By Zach Brook
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
Members of the Green Towson Alliance (GTA) presented a petition to the Baltimore County Council Monday that voices their opposition to the proposed Royal Farms project planned at York Road and Bosley Avenue.
The petition, which had more than 1,100 signatures, says the proposal to build the new gas station is wrong for the community and detrimental for the health of the people of Towson.
“It’s at an intersection that is already gridlocked on a regular basis,” said Ron Gallop, a GTA member who helped present the petition to the council.
Gallop also complained that two members of the project’s developer, Caves Valley Partners (CVP), were rude to members of the GTA during the last council meeting in which the Royal Farms development was discussed.
“I wasn’t at the meeting last week but several members of our organization were disrespected by the CVP developers,” Gallop said. “An email was sent out to the members of our organization detailing the events from that session.”
Arthur Adler, the owner and one of the managing partners at CVP who was accused of disrespecting members of the GTA, said in an interview that he could not comment on the subject due to the “sensitive nature of the project.”
The Royal Farms project calls for a gas station and retail store to be built there.
Before the members of the GTA spoke, the council unanimously approved a bill that allocates $45,000 in state funds to hire a case manager who would help county residents at risk of contracting HIV get the medications they need to avoid the virus.
The Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Navigator Program will go into effect on Dec. 18 and would help an estimated 30 people in the 2017-2018 fiscal year.
According to the notes from the meeting’s agenda, the bill will supply funds that will be utilized to hire a “part-time (34 hours-per-week) Human Services Associate” that will provide aide and short-term non-medical case-management services to county residents who have the highest chances of contracting HIV.
“Anything we can do to prohibit the transmission of AIDS is well-needed,” said Councilman Julian E. Jones Jr.
The next legislative session is scheduled for Dec. 19.