Roland Park residents are putting up a fight to preserve what they have come to consider their own patch of green within the city.
They're pledging to oppose plans announced this month by Baltimore Country Club to sell some of its land to Keswick Multi-Care Center, which plans to build a $195 million continuing-care retirement community.
"This is truly like a volcano erupting," said Philip Spevak, president of the Roland Park Civic League.
But Keswick officials - who would need a zoning change from the City Council for the project - said that a portion of the 17-acre site north of Hillside Road would be kept undeveloped, and they plan improvements for some of that area with expanded parks and gardens.
On June 23, more than 50 Roland Park residents gathered for an informal meeting to begin organizing a petition drive and planning other efforts, including a door-to-door campaign within the community. The Roland Park Civic League will hold a formal meeting to discuss the plans at 7 p.m. tomorrow at St. David's Church, 4700 Roland Ave.
While residents acknowledge that Baltimore Country Club owns the property, Spevak said the land has been open for members of the community to walk their dogs, play with their kids and even sled.
"Roland Park and the country club were started together," he said. "There's a long historic link," and many longtime residents "genuinely had their feelings hurt" when they weren't consulted on the plan for Keswick to buy the land from the country club for $12.5 million.
"The Baltimore Country Club hasn't been giving us the information," said Mary Page Michel, who hosted last week's meeting in her home.
She said the club has made no outreach to the community, yet "this is going to be the biggest change in 100 years," and "it's going to be a town in our neighborhood."
Officials from the country club did not respond to repeated phone calls seeking comment. But the general manager previously told The Sun that the land was surplus and that the club hopes to use the money from the sale to renovate its clubhouse.
The new facility would have 225 independent-living units, 58 assisted-living units and 40 beds for residents in need of skilled nursing, employing a total of about 150 people. The facility would also include a 403-space underground parking garage.
