Hitting New Heights at College Park's Edge
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College Park Greenbelt
IT WAS BALLOONS that visitors to the back yard of College Park City Council member John Krouse peered at on Saturday morning, but the concern for many was about something more permanent taking the floating orbs' place in the sky.
Krouse lives within view of the Green Line's Greenbelt terminal, where Greenbelt Station, a mixed-use development with four towers that may soar as high as 18 stories, is planned. The balloons were part of an attempt to demonstrate to residents the size and scope of the coming construction near the Metrorail stop, situated now on a fairly isolated patch of land close to the Capital Beltway.
Rob Goodspeed (who co-founded DCist with this writer in 2004) explains on the Rethink College Park planning blog:
The demonstration included 6 balloons, designed to provide a sense of size to neighborhood residents. The entire complex will include over 2 million square feet of retail and office space, two 150 room hotels, over 1,200 residential units, and a whopping 14,000 parking spaces.
Krouse and some of his fellow residents object to the new buildings' potential height and placement. "[V]astly taller buildings will dramatically affect our skyline, greatly increase reflected railroad noise and light pollution, and may have other serious impacts on our community," he told the College Park Observer.
» "'Greenbelt Station' Proposal Now Includes Four 18-Story Towers" [Rethink College Park]
» "Note from Councilmember Krouse on Greenbelt Metro Development" [College Park Observer]
» "Balloon Demonstration" [Flickr via Rethink College Park]
Photos courtesy Rethink College Park
Rendering courtesy Petrie Ross Ventures via Flickr/Rethink College Park
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