Obviously, this is a sensitive subject, and I don’t want to be the one that yells "FIRE!" in a crowded building.  This is a legitimate concern for folks, so I wanted to break the issue down a little bit here.

WILL VALUES RISE?

     Home values are very likely to be impacted, but it’s going to mean different things to different people, and location is a key factor.  Let’s start by looking at some of the positive impact angles first, and we’ll discuss negative impact in a bit.

    As we say in the real estate business, the three biggest impacts on value are location, location, location.  Not only is it important to consider the location of your home, but also it’s surrounding location. 

If you were to look at two identical homes, one in Indian Head and one in La Plata, which would be more valuable? 

    Most likely, the property in La Plata would be worth more.  Why?  A couple of reasons. 

    First, it’s interesting to note that for D.C. Commuters, a home in Indian Head is likely to be the same commute time (or less) than La Plata would be, and the commute to the Indian Head Naval Base would even be shorter.  La Plata, however, has a more developed local atmosphere.  There are more communities, more shopping, etc.  While Indian Head provides more space and generally larger lot sizes, The draw towards the community atmosphere is undeniable.

    Secondly, there is an added convenience to living in La Plata.  The ability to get groceries, clothing, electronics, auto supplies, furniture, etc. without having to drive more than a few miles from your home is a must for many people.  Trying to accomplish the same goal in Indian Head is difficult, and the fact that amenities such as this are less convenient means that some people wouldn’t even consider living there.  This trends both ways mind you, but as development in Waldorf and La Plata has proven, there are more people looking for convenience than there are looking for that added person space.

    When you consider that a development project like Kohl’s is adding to the shopping choices and convenience of the area, there’s no doubt that it will help to increase the value of living in La Plata because it makes life here more convenient.

    Also, Quailwood residents in particular can attest to the fact that there is a trend of previous sales that shows properties on Quailwood Parkway sell faster than homes on the smaller side streets.  Again, this is due to the convenience of the location.  Those homes are seen by more people driving through the neighborhood that are looking to buy a home.  People still find and buy homes that they saw while "passing through" the neighborhood.

    I have a home currently listed for sale on 111 Quailwood Parkway.  Anybody that passes through with home buying in mind is likely to see my listing and sign.  If they like the look of the home, they’re likely to call me about it.  If another identical home is for sale in Quailwood, but tucked away on a  quiet cul-de-sac, it is less likely to be seen.  The convenience of the location has helped to promote and sell the home, even though an identical property may be available on a less traveled road.

    People are complaining right now about potential road traffic increases that Kohl’s would bring because of people using their neighborhood as a short cut to avoid Rt. 301.  This may be something that you’re opposed to, and I can’t say that I would blame you!  I am very happy with the fact that I live on a quiet road myself, and would not be happy with living on a higher traffic road.  It may be a cold comfort, but the fact is that IF more traffic were to pass through Oriole Ln.  It would create greater visibility for homes that were up for sale in that immediate area and may assist in helping them to sell faster.

WILL VALUES FALL?

    I have spoken briefly on why prices may fall before, but there’s a lot of details involved in how prices may be negatively impacted.

    The BIGGEST reason that home prices may be damaged is because of the VIEW (again; location, anyone?).  IF (and this is a very BIG if, I cannot say for certain what the final outcome will be)  The Kohl’s store were to be visible from people’s homes and/or back yards, that could be potentially detrimental to the overall ability to sell the home in the future.  There are lots of homes that don’t have a view of a loading dock, so unless you find a buyer who loves loading docks, there would need to be a reduction in value to sell a home with such a concern.

    I say IF because we simply don’t KNOW what the final view will be.  Trees may help obscure the view, they may even solve the problem entirely, but it is possible(not certain!) that the immediate vicinity of the store could cause a negative impact.  There’s a good analogy of the negative impact here.

    As I said at the begging of this blog, I don’t want to be yelling "FIRE!", or causing panic, but these are concerns that need to be addressed.

