Traffic, Size of Building Are Concerns of Proposed Medical Building in Catonsville

An overwhelming majority of residents who spoke Thursday night at a community meeting to present plans of a medical building on Kenwood Avenue said they do not want the building constructed.

Steve Whalen, the project’s developer and Catonsville resident, met with other community members to discuss benefits and concerns. The concern that came up again and again was traffic.

“The traffic is bad enough in the morning when school is in session, when you add traffic flow for a medical building, it will be that much worse.  It’s only a two-lane road,” said Greg Riddle who lives at Kenwood Gardens Condominiums directly across from the proposed building site. 

The medical office space would feature a three-floor parking garage and four stories of offices on top, 85,000 square feet total. 

The proposed project is a , which allows the develop more flexibility when going through the development process. A PUD also requires public meetings to gather input from the community.

“PUD is an opportunity for us to go to the county and say ‘this is what we want”, Whalen said.

Part of being a PUD site is to identify the neighborhood in which they would be building and make their architectural design compatible with those existing.  Many residents at the meeting voiced concerns that, despite the neo-classical design, a building that size did not fit in the existing neighborhoods.  Whalen countered this by pointing out that the area is zoned for office use. 

This building plan offers smart growth because building upwards would occupy less space, he said.

In order to address the community's concerns with traffic Whalen Properties hired a traffic engineer to redesign the area potential congestion issues near the I-695 ramp. 

Whalen also promised the residents a permanent four-way traffic signal at intersection the intersection of Wilkens and Kenwood Avenue.

Also, Whalen Properties would be installing security cameras around the property which would add protection to the parking lot of Kenwood Gardens Condominium since they would pick up activity there as well. 

Currently, the building proposal is waiting for feedback from various government agencies, according to Whalen.  Their comments will be given to Councilman Tom Quirk, who will review comments and make a decision to submit the plans to council for approval.  

The building site has potential tenants.  Orthopedic Associates of Central Maryland have expressed interest in signing a 15-year contract on one floor of the building.  Their current lease is up in April of 2013, which does make the schedule tight but possible, Whalen said.