Politics & Government

Laurel Mall Redevelopment Site Plan Moves Forward

Council spars over traffic and transportation over future development

The Laurel Council is set to review what could be some of the final plans for the pending Town Center at Laurel.

The project, , is at the site of the former Laurel Mall and city officials are still ironing out plans with the developer. During a Wednesday night work session, council members discussed concerns they had about parking, traffic, and transportation at the development.

A conceptual site plan submitted by the developer calls for the Central Maryland Regional Transit bus hub to remain toward the rear of the property along Fourth Street.

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But the mayor and council offered different opinions on what should be done with the hub, with Mayor Craig Moe favoring a bus line moved closer into the interior and Council member Michael R. Leszcz favoring the hub moved off the site.

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“I’m not sure the hub should be on the site,” he said.

Current plans call for the development to have entrances along Route 1, Cherry Lane, and Fourth Street. Council members said they were concerned about potential traffic problems near the intersection of Greenhill Avenue and Fourth Street.

Moe said he was hopeful traffic issues could be worked out with the developer during the planning process.

“There’s a lot of flexibility,” he said.

The project, which developers hope to have open by 2014, would also include residential units at some later point that would sit near the intersection of Fourth Street and Cherry Lane.

The council will continue discussing the site plan during its Sept. 10 meeting when it is officially introduced.


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