    If Oriole Ln. became a popular way for people to avoid taking 301 to get to Kohl’s, it can potentially diminish the quality of life for people living in the affected areas, yes.  While this may be less desirable to you, it is difficult to say that it would directly diminish the value of the homes on Oriole Ln.  Bear in mind that the average time on market for homes on Quailwood Pkwy. is less than that of other homes in the community, so while living on a road with less traffic may be more desirable, it is not seen by potential buyers as much as a home on a busier road.

WRAP UP

This is development is going to affect different homeowners in different ways.  There is a clearly defined benefit for some residents, and some *possible* drawbacks for others.  What’s nice about the added convenience is that it helps the region grow and offer added convenience.  It is the associated inconveniences that are upsetting people, and rightfully so. 

The NIMBY (Not In MY Back Yard) concept is being played out very clearly for local residents to see.  The question is:  When all is said and done, who are the winners (The Developer; Some Residents)?  The losers(Possibly residents with a diminished view)? and what side do you fall under?

Questions? Ideas? Comments?  Call or Email me!

~Jonathan Benya
Century 21 New Millennium
9405-A Chesapeake St
La Plata, MD 20646
301-609-9000
301-653-8116
Waldorf and Southern Maryland Real Estate
Southern Maryland Real Estate Blog

    There was a very large crowd of people in attendance, mostly residents of the subdivisions that would be affected by the Kohl’s development plan.  Quite a few people spoke out regarding both Kohl’s and the traffic light proposal, and they were in large part opposed to the potential development.

    There’s a few thoughts that have been running through my mind since the meeting, and I think it’s important to look at this development plan from all angles.

TRAFFIC CONCERNS

     People are worried about drivers using their community as a pass-through to get to Kohl’s.  I agree that traffic will become more problematic as people look to these communities as a short cut to their destination, and people should be concerned.

    Residents have been told that Oriole Ln. itself cannot be closed because of emergency vehicle access.  Several residents have pitched the idea of closing off the community access  to Rt. 301 completely by closing Oriole Ln.  I think that the idea of shutting off access into the community is a smart idea! 

    How about this:  Turn that section of Oriole Ln. between where Kohl’s entrance is and where the Hawthorne Green homes begin into a restriced use (i.e., emergency vehicles only) zone?  This would allow Police, Fire and EMS access while preventing people from cutting through the area for convenience.

HOME VALUE CONCERNS

    I’ve heard a lot of people voicing concern over what this Kohl’s project is going to do to their home values.  In previous posts I mentioned that people who may have a view of the proposed project are at risk of home devaluation.  This proposal affects more than just those specific homes in Hawthorne Green, however, and I will discuss the potential impact further in my next post.

~Jonathan Benya

Waldorf and Southern Maryland Real Estate

Southern Maryland Real Estate Blog

    La Plata has been my favorite locale in the county for quite some time now, and I have very fond memories of going to Golden Corral and Johnny Boy’s as a child, and I remember being heart-broken when I was off at college and the tornado came through, devastating the small town I loved.

    Perhaps we have the tornado to thank for the changes, or maybe La Plata is simply a town who’s time is due, but if residents want to maintain the atmosphere we all know and love, then smart development is what we really need.

    In the past few years we’ve seen Wal-Mart throw it’s hat into the ring, building their store in a prime location (despite their failure to build a Supercenter), with Target following closely on their heels.  Safeway built themselves a shiny new building in a shiny new location, Petco did the same, along with Applebee’s, multiple drug stores, and plenty of smaller businesses.  Add to that list the upcoming Lowes, Home Depot, another Starbucks, and (possibly) Kohl’s.

    All of this development was non-existent just a few short years ago, but suddenly La Plata has become the hot new market to build a business.  Here’s the rub: Everything that has been built/proposed is doing little more than continue to fracture the small-town feel of La Plata.

    If residents look to other highly developed localities that still have that homely feel, they’ll notice one thing that La Plata has not done, and the difference is glaring:  Pedestrian accessibility.  Take a stroll through Old Town Alexandria, and you’ll notice that the area, despite is incredible population density, still manages to retain a comfortable and unique sense of familiarity.  The variety of stores is impressive, and it thrives on the individuality of the area.

