Thursday meeting important for neighborhoods

Editor:

The Coalition for CHANGE would like to inform all homeowners to attend the

one public hearing regarding an amendment to our Growth Management Plan that

would be applied to three intersections: Furys Ferry and Evans-to-Locks Road

(FF/ETL); Belair Road and Columbia Road (B/W); and Washington Road and

William Few Parkway (Greenbrier).

The amendment will downgrade Green-brier from Town Center to Community, and

upgrade B/W and FF/ETL from smaller Neighborhood to larger Community

Centers. Greenbrier is in its infancy so there won't be noticeable change,

and to be downgraded from huge to smaller is a good thing. B/W is already

developed and far surpasses Neighborhood, so it will only get a "name

change." FF/ETL at the present time has only a gas station and a Walgreen.

It is zoned for smaller commercial businesses, and has been described by the

county as the "most controversial" since it will be affected the most.

The amendment could pave the way for Kroger to get the larger,

62,000-square-foot store requested during the first round of rezoning at the

FF/ETL location, and get an 8,000 square foot bonus in the process.

The Neighborhood Center limits largest tenant(s) to 47,000-square-foot

store(s) and total development to 100,000 square feet for the area. The

Community Center allows the largest tenant(s) to have 70,000-square-foot

store(s) and 300,000 square feet in total development.

To ask questions and learn more about the amendment and the effect this

amendment will have on thousands of homeowners and several neighborhoods,

attend Thursday's Planning Commission meeting, 6:30 p.m. at the Government

Complex Auditorium.

Jeri Whitworth

Evans