"The second phase of the development process would also bring in more than 900 housing units, something one former councilman, John MacKinney, pointed out was similar to the number of houses in University Park itself."

Yeah, in ONE-FIFTH of the acreage!!! John wasn't comparing apples and apples -- he was saying that such high density housing was totally out of sync with the town!!

I don't think this article does justice to the sentiments of the folks quoted. Seems there was an effort to "tone down" the quotes.

“Why Whole Foods?" Laurie Morrissey, a University Park resident asked. "Why not bring something that reflects community, why not Trader Joe's?” Morrissey was backed by nearly all residents when she questioned their motives, but Reed said the Whole Foods union and communal philosophy is why he thinks it’s a good fit. The development will also help to increase Riverdale Park's tax base.

Whole Foods doesn't HAVE a union philosophy -- they're a non-union shop and the owners worked against health care reform!! Please correct this!! The way you've written this suggests that Whole Foods' non-union philosophy is in alignment with that of UP residents, and that isn't the case.

"The development will also help to increase Riverdale Park's tax base."

The author doesn't attribute this as a quote, and thus is making a statement of personal opinion. It has not been shown that the development will increase Riverdale Park's tax base once RP has had to absorb the cost of additional school children, additional infrastructure, increased fire and police staffing etc.

"Riverdale Park resident Beth Judy said the proposed Whole Foods would only be a 10-minute walk from the metro, after some residents said the planners’ argument of accessible transit, with the hiker-biker trail and metro nearby, was unrealistic."

A UP/Calvert Hills resident posted on the UP listserv today that he had gone into the heart of the Cafritz property and actually MEASURED the distance from there to the metro station, and that it's more like one full mile. I'd like to see some actual measurement data on this before I buy into pronouncements that it's just a quick "10-minute walk" with what normally is a trunk-full of groceries.

I posted this:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4658243

Here's the Cafritz map:
http://www.cafritzpop.com/transportation/

It's about a mile. By foot or bike. It's more like a 25 minute walk - which is (sadly) more than most people will tolerate (and I'm one of those people who would carry milk on a bike).

I have no idea where they got 1/2 mile from. Their map APPEARS to be marking the College Park MARC station as the Metro station. From my measurement, even that spot is about 0.7 miles away. Some serious fudging is going on in their map.

What I actually said was "Why not bring something that reflects the values of this community?"

Finally this area is moving towards the 21st century. Good to see some type of improvement to this area.

If this was a Shopper's Food Warehouse, they wouldn't have a project.

I was surprised by what I perceived as a lack of an overall plan on the part of the developer. Asking for a major zoning change without a better idea, well presented, with solutions, or even admission of no solutions but possibilities under consideration, and facts to support them is insulting to the process itself. "Smart" growth does not begin with unclear designs.
There have been discussions about how to move traffic to the development from the south, using Riverdale Park streets. This could destroy neighborhoods and further bisect the town. The fact that it was not spoken of does not mean it doesn't exist. Citizens need to stay involved with the entire process.
Another misperception that was allowed to pass unopposed is the notion that WMATA's ownership of property on the northern side of the development insures a buffer zone for the future. The fact that WMATA has not partnered with, or sold to, the Cafritz Company does no such thing. Presently, that land is subject to the same zoning limitations. Were that to change for the 37 adjacent acres, WMATA's path to acquiring a variance would be much easier. WMATA is in the business of developing land it owns around its stations. The small parcel in question becomes a much more valuable commodity should zoning change.
Finally, I know it's just a path in the woods, but it's our path in the woods. Some of us use it daily. Will there be any plan to keep it open should this project get off the drawing board?

