Nowhere else in Baltimore County will you see the damage done by massive job losses than in the 7th District. Over the last 30 years, we have been devastated by the demise of our industrial and manufacturing job base and we saw what most of us have never seen – blighted neighborhoods, vacant commercial property, a decline in property values and, subsequently, a lack of community involvement and pride.
I believe I was elected in 2014 because I was the candidate who not only expressed what had led to our painful situation, but also offered a practical vision on how to reverse the downward spiral and revitalize a community of over 100,000 people. If you have heard me speak, you know that our vision has three components: re-create the job base, increase the quality of the housing stock, and re-energize the commercial corridors.
We take every opportunity to execute on that vision. We are very proud of passing Bill 86-15 which spurred job creation at Tradepoint Atlantic. We are equally as proud of recently passed Resolution 23-18, which approved the County agency review of the proposed development at Sparrows Point Country Club.
The opportunity for a one-of-a-kind, high end waterfront/golf course/marina/country club community in Dundalk is one we, as a District, simply cannot pass up. Once built, there will be nothing like it in Baltimore County, or even the state of Maryland. The project completely fits within our revitalization vision.
Discussed for over 10 years, the project at Sparrows Point Country Club came about through a partnership between the privately owned club and a successful developer. The Council Resolution approving the review of the project was necessary only to include the construction of upscale single-family homes, priced around $500,000 or more, in the project. All other zoning was in place for the proposed townhome sand waterfront villas.
As Resolution 23-18 is a Planned Unit Development, or PUD, we could, by statute, derive a Community Benefit. The adjacent communities, both by shared boundaries and by school district, were consulted and a list of capital projects, some for new community amenities and some to pay homage to our rich history, were negotiated.
We are clearly a district on the rise. Both public and private investment in the 7th District is occurring at unprecedented levels, and opportunities like Tradepoint Atlantic and Sparrows Point Country Club are being captured. We all share a vision for a prosperous, dynamic community, and it is happening right before our eyes.