Oakland Mills residents, who have been living with a vacant lot at the village center for almost a decade, aren?t daunted by County Executive Ken Ulman?s delay in purchasing office space there to revitalize the community.
“We have a lot of patience,” said Oakland Mills Village Manager Sandy Cederbaum.
“We realize things do take time.”
Ulman asked the County Council to defer approval of the purchase of the floor at Meridian Square for additional county office space until he submits that purchase and the renovation of county office buildings as an item in the proposed fiscal 2009 budget.
Ulman this week scrapped plans to build a new office complex in favor of this purchase and renovations.
Ulman?s plan might not delay the construction of Meridian Square, but the county would have to wait until July to purchase the space. Developer Metroventures USA LLC did not return calls for comment.
The timing of Meridian Square is less critical for Oakland Mills residents, who just want to see it built and the county to invest in the redevelopment, Cederbaum said.
The project “looks promising,” she said, adding the developer continues to pursue other tenants.
Oakland Mills Village Board Chairman Bill Woodcock said Ulman?s approach to purchasing the space was likely a better financial plan for the county, and his optimism for the project wasn?t dampened.
Despite the request to withdraw the related measure, the County Council still debated the item during its work session Monday.
Councilman Greg Fox, R-District 5, questioned whether parking was adequate and whether exceptions were made for the project despite not having the necessary amount of parking spaces.
Planning and Zoning Chief Marsha McLaughlin said Meridian Square was considered “somewhat special” because it was a redevelopment project of a long-vacant lot. The county?s regulations, which include parking, don?t account for redevelopment projects that might not have ideal locations.
Councilwoman Mary KaySigaty, D-District 4, similarly raised parking concerns, calling it “troublesome” that the county would buy into a project that relied on street parking, as well as a lot, to accommodate parking.
“It points to a public policy discussion we should have,” she said.
