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Jul 1, 2008 11:18 pm US/Eastern
Controversy Arises Over Assisted Living Facility
ROLAND PARK, Md. (WJZ) ―
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There's controversy in Roland Park over the Baltimore Country Club's plan to sell 17 acres of green space to an assisted living facility.
CBS
There's controversy in Roland Park over the Baltimore Country Club's plan to sell 17 acres of green space to an assisted living facility.
Kelly McPherson has more on why hundreds of people in Roland Park are speaking out.
Some say they felt slighted by how the country club made a deal with the health care facility without community input. Many more say they don't want this kind of development where they could have a park.
The green space owned by the Baltimore County Club is not a public park, but Roland Park neighbors have come to rely on these grounds to define the neighborhood.
"We were really hoping they would talk with the civic league and maybe the city about turning it into a park," said Tom Shepley.
About two weeks ago, the country club announced its deal to sell the area to Keswick Multi-Care Center. Although the designs have not been made public, Keswick plans a complex that will serve about 300 elderly people.
Of the 17 acres involved in the land sale, Keswick says seven of the acres would remain green space and all 400 parking spaces would be underground.
Hundreds living in Roland Park say this still is not the deal for them.
"All in all, I think Roland Park is such a beautifully planned community that throwing this in the middle of it isn't part of the plan," says Jenny Garbarino.
Two Roland Park civic groups offered to buy the land three times in the past. Now the groups say they're getting the cold shoulder. Officials from the country club say that's not the case.
Keswick is buying the land for $12.5 million. The next step will be for two-thirds of the country club members to approve this deal. Then there will be many more steps to get the land re-zoned.
Many state and city politicians attended Tuesday night's meeting. Many promised to get involved in the deal so the community has a bigger say in what happens to the country club property.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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