With all of the uncertainty and innuendo, this entire project smells of smoke and mirrors. There is no way that the introduction of thousands of shoppers and thousands more of future residents is ever going to fly at this totally isolated useless piece of dirt. If there are no other ingress or egress points (the likelihood of an overpass or underpass at the railroad tracks is almost non-existent), how can fire, EMS or police be able to service this property, properly? Riverdale Park will have to increase the size of its police department and travel further to get to it. They will almost have to travel out of their own jurisdiction to do so. University Park will most probably have to increase its own police department as well. University Park is about to spend 2.3 million dollars on infrastructure repairs. If the Cafritz Property is built, the life expectancy of these sorely needed improvements will be greatly reduced due to increased through town traffic. The Cafritz Property is worth more as it is. It is a natural sound barrier and home to native wildlife. Where is all that wildlife going to go? Probably to live in neighboring yards. (THIS COMMENT CONTINUES)

I challenge the Prince Georges County Council to try to convince all of the citizens of Riverdale Park, College Park, Hyattsville and University Park that the Cafritz Property Development as presented would be a benefit to us! I challenge all of the citizens who feel this development is being crammed down our throats to email your County Councilman. They are the Honorable Will Campos (District 2, Hyattsville) (email: WACampos@co.pg.md.us) and the Honorable Eric C. Olson (District 3, College Park, University Park and Riverdale Park) (EOlson@co.pg.md.us). Smart well thought out progress will always be a challenge, poorly thought out and executed progress is easy. In this case the challenge far outweighs the easy! The people behind this project do not have to bear the consequences of their actions. We on the other hand will have to bear the consequences of our inactions.

Whole Foods won't lease anywhere else in PG. So I heard. Rushern Baker and Eric Olson should say NO THANKS. Cafritz is a bad location, thus the Rube Goldberg aspects. New RR grade crossing? Pedestrian sky bridge? Riverdale Elementary under capacity? Why do they have four temporary classrooms?

All I read here are complaints. Any solutions or alternatives? It's easy to complain for the sake of complaining. You say you want a chance to work with the developers and have a voice. Well, how about some solutions? There are a lot of people who have been waiting for quality grocery stores in their neighborhood. And I'm not sure many people consider the union status of grocery store employees before they shop for food. I'm sorry, but those who are concerned about that are a very select few. While I am a proponent of smart growth, I'm also about bringing quality services to our part of the county that we badly need. Can we start coming up with solutions instead of complaining? We already know traffic is an issue. We already know the development will bring more people to the area. We already know a bunch of trees will be removed. How about a shuttle that goes from the development to the metro station? I know you may laugh, but what about widening the bike path enough for a trolley during the daylight hours? It would sure cut down that 25-minute journey down to a 5 minute ride. :) How about preserving a certain percentage of trees? I hear there will be a lot of green space. Perhaps it doesn't all have to be grass. What about a pedestrian bridge over the train tracks? I'd love to read some ideas.

Put Whole Foods in at UTC. The infrastructure, permits, and zoning are all ready.

When Whole Foods moved in o Silver Spring one of the stipulations for occupancy was to remove the then Montgomery County famers run farm market. It was moved from downtown Silver Spring o the old Blair High School. he day and time was also changed.
Whole Foods then required the city of Silver Spring to allow the current Whole Foods sponcered farmers market to sell in town on the oiginal farmers market day.

Why would they not do the same thing in Riverdale?

Also, we have a town center, It is Historic and beautiful. It is dead because the town government will not act on the Jamal property owners.

The Big Brick building on the corner of Queensbury and the parking lot was built as a grocery store. It was originally a Sanitary Market, the forerunner of Safeway.
Why not turn it back into a grocery store?
We do not need more buildings; we need the ones we have rehabilitated.
It is time for the town of Riverdale Park to start using gray matter and stop grunting and scratching for fleas.

Also, I truley fear that the main entrance to the development will be a e opened Rhode Island Avenue. If that happned Riverdale Park would become nothing but a cut through for taffic. The reasoning for the east west highway over pass was to stop traffic from cutting through the town. Now we ae inviting back the troubles we had in the 1950's.

No, it's not a "select few" of people who care about the rights of grocery store workers.

It's part of the mosaic of issues with Whole Foods. There are myriad reasons why I don't shop there, the union issue is just one of them. I talked to a UP resident after meeting and she said she never steps foot in non-union shops like Whole Foods.

