About 400 Roland Park residents overflowed St. David's Church and spilled onto the sidewalk last night at a meeting that organizers called to gauge interest in the Baltimore Country Club's proposed sale of 17 prime acres of green space.
Neighborhood residents spoke overwhelmingly against a plan that calls for the club to sell part of its property to the Keswick Multi-Care Center, which has agreed to purchase the land for $12.5 million.
Since the deal was disclosed last month, Roland Park organizers have protested outside the club, collected hundreds of signatures from residents opposing the deal and held a door-to-door campaign informing them of the proposal.
Last night was the first time the Roland Park Civic League has addressed residents in an open forum about the issue, and its president said the meeting set an attendance record. Representatives from the country club and Keswick attended.
"There is a lot of emotion surrounding this," said Phil Spevak, who became president about three weeks ago.
Residents acknowledge that the club has the right to sell, but they say doing so would sever a century-old tie among the club, the community and the land.
Dozens of Roland Park residents spoke angrily against what they said would be the loss of trees and open space if the proposal to sell the land north of Hillside Road goes through.
Sally Foster said she has lived in the neighborhood since 1952 and has memories of sledding at the site. "Once you build something, you can't go back to the green space and you lose something," she said.
"There is a cost to developing undeveloped land," said resident Kirsten Day. "We do not need more development, and this would be true if we were talking about West Baltimore or East Baltimore."
Keswick officials have pledged to keep seven acres open and available for the community, but some residents say that is not enough.
The $195 million facility would have 225 independent-living units, 58 assisted-living units, 40 beds for residents in need of skilled nursing, would employ about 150 and include a 403-space underground parking garage.
Roland Park residents say the facility would increase traffic.
Details were worked out without community input, said representatives from the Roland Park Civic League.
But Timothy D.A. Chriss, representing the Baltimore County Club, told the crowd that club board members attempted to engage Roland Park leaders in a discussion about the property in April 2007, but nothing came of the talks.
