What did the petition say, exactly?

My wife and I moved to Reisterstown 3 years ago because we liked the area and the potential we saw. Unfortunately, it is becoming clear many residents are content with run down abandon buildings that just further drive our community's property and overall value down. Any progress seems to be stifled. This makes it very hard for my wife and I to want to stay and raise children here.

I signed these petitions but now I feel as though I was misled. I was told that the goal of these petitions was to prevent developers from deciding what to do to county land and to leave this power with the voters. I don't know what I will do the next time someone asks me to sign their petition on my way into the grocery store.

I just don't see where Cordish feels he should be the only top developer in Maryland. Free enterprise is for all including his competition. He can make all the money in the world, but he can't take it with him.

I too feel like I was lied to. Even the pamphlet that they gave me did say all of that. I am calling the election board Monday. If it does go to vote..I will vote for the rezoning. We want competition to come in. We want better businesses to build up our community. I was under that impression that it would stop the idea of the Police station going to the old Seagram's plant the they would build businesses in Eastfield. David Cordish needs to build up Carrol Island. Most of these big time owners are slum lords. Shame on them..I will make sure I
let everyone know before Election.

If you have been misled, like i'm sure most have, please remove your signature. Here is how: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=508103515867269&set=a.442166749127613.105954.442104229133865&type=1&theater

There is a counter-petition to keep Wegman's that is floating around--I signed it at the metro station.

Never sign anything no matter how great it sounds (I.e. citzens having their say) without getting the literature and researching the issue on your own.

A petition should never be signed unless you already have a passion or feel for the issue. If you sign in passing, it's your own fault for not being better educated to the issues. The folks that are gathering signatures depend on the apathetic to gain the numbers needed.

Mr Brown is so foolish! People interested in building apartments in Metro Centre.would like to have a nearby Wegmans to lure renters to their properties. Offices, also would be more desireable if workers had such a quality place to shop on their way home. Except for the library and community colllege, Metro Centre offers nothing of note but the Metro to attract tenants and business, and the Metro might be a disincentive.

Wow, I can not believe that they collected all of those signatures! They clearly mislead Balt Co voters in order to get our signatures on the petition. I too was asked to sign the petition a couple of weeks ago while leaving the Safeway shopping center in Owings Mills. They definitely used a different approach from their first attempt this summer "say no to solo" this time they decided to mask their intentions, mislead and/or lie to gain signatures! They were even at the Towson court house last week stopping people as they entered and exited the buildings asking for signatures. I knew not to sign, I just wish that others knew as well.

The people have spoken. That is where the real power is.

Some Dumbos will sign anything put in front of them. This and the DREAM Act petition prove that conclusively.

.......and once you get sign your name into a Haterbase it stays there forever..

http://www.scribd.com/doc/100970895/Civil-Marriage-Petition-Signers-July-12-2012

I'm not a fan of this petition. I want to see Middle River Station developed. My understanding is that the other process (if voted in) would threaten that.

Sure.... lets build offices, prop up Giant foods, tear down a mall, and keep Reisterstown from getting a wonderful store like Wegmans so that the big boys can keep making money by neglecting the residents of another choice regarding their foos shopping, Thanks for misleading the residents of this area with your ruthless petition campaign. Wherever I look there is no honor in the public sector.

The REAL issue in this situation has been deflected again -- namely, traffic and how Reisterstown Road will support the dramatic influx of cars (and delivery trucks) that Foundry Row will assuredly bring. The developers of Foundry Row have promised a traffic study, but have not delivered it. They suggest they will kick-in $7 million to fix the nearby roads, when experts say $56 million is needed. For those of you that regularly travel that area, can you imagine adding nearly 400,000 square feet of retail space -- the equivalent of nearly THREE Wegmans -- to an intersection that is already failing? No one has ever said they don't want Wegmans in Owings Mills. But, not there. Show me the traffic study!

chuck, it's about time the people started to learn a thing or two about their government.

This country was built on the foundation of the vote. Shame on the clueless.

If the people don't like the "big boys", vote them out - sure! Most people don't even know who their councilperson is. The city turnout was a disgrace as was the county primary.

Chuck - not sure what plan you're looking at but GG is not planning on widening Reisterstown Road. They plan on eliminating a left turn onto St. Thomas (who knows where all that tyical traffic will go) and use the turn lane as an extra lane. Hunt Valley has 9 lanes from 83 to the town center - this is no where near that. Also, there is no turn lane from Painters Mill - it is eliminated and all right turning vehicles need to wait for the light to turn. The 4th light on Painters Mill in 500 yards will not solve anything but make it worse. GG's road behind Wegmans dead ends into the Wal-Mart and has no right to go thru Wal-Mart. GG is trying to get the State to pay for Reisterstown Road work - the $7M is a lot of on site road work. Also, the County makes developers fix intersections away from their site affected by a new development all the time. Please get your facts right at the same time you're accusing others of distorting the truth.

