The location of this sign is below:
This is very troubling for folks like me who own a townhome in Riverdale Park Station that is on Woodberry. (The first 39 units located in Buildings 1-4)
We all have nothing but nature in our backyards and we were told by Stanley Martin that there was no chance of anyone ever building behind our units because the metro owned the land. We were even charged lot premiums because of this fact
I verified that the metro does own this land... see below:
This is from the public land inventory site at:
mncppc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=449e17560f0f477aa01ac66a4a95ae1d
Once I found that grid and parcel number I was able to get to get the tax record:
According to the records WMATA now owns the land and it was sold from Cafritz to WMATA back in 1989.
http://sdat.dat.maryland.gov/RealProperty/Pages/viewdetails.aspx?County=17&SearchType=ACCT&District=19&AccountNumber=2128098
Also strange is that the listing company, NAI Michael does NOT have any property listed at the location of the sign.
http://www.naimichael.com/properties.aspx
So maybe there is nothing to worry about here, but still the location of the sign is troubling.
I called NAI Michael one week ago to inquire about the land and did not get a response even after leaving a message.
I am hoping someone with more time than I have can figure something out here. The phone number listed on the sign goes straight to a messaging service.
Another homeowner got confirmation from the mayor that the land is for sale.
WMATA may be testing the waters to see what interest their is. I don't know pf any reason that a small retail use could't go there. The lot is about 200 feet wide, so one would need to develope to a depth of about 200 to 300 feet to have about an acre of property with access only from Baltimore Avenue.
ReplyDeleteThis is worrying. Has Stanley Martin said anything about this?
ReplyDeleteAnother homeowner got confirmation from the mayor that the land is for sale.
DeleteWow. I honestly don't know what to say. I purchased a home on that street on the promise that nothing was going to be built there. Smh.
DeleteWe all did... Currently it is only zoned for single family detached housing, which would be very difficult to build on that tiny strip of land. We need to watch and make sure no one tries to rezone this after buying it. I would think that would be the only reason someone would buy it (if they could rezone after buying)
DeleteAbsolutely. I wouldn't be surprised if the person who attempts to purchase would try to ensure rezoning could happen before they actually buy. I'm not part of the facebook group (I don't have a facebook account). If you don't mind, generally speaking, how do the other homeowners feel about this? I'm concerned that if something does get built back there, it will ultimately, negatively impact all our home values.
DeleteRiverdale Park Station still has a lot of potential and I genuinely one it to do well. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't concerned about the sluggish pace in (non-food) retail and whether the hotel is still coming.
I thought we had everyone in the Facebook group in the first few buildings. :) The problem with the Facebook group is it is so active and not everyone checks it all of the time... so stuff can get buried like my post. I checked and only 22 of the 93 members saw my post. Since I posted there already has been > 10 other posts... A few folks commented they were concerned but I am betting most folks are still unaware. Spread the word to folks you talk to...
DeleteAnonymous #1 here. Yeah, I've never been into Facebook but I understand the need to keep the group private. I intend on speaking with Stanley Martin about this. I know they don't own the land but they really hyped up the back woods in their selling pitch and added a lot premium/high impact lot fees to their price because of it. But please keep us all updated. It's super appreciated. I only know as much as I do because of your efforts. Thank you!
DeleteI have a friend who has been trying to lease space in RP for the past 6 months and the landlord's management team is very unprofessional, theyre going to ruin that development if theyre not careful.
DeleteI've heard that from a few people now.
DeleteThere are a lot of people who read this blog and are not a meber of the Facebook group and are worried about this. Keep us updated.
ReplyDeleteCounty Council Chairman Glaros lives in Riverdale Park. What are her thoughts/knowledge about WMATA's decision to put the property up for sale?
ReplyDeleteI don't think many folks know about this since WMATA and NAI Michael have been keeping this pretty hush hush.. Please spread the word to her if you know her and let her know the homeowners here are disappointed about it. I bet the folks on Calvert Hills are also unaware.
DeleteWhat were the construction team thinking with those small parking spaces ??
ReplyDeleteHA! They are not as small as they appear when you see cars in them.
DeleteNot sure if it was confirmed to you guys as homeowners but WMATA officially has that land up for sale.
ReplyDeleteYes.. I posted a confirmation in the comments back in November... I probably should have actually updated the post as well. :)
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