Mayor Weighs Crystal Spring in Latest Blog

Annapolis Mayor Josh Cohen said he would work to ensure the community got the best deal out of a controversial development in a blog outlining his stance on the matter.

Crystal Spring is a proposed 111 acre, mixed-use residential and retail development that will be anchored by a retirement community. Concern among area residents has been focused on the environmental impact and the traffic impact such a large-scale development could have for the Forest Drive area.

Cohen said the proposal so far has been promising, but he lamented the loss of trees in the area. 

"Given the allowable alternatives, Crystal Spring’s concept of a mixed-use village center anchored by a CCRC is a promising option with many potential benefits to our community," Cohen wrote. "Above all, Crystal Spring presents an opportunity to anchor Forest Drive with a much needed sense of place."

Cohen also criticized the size of the project.

"Simply put, I believe the size of the proposed development is too big, and have urged the developers to further reduce the amount of acreage being cleared," he wrote. "I would love to see the forest preserved, and often find myself asking, 'When is enough development enough?'"

Read Cohen's full blog here.

On Wednesday, community members hosted the latest meeting on Crystal Spring. The meetings are intended both to dissiminate facts about the development and to air grievances. The day after the meeting, developers issued a data sheet to members of the press on their intentions.