Tell B.F. Saul and Montgomery County To Do the Right Thing and Sign a Community Benefits Agreement for the Wheaton, Maryland Redevelopment Project
Tell B.F. Saul and Montgomery County To Do the Right Thing and Sign a Community Benefits Agreement for the Wheaton, Maryland Redevelopment Project
The Issue
Do you live in Montgomery County? If so, sign this petition and protect Wheaton's ethnic soul and small businesses!
As early as March 2012, Montgomery County and project developer B.F. Saul may finalize a redevelopment agreement to transform Wheaton, Maryland. B.F. Saul intends to bring significant office space, a hotel, a new town square, and high-rise apartments with first-floor retail to downtown Wheaton.
Since November of 2010, hundreds of residents have urged both parties to transform the area without sacrificing Wheaton’s strengths – its diversity, small businesses, community services, and affordable housing options for low- to moderate-income families.
The community has called for community benefits as part of any redevelopment agreement, including job training and local sourcing of new jobs; short- and long-term support for small businesses; a significant commitment to affordable housing; the relocation of community services that are being displaced by the hotel construction; and a multicultural town square that reflects the area’s diversity.
Without these benefits, Wheaton’s spirit and identity could be lost forever. Small businesses could be displaced and go out of business during construction, the cost of housing could increase beyond the means of Wheaton residents, and important community services could disappear from the area.
To make matters worse, B.F. Saul has no track record of successfully balancing new development while retaining diversity. Montgomery County officials have said making provisions for mitigating the negative impacts of the project is not a short-term priority – even though they intend to invest tens of millions of dollars of public taxpayer money to support B.F. Saul and the project.
Sound fair?
Sign our petition asking B.F. Saul and Montgomery County to agree to the following:
– Reach agreement with the Coalition for the Fair Redevelopment of Wheaton to include into the total project costs a collection of community benefits to preserve Wheaton’s strengths and mitigate the negative impacts of the area’s redevelopment
– Delay finalization of any General Development Agreement until community benefits are included
The Issue
Do you live in Montgomery County? If so, sign this petition and protect Wheaton's ethnic soul and small businesses!
As early as March 2012, Montgomery County and project developer B.F. Saul may finalize a redevelopment agreement to transform Wheaton, Maryland. B.F. Saul intends to bring significant office space, a hotel, a new town square, and high-rise apartments with first-floor retail to downtown Wheaton.
Since November of 2010, hundreds of residents have urged both parties to transform the area without sacrificing Wheaton’s strengths – its diversity, small businesses, community services, and affordable housing options for low- to moderate-income families.
The community has called for community benefits as part of any redevelopment agreement, including job training and local sourcing of new jobs; short- and long-term support for small businesses; a significant commitment to affordable housing; the relocation of community services that are being displaced by the hotel construction; and a multicultural town square that reflects the area’s diversity.
Without these benefits, Wheaton’s spirit and identity could be lost forever. Small businesses could be displaced and go out of business during construction, the cost of housing could increase beyond the means of Wheaton residents, and important community services could disappear from the area.
To make matters worse, B.F. Saul has no track record of successfully balancing new development while retaining diversity. Montgomery County officials have said making provisions for mitigating the negative impacts of the project is not a short-term priority – even though they intend to invest tens of millions of dollars of public taxpayer money to support B.F. Saul and the project.
Sound fair?
Sign our petition asking B.F. Saul and Montgomery County to agree to the following:
– Reach agreement with the Coalition for the Fair Redevelopment of Wheaton to include into the total project costs a collection of community benefits to preserve Wheaton’s strengths and mitigate the negative impacts of the area’s redevelopment
– Delay finalization of any General Development Agreement until community benefits are included
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Petition created on November 29, 2011