    Now look at Waldorf.  Built as a road town on a popular trucking route (just like La Plata), Waldorf was built as a series of small mini-strip malls with a couple of stores each and shopping was inconvenient until the mall came in.  Interestingly enough, the latest shopping center in Waldorf is starting to take on a life of it’s own thanks to the convenience and variety of stores, from Starbucks to Petco to TGI Friday’s, it’s added much needed variety to the local shopping choices.  Combine it with accessibility to both the Ice Rink and Best Buy, and now you have a popular shopping destination!

     But WHERE does this exist in La Plata?  More importantly, where are the plans to establish this?  In my mind, the biggest mistake in Waldorf development was the absence of attractive shopping with pedestrian accessibility.  Take Bowie Town Center, for example.  There you have an attractive, well planned location to get your shopping done.  In Waldorf, you’re starting to see smaller versions of this trying to compete with the mall.  But what does La Plata have?

    Simply put, it doesn’t.  Looking for electronics?  Try Target.  but if you want to shop elsewhere for clothing, hop in your car and drive to Wal-Mart.  Still not what you want?  Hop in the car again, try Kohl’s.  No?  Well, I’m sure they’ll build something else in another location you’ll have to drive to. (and probably cross Rt. 301 as well).

    As for the new Kohl’s, well, it’s possible a few people may be able to see it from their back yard, but plant a few trees and it’s no big deal, right?  Wrong!  La Plata is simply not the sort of town where building big box stores up against private homes is necessary.  If it were, then we’d need to see an inviting pedestrian oriented environment, which La Plata does NOT have.

    In all honesty I’d love to see a cozy walkable main street in La Plata (No, Charles Street doesn’t cut it, although it may have the potential), but for now, let’s start to consider how we approach new development in a different fashion.  I like the fact La Plata is dedicated to ensuring the look and feel of new construction in the area, that’s a big part of it. 

    But why not have a plan to bring shopping closer together, where pedestrians can stroll through breezeways in the center, and enjoy a mixture of chain stores as well as independent shopkeepers?  A location to take the kids in the winter to enjoy holiday displays in windows and colorful lights hanging from ornamental lamp-posts?  Think of the impact that a well developed, easily accessible, central location for shopping would be rather than continuing to hodge-podge development into whatever tract of land still has trees sitting on it?

    I understand that a plan like this does not materialize on it’s own, but what if the town or county developed a plan in partnership with a developer?  It could ensure that the town will preserve it’s atmosphere while allowing the region to flourish into a destination that all of Southern Maryland could be proud of.

~Jonathan Benya
Century 21 New Millennium
Charles County Real Estate Home
Southern Maryland Real Estate Blog

The town hall meeting was geared specifically to residents in the subdivisions of Jamestowne, Quailwood, and Hawthorne Green.  So why all the fuss?  Well, for a couple of very good reasons.  I have included a map showing the proposed site location so all of you know what was proposed (understand this is only for reference, and should not be taken as any sort of guarantee in regards to location, size, etc.). You can click on the image to expand to full size.

Location

The red box is the proposed location for the Kohl’s Department store, as well as a bank and some sort of smaller retail location, according to the developer who spoke at the meeting.  The yellow and blue blocks show the location of the Pepsi plant on 301 and another possible location for future development.

Concerns

One of the biggest issues that residents were worried about was the traffic.  According to the developer, the entrance/exit to Kohl’s would have to be on Oriole Ln., which is currently a 2 lane residential road that leads into the immediate subdivisions.  It would require that another traffic light be added to Oriole Ln, and the developer claims that it will not cause any additional traffic congestion by having an additional light on Rt. 301, but many local residents did not share his confidence.

Another large concern was the environmental impact of the whole project.  There is a possibility that some residents may be able to see the store from their back yard, and there were also concerns about water runoff, noise pollution, and sound pollution.

