc. (Baltimore: how much, tenant)

[adelphi_sky]

Originally Posted by e2ksj3

How stupid are these people?? I was looking at getting a membership at Gold's Gym, but not anymore since I can't safely access the development. The whole point of developments are to encourage walking and biking and they kill access to the surrounding community. Won't this hurt whole foods and the other retail there. Dumb decision, completely dumb.

Someone probably complained about safety. Probably didn't like the fact that just anyone could walk into Riverdale Park Station from the woods at any time of night. Blacks, Latinos, and Youth. Oh My! Guaranteed that was the reason.

[e2ksj3]

Originally Posted by adelphi_sky

Someone probably complained about safety. Probably didn't like the fact that just anyone could walk into Riverdale Park Station from the woods at any time of night. Blacks, Latinos, and Youth. Oh My! Guaranteed that was the reason.

Yeah but most of the people on those bike trails are young white college students and professionals, lol. What is up with this country with fences and walls? Don't like something or someone throw up a fence, it is ridiculous.

If anything they should want as many people to patronize the new businesses as possible. They are cutting off Calvert Hills and Old Town, some of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the area. Why would they increase vehicular into the development by forcing more people to drive and driving down the desirability of the development? I literally shake my head because it doesn't make any sense what so ever.

[adelphi_sky]

Originally Posted by e2ksj3

Yeah but most of the people on those bike trails are young white college students and professionals, lol. What is up with this country with fences and walls? Don't like something or someone throw up a fence, it is ridiculous.

If anything they should want as many people to patronize the new businesses as possible. They are cutting off Calvert Hills and Old Town, some of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the area. Why would they increase vehicular into the development by forcing more people to drive and driving down the desirability of the development? I literally shake my head because it doesn't make any sense what so ever.

The people who want to use the trail have to have louder voices than those who want it closed.

[Solar_oceans]

I am usually a lurker but I feel compelled to post. The residents of Riverdale Park Station had nothing to do with this fence. The developer took it upon themselves to do this for liability reasons. The residents do not support the fence and have been fighting for the last two days to bring it down. Please contact your community representatives and let them know you do not support this fence either.

[adelphi_sky]

What did I tell you? :-) Also, RPS has a Homeowner's Association? No thank you.

SPECIAL CONSTRUCTION UPDATE NOTICE – REGARDING THE HIKER BIKER TRAIL

March 6th, 2018

Hiker Biker Trail Update

By now many residents of the Towns of Riverdale Park, University Park and the City of College Park are aware that we have taken steps to reduce the extent that the Hiker-Biker trail traverses our development at Riverdale Park Station. Several events led to this decision. First, to facilitate unfettered access to the site by cyclists and pedestrians (much of which remains under construction), vandals removed the barricade we had installed on the south side of the alley between 4646 and 4700 Woodberry St. Following an initial repair the vandals returned to remove all the fencing and poles, coiled up the fencing materials and disposed the materials in the WMATA woods.

Second we received a “notice” from a concerned College Park resident advising us of their safety concerns associated with after-dark use of the alley as a part of the temporary Hiker-Biker detour route. The resident asserted that the prescribed route constituted negligence on our part regarding the safety of cyclists and pedestrians using the temporary detour path.

Lastly we were alerted by the Director of Public Works for the City of College Park that there were two instances of vehicular traffic on the trail between Woodberry and Albion. Apparently, those motorists discovered that the trail is sufficiently wide to make for a handy shortcut between the Calvert Hills and Riverdale Park Station.

Because the liability issues associated with these matters impact both Calvert Tract, LLC and the RPS Homeowners Association, our attorneys recommended that certain portions of the trail be closed until the issues described above can be adequately addressed.

In the interim we are working to address the issues which caused us to take the steps we have. First we are planning an alternate detour route that does not include property owned by the Home Owners Association. The attached plan describes the current thinking for the next iteration of the Hiker-Biker detour until the Building 5 garage is substantially complete. The Director of Public Works for the City of College Park advises that the WMATA sidewalk will be open on or about March 23rd.

Second, we will be working with our townhouse development partner and our parking garage contractor to map out the next generation of temporary Hiker-Biker pathway which we hope to open by late Spring, and which we expect to be much less circuitous.

Lastly we will be working with representatives from MNCPPC and City of College Park to address the vehicular access/shortcut issue.

We understand that this has caused some inconvenience and distress amongst the hiker and biker communities, as well as the townhouse residents who use the trail to access the College Park Metro and MARC Stations. For that we are sorry, but hope that they and others understand that we are making a good faith effort to address these unanticipated but serious concerns, and hope that patience and appreciation of the problem will prevail. Nothing will make us happier than to celebrate the grand opening of the trail as designed.