That's interesting. To be honest, you're the first person that I have heard use that as one of the reasons not to shop at a grocery store. Usually the reasons are high prices, low quality produce, lack of cleanliness, food past the "use by" date, or bad service.

Here's a question I have. What about all of the other service workers who are not unionized like fast food workers, waiters and waitresses, bank tellers, retail clothing workers in the malls, etc. Do you avoid all of those establishments as well?

I don't shop at Walmart for the same reason. But no generally that issue doesn't guide my shopping practices. However, we're talking about a development that will be very, very close to my home. As I said, the union issue at Whole Foods is only one of the reasons I'm not a fan. Please google John Mackey and read about his viewpoints and draw your own conclusions.

What I don't understand is how the Prince Georges County Council with only two council representatives who represent our interests can sway the other council members to not vote for what Cafritz and the County Executive believes would be a cash cow for both the county and the state if the zoning is approved and the project comes to fruition. Again the other council members do not have our best interest at heart. They represent their own constituents and municipalities who will not be affected either way. The county and state will receive millions in revenue of which may or may not be used to improve our local infrastructure and yet we will have to relinquish more of our quality of life. I don't think that would be a fair trade in my opinion.

@Danny - The closures of all those grocers makes this project even more important. For those of us in the Cool Spring division, there's not ONE traditional grocer within 2 miles. we have to drive all the way to the Shoppers or MOMs in College Park, or the Giant on 410. The Shoppers and Safeway in Adelphi were both within walking distance. Now those are both gone and the leasing agent for the Shoppers space in Adelphi is soliciting yet another ethnic grocer. Now we have a quality grocer coming that would shorten our trips, and people are having problems. I guess they enjoy having to drive to Montgomery County and D.C. giving them money that our county and neighborhoods desperately need.

Adelphi, please tell us why Cafritz is a good location for this project.

I would agree that it is not a good location for the scale of the project. My main concern is Whole Foods. If we could have more office space and less residential, that would be great. There are vacancies at UTC, Mosaic, and Post Park that would need to be filled before adding more multifamily. I think townhouses would be preferable mixed with single-family homes facing Rt. 1.
But to answer your question, we all could find better places to build a project of this scale that is readily available. UTC is one. Whole Foods could be the anchor with units on top. Everything else is in place. Cafritz is not a bad place either if it was a toned down version. Rt.1 is a major thoroughfare. More so than 410. The point for Whole Foods is to catch that traffic on Rt. 1. That gives them maximum visibility. It makes sense. Second, it is close proximity to two metro stations (College Park) and (PG Plaza). A shuttle service could cut down on the traffic to the two. Three, jobs. Four, we really need an alternative to Giant and Shoppers in this area. Yes and MOM is too small and not full service.

So far I haven't seen any explanation as to why "non-unionized" is such a bad thing.

As an example of a non-unionized grocery one has to look no further than Wegmans. Once again, and not for the first time, Wegmans was ranked by Fortune in 2011 as the third best company to work for. They must be doing something right.

In my own opinion, the argument that a grocer is not unionized isn't even a remote consideration when choosing where to shop. Distance, prices, quality, selection, etc., are more important.

I have one question. What do unions have to do with this article? This is about the viability of a shopping center being built in the middle of residential neighborhoods that has no acceptable ingress and egress points along with other adverse ecological impact issues.

More than one person is concerned about the virulent anti-union stance taken by Whole Foods CEO John Mackey. Somehow this degenerated into a discussion about unions at grocery stores overall. If Wegman's is so great (as I've heard it is) from a shopper's perspective and from an employee's perspective, I welcome them. It's the strong anti-union stance of Mackey's that runs counter to the values of many people in our area. Couple that with how Whole Foods ran the farmer's market out of their old space in Silver Spring when the store opened there a few years ago, and many will see why some of us have a probelm with Whole Foods. The union issue is but one issue. The environment impact questions are of far greater concern.

Here's the newest Cafritz-related article. http://patch.com/A-k6SF