Residents were eager to offer alternative site locations, but the fact is that this plan is for the location more so than it is for Kohl’s.  It just so happens that Kohl’s is the store that is being proposed, but they are not the developer nor did they.  Local residents need to decide if the town should allow any sort of development to proceed, and if not, there needs to be a reason why they come to that decision.

Touchy Subject

Residents who have their homes backing up to the property claimed they were told that “It would never be developed”.  At the time they purchased, there were no known plans for development there, but they were fed a fairly common line from the company that built their homes.  If it’s not in a land trust of some sort, there’s always the risk it’ll be developed.  Especially when the land is as valuable as this 10 acre parcel on 301.

Can that be enough reason to stop the development?  Well, the developer has claimed to have a plan to prevent the residents from being disturbed by building a wall and planting trees, so at least there’s some sort of offer being made, and it shows the town that the developer is willing to address local concerns.

What About Traffic?

The traffic concern is a big issue here.  If a traffic light were to be added on 301 at Oriole Ln, the developer says that it won’t slow traffic significantly on 301.  Do YOU agree?  I’m not a traffic expert, but I’d like to to study any sort of traffic proposal that claims another light would help.  Granted, if Kohl’s were to go there a light would be NEEDED to help get people in and out of Kohl’s and to discourage them from joyriding through a residential subdivision.  How badly will it slow traffic on 301 though?  That’s the study I want to see.

Will It Affect Home Values?

Ah, there it is….. the $100,000 question…. (or more, depending on the value of your home).  A homeowner that’s getting hit in the pocketbook so that a developer can make an extra buck can yell louder and faster than any other force known to man!  It only makes sense, really.  Why should someone else be allowed to get rich while his actions cause your finances to sink?

Well, think of it this way….  We all know that real estate is all about 3 things: Location, Location, Location, right?  So, consider a scenario for just a moment:

You have to move to Georgia tomorrow.  You have your choice of 2 small, quaint towns.  Town “A” forces you to drive 15 minutes to get to any sort of shopping beyond the grocery store and the auto parts store.  Town “B” has a couple of discount department stores, pet stores, office supply stores, multiple eateries, etc.  Which do you choose?

If you can get all of the amenities you enjoy in the small town feel you want, the choice is simple, right?  Who wouldn’t want the convenience if that small town feel was still there.  Town “B” wins.

Oh,  Sorry, I forgot to mention.  If you decided on town “B”, you have to live behind one of the department stores, But don’t worry, it’s got a scenic view…… At night if you look out from your second floor window you might be able to see the night shift employees having a smoke break on the loading dock…..

Not as appealing right?  That’s they catch to it all.  It has the possibility of dragging down values on the homes most directly impacted by it’s location, but overall, it has a chance to raise values overall by raising the local quality of life.  What’s key here is to get out, and make your voice be heard!  If you’ve got something to say or a concern you want addressed, now is the time to do it!

Call your local members of the town council, speak up at the next town hall meeting!  I’ll continue to keep up to date on the project, and as soon as I know more I’ll post it here!

~Jonathan Benya    j.benya@c21nm.com
Century 21 New Millennium
9405-A Chesapeake St.
La Plata, MD 20646
301-653-8116
Southern Maryland and La Plata Real Estate Website
Southern Maryland Real Estate Blog Home

La Plata Town Hall is the location for a meeting at 7 p.m. Jan. 14
between representatives of Kohl’s department store and members of the
Quailwood, Hawthorne Greene and Jamestown communities to discuss the
proposed construction of the store on Oriole Lane in town. La Plata
Town Council members will be on hand to discuss the community’s issues
and concerns regarding the proposal. Town hall is at 305 Queen Anne St.

If you’re a Charles County resident, you should be there!  This is another MAJOR development proposal in your back yard, and you deserve to know what’s going on!  I’ll be there this evening, and I hope you will to!

~Jonathan Benya

Century 21 New Millennium

Waldorf and Southern Maryland Real Estate

Southern Maryland Real Estate Blog