Letter to the Editor: Residents Oppose Towson Fire Station Development Proposal

Dear Editor:  

Our safety and the integrity of our communities should come first. Unfortunately, rather than serve these needs, the current bid to replace the Towson fire station with a Royal Farms gas station at the corner of York and Bosley Roads would imperil them.

We strongly oppose the proposal, and sincerely hope that the County Executive and our County Councilman will step in and protect us from the ill effects of this unwise plan.   We represent many of the residents of the Morningside Community Association, an association of homeowners who would be most affected by the Royal Farms proposal. Many of us are also part of the West Towson Community Association, whose residents would also be impacted by this proposal. Some of us have lived here for more than four decades. Many of us have children attending local schools here. We all pay taxes here. We love our community, and we love Towson. And in our view, the current plan to develop our neighborhood falls short for a variety of reasons.   

First, we are concerned that the current proposal is harmful to human health and public safety. We fear the adverse environmental effects of a gas station so close to our homes and our children, particularly when NIH studies have documented the dangers of living in close proximity to gas stations because of the high level of harmful carcinogens they emit. Indeed, if we needed a concrete example of the harmful effects of placing a gas station so close to residential properties, we have only to recall our neighbors to the north on Jarrettsville Pike and what they suffered as a result of living too close to an Exxon gas station. Moreover, aside from adverse environmental risks, we believe the current proposal for a twenty-four hour convenience store would bring with it increased opportunities for crime and the resultant loss of life and property. Finally, we believe the current proposal moves the existing fire station to an inferior location, farther from the very lives and homes that depend on such vital services. Our health and well-being should come first, and should not be for sale to the highest bidder.   

Second, we fail to see how the Royal Farms bid could be considered “smart growth.” In our view, it only violates the integrity of our neighborhood without fulfilling any community need. There are already gas stations within a stone’s throw of this proposed property (the Exxon and the Shell on York Road), and there is another gas station in the heart of Towson itself on the corner of Joppa and Virginia. Simply put, we do not need another gas station. Moreover, current traffic patterns already make that intersection congested at peak hours; adding this kind of use would only make matters worse, if not intolerable. Furthermore, we certainly do not need the additional light pollution that would come with this proposal. Indeed, we only need to recall the lawsuit filed by our neighbors in the south, Bengies Drive-In, to know what kind of neighbors a Royal Farms store will be when it comes to light pollution. In short, with the current proposal, we would be trading away public lands which provide vital services for something we do not need, and which would come with negative externalities that would only harm the integrity of the community we love.  

Third, on a more fundamental level, we are disappointed that the County would embrace this bid in the first place. Good government solves problems for its residents in a responsible manner. If the County is in need of additional funds to upgrade the fire station or build more schools, the responsible solution would be to cut excess spending, increase taxes, and/or sell bonds. Trading away public lands that protect our very health and safety just for a quick injection of cash into the County’s coffers with little thought of the long-term ramifications is not a wise course to follow.   

We implore the County Executive and the County Council to act swiftly to protect our safety and to safeguard our neighborhood. Please reject the current Royal Farms proposal and embrace a project that fulfills a substantiated need, preserves our community, and above all, safeguards our health.   

Respectfully,   

Peter and Pam Andrews  

Matt and Cheri Belski  

Michael Burke and Henry Strohminger  

Matthew and Alene Crenson  

Kevin and Corinne Dunne 

 Bob and Ann Fingles  

Brent and Martha Francis  

Dennis and Peggy King  

Tom and Lou Krause  

Ken and Mary Beth Lovas  

Jason and Kelly Medinger  

Chris and Lori Preston  

Cristina M. Puig-Lugo  

Marty and Karma Quinn  

Jim and Nicole Risser  

Marc and Maddy Sigrist  

Joe and Donna Small  

Amy Taylor