If at first you don’t succeed …. Downsize!
That seems to be the mantra of the folks who have been looking to develop the parcel that is home to the old Franklin Mint out on Baltimore Pike in Middletown.
Their original plan for a massive “town center” sparked outrage in the community and a very public outcry to halt what they mockingly referred to as “The City.”
The developers apparently got the message. Eventually. And not without a fairly bitter fight.
This week they were back before the public with their revised plan.
I was surprised by a couple of things. This is a much smaller plan. I guess they decided that was the route to go, that something might in fact be better than nothing, or the “by right” plan that likely would have left the region with another office park or big box shopping center.
Their new plan has less of everything, a much less dense plan, especially when it comes to the number of residences.
I’m not so sure that’s a good thing. I was a fan of what they were trying to do. Of course, I am trying desperately to get out of my car, and the allure of a self-contained town center that was close to public transit is something I like. Then again, as I said before, I don’t have to live next to it.
The other thing that surprised me is that the hearing was somewhat sparsely attended.
This has been one of the most heated issues in the county. Maybe it’s just the summer doldrums.
At any rate, developer Frank McKee and the other members of the development team seem to be raising the white flag.
“What we have finally come up with is a plan we hoope you will embrace,” McKee told the council.
The plan will now be subject to a series of public hearings before council takes action on it.
One thing to note here: The public made clear their distaste for the original plan, and were not swayed by any number of developers, PR guys, or even newspaper editors.
They got involved, mobilized and vowed the stop the plan.
Who says you can’t fight city hall? Or at least “The City.”
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