Concerning the Lavender Lot

For nearly a year the Greater Parkville Community Council (GPCC) and Parkville- Carney Business and Professional Association have been advocating to save the Lavender Avenue Parking Lot, located at Harford Road just north of Taylor Avenue.

For most of the now-vacant businesses near the Lavender Lot, parking is limited to a few spaces along Harford Road. The Lavender Lot provides convenient public parking to surrounding businesses and a public space where activities could be held that promote the business district such as fairs and holiday events. For this reason, the State recently invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in upgrading the parking lot as part of the streetscape project.

The Baltimore County Revenue Authority (BCRA) owns the Lavender Lot and is considering selling it for close to its appraised value of $278,000. It has been said that if the property is sold a pharmacy or office building may be built on the site. If the lot was sold where else could we provide the parking needed to support Parkville’s business district and attract new businesses to fill the 11 vacancies?

A conservative estimate shows that according to Baltimore County Zoning Regulations over 130 parking spaces are needed in this area if the 11 vacancies were filled with retail shops and restaurants. Since the business district abuts residential homes there is no room to expand parking located behind commercial buildings. In addition, it would be expensive for the County to purchase commercial property along Harford Road to provide a new public parking lot after losing the Lavender Lot.

Although Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz has helped to revitalize commercial business districts in other areas of the County, he has not taken a strong stand on saving the Lavender Lot. A letter from the Executive’s office states that he would support BCRA sale of the property for new development as long as some parking spaces are reserved for the use of the surrounding businesses.

However, this option would not address Parkville’s parking needs. The Lavender Lot currently provides approximately 55 parking spaces for the surrounding businesses. If a building was constructed on this lot with its required parking spaces, there would be very little if any room for left for parking spaces that would serve the surrounding businesses.

On the table is a proposal from the Parkville-Carney Business Association offering to lease the lot from the BCRA and in return it will preserve the parking for the surrounding businesses. This also allows the association to sponsor activities that help promote the business district. But, there has been no response from the BCRA on this proposal.

The fate of our Parkville’s “Main Street” Business District is not a done deal. The GPCC encourages those that protest the sale of the Lavender Avenue Parking Lot to contact County Executive Kevin Kamenetz at kevin@baltimorecountymd.gov or call 410.887.2450 and Baltimore County Revenue Authority at information@bcramd.com or call 410-887-3127.

Ruth Baisden, President
Greater Parkville Community Council