[Solar_oceans]

RPS’s HOA does not belong to the homeowners. The developer controls it all and has made a unilateral decision to put up the fence.

[MDReInfo]

The resident they said they took a complaint from was from College Park and NOT from Riverdale. (it says so in their update)... So apparently someone did not feel safe walking on the path.

RPS has a homeowners association... but the homeowners here do not control it until 70% of the units have been sold. So far only 50% of it has been completed (and sold)

I am glad we have a homeowners association but I just wish we had control of it already.

[lookingbutnotlost]

College Park Councilmember and Mayor have been in touch with the developers for alternatives. Of course the trail might have some dangers at night--what street doesn't? Most of the people who will use that trail live in the surrounding neighborhoods. Random ppl will not know of the trail.

BUT I will say people would sneak through the barriers all the time when it was closed. I saw it all the time. I even saw someone do it w/their kid! Ppl do it with their pets. That is indeed a liability for the property owners. Not sure why grown adults who should know better would willingly do that.

Not opening that trail would be so stupid. I think Riverdale Park residents are also making a stink

[e2ksj3]

It impacts RPS residents just as it does everyone else as they can't reach the College Park Metro right now nor can cyclist access downtown College Park safely. That trail pretty much parallels Route 1 and gives cyclist and pedestrian access to the corridor without using Route 1, which is dangerous right now in its current form. I use it all the time to get from my house in North College Park to downtown College Park, Riverdale, and Hyattsville.

Cafritz is using the residents of the RPS as a scapegoat for their shortsighted decision that is impacting everyone. If they were concerned about people moving barriers and in construction zones, put a fence specifically around the sections that are still under construction.

If they were concerned about "safety" after dark along the trail, work with community leaders to put cameras up on that section of the trail. They have cameras already along the trail along with additional lighting. You won't be able to stop all crime, but those are safeguards that can be put in place.

As far as folks driving cars on the trail, work with officials to put up huge bollards to stop cars from entering.

All these could have been addressed without cutting off people's access. It was very selfish on their part as people use the trail not just for leisure but also for daily commuting. I think RPS station homeowners need to demand Cafritz open the trail as they most likely purchased in the community for accessibility and building a large ugly fence is hindering that accessibility. Folks in College Park and surrounding areas need to hit them where it hurts...their $$$$$$. I am going to reach out to Whole Foods, Gold's Gym, Burton's, and District Taco, and tell them I would love to patronize their businesses but currently there is no safe way for me to get there thanks to the Cafritz fence and I'm not going to fight traffic on Route 1 risking my life when there are other options in the area. I guarantee Cafritz would have a change of heart real fast!

[adelphi_sky]

The mayor of Riverdale Park.

I wanted to provide a very quick update on the status of the trolley trail north of Riverdale Park Station (which was closed by the developer a few days ago). This update is based on my impressions from a e-mail and phone calls I participated in today, and is not a commitment from the developer, the Town of Riverdale Park, the City of College Park, or anyone else - it's just what I personally see ahead based on what I heard and read.

There are three issues that, when resolved, will allow the temporary trail (the pathway that has been open for a few months) to reopen.

The first is vehicle (car and or truck) traffic on the trail between Riverdale Park Station and the Calvert Hills neighborhood of College Park. At least a few instances of cars/trucks driving here have been reported. Because almost all of that section of the trail is in College Park, and there are fewer restrictions of what can be changed on that section of the trail, the City will be installing bollards there to block vehicular traffic while allowing pedestrians and bikes. The contractor hired to install the bollards has been given the go-ahead to start and will probably be done sometime on Friday.

The second is to address security/safety concerns raised by a resident about traffic in the alley behind the townhouses at night. This will require installing temporary lighting along that section of the temporary trail (the resident has stated that it would address his concerns). I haven't heard any schedule for that, but could believe that it could be completed by sometime on Friday as well.

The third issue is restoring the trail to its previous state by reinstalling the barrier that was blocking the (future permanent) trail south of the alley. I believe that can probably happen tomorrow (Thursday), but that barrier needs to remain in place for the developer to be comfortable leaving the trail open. Please leave it alone, and please tell anyone who is NOT leaving it alone to leave it alone.

Thanks,

Alan

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Alan K. Thompson, Mayor
Town of Riverdale Park
5008 Queensbury Road, Riverdale Park, MD 20737
http://www..riverdaleparkmd. info
akthompson@riverdaleparkmd.gov