Chuck they are subject to our vote, not the developers or special interest. When enough people learn how to watch, they will learn how to govern.

Chuck:

You are so right! Because one "big boy" got one councilperson on their side, we now all face this mess. Councilmatic courtesy then ensued and the zoning was approved. Now, thanks to the referendum, the general public will finally have their say. Maybe the system will indeed work in the end.

Seems to me like adding Wegman's to the Owings Mills Mall might be the compromise which fixes more than one set of problems... and dilutes the traffic issues too.

Has anyone looked into that?

Chuck - about as many times as they said No to Hunt Valley Mall - which was a lot - until the County said they could not go to Padonia Road. Also, you have so many facts wrong about Solo that it makes these blogs so unbelievable. First of all - GG is adding a 4th traffic light on Painters Mill between Dolfield, Music Fair and Reisterstown - no device is making that reasonable. They also are not adding any new lanes on Reisterstown Road - too expensive for them to move BGE poles and lose land. The right turn lanes from Painters Mill to Reisterstown dead end into the intersection - there is NO merge lane on Reisterstown Road - these cars have to wait for a green light to merge onto Reisterstown Road. As for eminent domain on other intersections, the County and/or the State have rights of way dedicated to them The County can make GG use the rights of way and pay for the work. Also, do you have any idea who owns the Wal-Mart site and controls the access - Cordish and Brown - think they're going to want a service road for Wegmans thru their site? What good is a dead end service road - all of the traffic goes back to Painters Mill or Reisterstown. Please try to understand you're dealing with complicated matters and your facts should be right before statements are made.

I agree with Charles Schrumpf. My husband and I moved here over two years ago seeing all the potential. It's very discouraging to see the petition. Although, it does seem many people were mislead and that makes me feel better. Who doesn't want our area to grow and make it more desirable for people to live and stay!

Please, enough with the mis-led claim. You are insulting everyone's intelligence to suggest that 70,000 signatures are the result of mis-leading practices. Did you not get an index card that outlined the situation, quite clearly? Did you not visit the www.fixthemaps.com website? When it comes to mis-leading information, start with the lack of a traffic study to look at the Painters Mill/RR intersection. It has not been done.

Chuck - you're kidding - right. The new left turn lane is the old middle lane whch is eliminated with the concrete median GG is putting in Reisterstown Road. Thousands of cars a week make a left from Reisterstown Road onto St. Thomas or a left from St. Thomas to Reisterstown Road. Where are those cars going with a concrete median stopping them. Well the only answer will be Owings Mills Blvd or Greenspring Valley Road - neither of which can handle that traffic. The State should require a new light at St. Thomas. Also, you must know nothing about the development business. The State and the County make developers pay for things like off site roads and utilities all the time. As for Wal-Mart - they have a lease - they don't own. Right now the road you speak about serves Wal-Mart clients leaving to Reisterstown Road between. Home Depot and the Giant center. There is no way Wal-Mart will want their parking lot - yes the access road goes thru their lot and has spaces backing into it becoming a thoroughfare for pass thru traffic. I imagine Brown and Cordish's lease does not allow Wal-Mart to give anyone rights over their property. Ask a GG representative if they have the right to go through Wal-Mart - I'd be interested in knowing the answer.

Chuck:

You continue to demonstrate how little you understand about retailing and real estate. Wal-Mart knows exactly where its customers come from and where and when it should open a new or expanded store. The new Liberty Road location represents a new market for them, and is not a replacement for the one in Owings Mills. They open multiple stores to "block out" competition of their concept, specifically Target. Using your argument, why would Wegmans come to Owings Mills when they have Hunt Valley? You are a passionate community member and care about where you live, which is great. We need more people like you.

I was approached by the pushy lady with the clipboard weeks ago at the Pikesville Giant. The stupid "sheeple" she approached were all signing. I surprised her by saying that I trust Vicki Almond to make the right decision.

I approached by a pudgy man at the Shoppers Food Market located in Towson on Goucher Blvd and Joppa Road. That man even asked me out for coffee.

Chuck - I'm actually on board with what you're saying...especially regarding the walmart situation. Living between the two locations I will choose to go to the new super walmart where I can do all of my shopping rather than the rundown walmart on reisterstown road. However, I'm sure this walmart will be just as rundown in a matter of time so back to Target it will be for me. As far as the petition, it sickens me that they felt the need to go as far as misleading people to get the signatures. And for those of you saying people weren't misled...you are probably the very ones who were out there vaguely informing the public why you were looking for signatures in areas where the people could care less.

Blue Alpha, Traffictraffic, Nothowitworks - It's not hard to tell what side you're apparently working for.