From Towson Times article 1/23/08

17-acre YMCA site in Towson up for sale
Board member says Y wants to stay in area

01/23/08
By Loni Ingraham

Towson YMCA officials are seeking a buyer for all or part of the Y’s nearly 17-acre property on Chesapeake Avenue.

“The owner is looking to sell either a portion or the entirety of the parcel,” states the CB Richard Ellis listing for the site in West Towson that is owned by the Y of Central Maryland.

The listing notes the property is zoned for a maximum of 3.5 dwelling units per acre, which would allow it to be developed for as many as 59 apartments or condominiums.

If the entire property is purchased, the Towson Y, which has more than 5,000 family and individual memberships, wants up to three years to find an alternative site and relocate there, according to the listing.

But the request for proposals doesn’t necessarily mean the Y is leaving Towson, according to board member John Holman.

“We have been seeking a way to build a new and better Y for the last 10 years,” said Holman, noting that sections of the building are more than 50 years old. “Our intent very much is to stay here.”

Selling off some of the property “for a compatible use” could provide the money for a new building on the same site, he said, noting that a compatible use might entail maintaining much of the existing open space and fields.

Neighbors who have learned about the possibility of a sale have expressed concerns about traffic, schools, runoff and loss of open space.

They include Allegheny Avenue resident Jeanette Coury. “I love the Y, and I want to see it improved,” said Coury, who has been a member for eight years and goes there six days a week. “But what I don’t want is 59 more families living in that space.”

Holman and John Hoey, president and CEO of the Central YMCA, have agreed to meet with residents Wednesday, Jan. 30, at 6 p.m. at the Y to explain the current request for proposals and the Towson Y’s financial condition.

Coury sees the meeting will be “a chance for us all to collaborate to find a solution that will enable the Y to stay in Towson and continue to serve our community.”