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Housing Plan Drives Wedge Through Takoma Area
Richard Holzsager, left, and Sara Green listen to developer Bob Youngentob describe the townhouse plan.
(By Jahi Chikwendiu -- The Washington Post)
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"There's not a single person who doesn't want reasonable development," said Green, a former advisory neighborhood commissioner. "We all want this area to bloom. Don't you think a public park to serve these people would be a good idea?"
But others see this as a prime time to revitalize their quiet community with new young residents and a bustling business district. This will help reduce crime because more people will be around, they say.
Nancy Smith, who has lived in the community for 37 years, thinks some of her neighbors are just looking for ways to keep the same small town feel when the urban area all around Takoma is changing.
"This whole thing just burns me up," Smith said. "I become very upset when I hear that some of my neighbors want to prevent others from moving into the neighborhood, claiming that traffic and pollution will increase. Traffic will increase whether the developments are built or not."
The debate over the Metro property began in 1999 when city planners, developers and Metro officials decided that building townhouses on the land would ignite development in the neighborhood. It drew controversy from the start and was put on hold while the city performed two detailed studies.
But other developers didn't wait for EYA to build. Close to 100 units have been built in two small projects -- half across the street from the Metro station and half behind it. An additional 85 to 90 have been approved on Carroll Street, and a developer has proposed 150 more on Blair Road.
Payton, the neighborhood commissioner, just wants to see the controversy end.
"If they put up something there," he said, "I just want to work with the developers and get the best thing possible."
