As you may know, the Crystal Spring area is slated for a huge residential commercial and townhouse development. You may have seen the banner headline in The Capital Friday, January 16 reporting on a hearing before a City Council committee on Crystal Spring. Contrary to the headline and suggestions in the story, the City has NOT accepted the developer's latest plans for Crystal Spring.
A Department of Neighborhood and Environmental Program staffer did report to the two City Councilmen attending that the developer appears to have met some state technical requirements for forest conservation. What they failed to mention, however, was that the plan was far short of gaining approval.
The developers conceded at this hearing that they had not lessened the proposed development's housing units or commercial/retail space. They continue to defy the Mayor and City planners' directives to move all development north of the property's intermittent stream, closest to Forest Drive. Instead, the latest plans still allow bulldozing acres of forest in this southern portion-the part closest to Crab Creek-to build 33 homes, two apartment buildings, a club house, parking, and roadways.
The developers filed their revised plan with another iteration of their Forest Conservation Plan (FCP) on December 31, 2014. Along with their filing they threatened to sue the City if their proposal was not approved - a proposal that would destroy 43 acres of priority, mature contiguous forest that, by law, must be retained and protected.
City employees are now evaluating the developer's FCP; public comment is being accepted until January 30; then the City must rule by February 13. Leaders of our group are busy going over the many documents in the filings and preparing detailed comments as we have done in the past. Previously, the Anne Arundel Group of the Sierra Club sent a 2,000 signature petition to Mayor Mike Pantelides asking him to help prevent the ravaging of the 111-acre Crystal Spring Forest.
Take Action: email the Mayor and write a letter to the editor
Many community groups and prominent Annapolis area residents continue to oppose this massive and destructive development. Please join us as we try to assure common sense prevails and our planning and environmental laws are strictly followed. Send a message to the Mayor urging his opposition to this huge, destructive development.
- Email the Mayor at: mayor@annapolis.gov or call him at 410-263-7997.
- If you live in the City, be sure to let your City Councilman know of your opposition, too.
- Let your County Council Member, Chris Trumbauer, know of your opposition as well: ctrumbauer@aacounty.org.
- Write a letter to the editor of The Capital expressing your opposition to the development. Keep it to 250 words or less and include your mailing address and daytime phone number. You may email your letter to: capletts@capgaznews.com. Or fax: 410-268-4643.
P.S. For updates and more information on Crystal Spring visit www.crystalspringfacts.com