Politics & Government

Community Group Wants Concessions on Lavender Lot Formalized

Ruth Baisden, president of the Greater Parkville Community Council, wants the Revenue Authority to formalize promises for money and parking at a meeting Thursday.

The leader of a Parkville community group wants the Baltimore County Revenue Authority to formalize concessions to help revitalize the Harford Road corridor as part if its sale of the public parking lot on Lavender Avenue.

Ruth Baisden, president of the Greater Parkville Community Council, sent the letter to the Baltimore County Revenue Authority on Dec. 13. The quasi-public agency is scheduled to finalize a sale of the property Thursday morning.

Last year the Baltimore County Revenue Authority voted to sell the 56-space public parking lot, located along Harford Road between Lavender and Taylor Avenues, to Towson-based DMS Development for a sum of $500,000. The developer would turn the parking lot into a Walgreens store.

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"These concessions include a portion of the sale to be allocated for the revitalization of Parkville's Main Street," Baisden wrote in the Dec. 13 letter. "The funds would be used for promotional activities, enhancements, and to hire an Executive Director to manage a Main Street Approach type program for Parkville. This model program has had success in other business districts across the country."

The concessions referred to by Baisden were part of a May 2010 letter and included:

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  • The authority setting aside half the proceeds of the sale of the lot for the promotion of revitalization of the Parkville main street area. Some of the money would be used to hire an executive director to manage the program.
  • Requiring the prospective buyer, Towson-based developer DMS Development, to configure their development to include 25 parking spaces that would be available for public use.
  • Allow community use of the parking lot for community activities.

The authority has since agreed to provide $100,000 for revitalization efforts in Parkville. Gordon Harden, a board member, wants the authority to consider opening up the money to other communities around the county but County Executive Kevin Kamenetz has urged the organization to keep the money in Parkville.

"We believe that the funds awarded to the proper organizations will benefit the Parkville Business District and ultimately the surrounding community," Baisden wrote.


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