CARE
Community Architecture Revitalization Environment
Our group has organized to help the Town of Riverdale Park convince developers to work with town officials to create business developments that are consistent with the Town's official revitalization plan.
If after reading the information on this page you find that you agree with our goals, we would be grateful if you would "sign" our petition.
Background:
The residents of Riverdale Park recently learned that Eckerd Drugs (a subsidary of JC Penney) is in the process of buying five properties on the south-east corner of East-West Highway and Route 1. They plan to tear down the buildings extending from the corner to the Calvert House Restaurant and construct a 10,800 square foot building on the corner. The new drug store will be a free-standing warehouse-style building with a drive-through pharmacy window.
While we are pleased that Eckerd Drugs views our town as a good place to open a business, we have been dismayed at Eckerd's blatent disregard for our town's official revitalization plan. Developed by a coalition of residents, business owners, and government officials, the plan calls for mixed-use development that is sensitive to the historical character of the area. It was approved and adopted in 1993 by both the town of Riverdale Park and the Maryland National Park and Planning Commission.
At least two of the buildings slated for demolition by Eckerd's were built in the early part of the 20th century, and house viable businesses (an antique store and a consignment shop) with apartments on the second story. This is precisely the sort of architecture for which our revitalization plan calls. A warehouse-style box is not.
A more detailed discussion of the issues appeared in the most recent issue of the Gazette. (http://www.gazette.net/200023/riverdale/news/14700-1.html).
The Vision Statement for the revitalization plan is on our Town's web site at (http://www.ci.riverdale-park.md.us/AboutRiverdalePark/TownCenterVision.html).
How You Can Help:
If you are interested in "signing" our petition, we can accept electronic "signatures". Send e-mail to Liz Bolin (lizbolin@aol.com) with your name and home address. If you have signed the petition in some other form, please don't send a duplicate electronic "signature". You do not need to be a resident of Riverdale Park to support us in our goals.
You can also download a copy of the petition in Adobe Acrobat format and circulate it to your friends and neighbors. Please return the petitions by July 1, 2000 to the address listed at the bottom of the petition.
We will not use this information for any purpose besides convincing Eckerd Drug to cooperate with Town Officials in creating an architectural design that is consistent with the stated goals of our master revitalization plan.
The Petition:
We, the undersigned, do hereby state our opposition to the proposed development by Eckerd Drugs in the Riverdale Park Route 1 Corridor Heritage Area. In addition we will support a boycott of Eckerd Drugs and its owner J.C. Penney unless this development is withdrawn immediately.
For more information, contact Sarah Wayland (301)927-7407.
| When | Tuesday, June 27th | 6:30 p.m. |
| Where | Riverdale Bookshop & Coffee Depot | 4701 Queensbury Road |
This page was last changed on Saturday, June 17, 2000. Questions, comments, or submissions? See the Website Committee web page. This page has been accessed 19557 times.