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"But I don't want to quibble with you. We both agree the Cafritz site can be developed with some level of TOD. We apparently disagree over whether this is the appropriate type and scale of development. And we strongly disagreee about whether the county should direct or permit that scale of development on that site when its Metro stations remain empty or underutilized. (Why add transit services and infrastructure when you're not using the ones you have effectively? Bad policy and economic choice, IMO.)"

Do you think DC should not build street cars till every mero station EOTR is built out? That Virginia should not have built the Silver Line while Huntington metro is still not fully converted to TOD?

I don't think your strategy is realistic. While its certainly worthwhile to conserve transit $$ and not to spend a lot to create alternatives while TOD areas are available, one needs to understand the limits on the local govts ability to control where development goes, especially when there are factors limiting development at existing transit stations.

In this case you have a property close to a MARC station, on a potential light rall route, in between a metro station/light rail junction thats at a major university, and a new walkable area (hyattsville arts district). I would suggest that if this ISN't going to be build at fairly high density, it would be better to keep it vacant so it can be built at higher density in the future, after more of PGs stations are more built out, the purple line is there, and the rte 1 light rail is looked at more seriously. To build at lower densities might foreclose future options.

Of course there are probably arent policy levers to keep it vacant.

by AWalkerInTheCity on Feb 1, 2012 5:00 pm • link • report