Annapolis Town Center

Odenton Town Center Committee Hears New Development Proposal

Odenton residents soon could forgo commutes in favor of living where they work if a proposed development of townhomes and businesses gets county approval.

Officials from the Hogan Companies and its engineers presented plans for the project, tentatively called the North Patuxent Road Development, to the Odenton Town Center Plan Oversight Committee Tuesday.

The committee is appointed by the county to review plans related to development projects in Odenton. It is charged with ensuring development is line with guidelines set in the Odenton Town Center Master Plan . 

The project would call for possibly 12 businesses and townhomes off North Patuxent Road. The number of townhomes has not been determined, but the officials said it should not be more than 95 percent.

County zoning rules state the ratio should be 20 percent businesses to 80 percent residential in such projects, but the officials said this was not in line with their hopes for the project.

The businesses also would be along the lines of an art gallery or a photography studio or service-based, such as accountants and lawyers, said Bob Eitel, a civil engineer working on the project. Eitel is also a committee member, but he recused himself from the discussion and votes.

"This is pretty exciting when you think about it. It's similar to what the city of Annapolis was at one point, where merchants had lived above their buildings," he said, adding Annapolis officials, like many other municipalities nationwide, banned the practice when zoning codes came into effect. "It contributed, in many cases, to killing the downtowns."

Project officials sought the committee's approval of the conceptual plan, which they said the county Office of Planning and Zoning needed before approving a preliminary plan.

Some committee members objected to plans to change the townhomes from three-story to four-story buildings. But the change was needed after the Hogan Companies officials, in response to committee members' requests at the May meeting, changed the site plan to allow for an increased buffer of trees, which meant reducing the number of buildings, said Tim Hogan, executive vice president.

When committee chairman Don Price said he objected to four-story townhomes, Hogan said the project needed to make sense for his company to proceed.

"In order for us to move forward, it has to make sense financially," he said.

24 Hour Fitness Opens Annapolis Super Sport Club : Club Solutions ...

The largest privately owned U.S. fitness chain, 24 Hour Fitness, announced the opening of the Annapolis Super Sport Club – the first club in the Annapolis area. The new club offers state-of-the-art amenities, including innovative group exercise classes, an indoor pool and steam room, a full-sized basketball court and more.

The public was encouraged to attend the grand opening festivities from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. Wednesday Oct. 21, which included free fitness orientations with qualified 24 Hour Fitness Personal Trainers and the opportunity to try the high-energy Zumba Group X class. Participants could also enter to win Personal Training sessions and the bodybugg personal calorie management system, which included a lightweight armband integrated with a web-based program.

Darren Bluffin, an 11-year veteran with 24 Hour Fitness, manages the 43,000 square foot club located in the heart of the new Annapolis Town Center – the club employs approximately 70 team members. Additional club amenities include: a pro-shop, sauna, indoor whirlpool, functional circuit training area and Kids’ Club, where children ages 6 months up to 12 years old can enjoy activities while their parents work out. Personal trainers are also on hand to help members achieve their fitness goals.

“As an alumnus of the U.S. Naval Academy, opening a club in this community is particularly special to me,” said Carl Liebert III, the CEO of 24 Hour Fitness. “For 24 Hour Fitness, this opening continues our expansion efforts on the East Coast to help make fitness more accessible and affordable for people of all fitness levels.”

The Annapolis club location is opening in sync with the new season of NBC’s popular reality show, “The Biggest Loser,” of which 24 Hour Fitness, a sponsor of the show, provides the weight-loss contestants with an outfitted gym on-set complete with cutting-edge fitness equipment, mats, stability balls and conditioning bands. Annapolis residents can follow the contestants’ health and fitness journeys with access to all the same tools at Annapolis Super Sport.

A national class action lawsuit was just certified against 24 Hour Fitness alleging bank and wire fraud RICO violations. It is estimated that the club is making $1.6 million a MONTH by continuing to charge former members for memberships. Friedman vs. 24 Hour Fitness USA, Inc., (Case # 06-06282), was filed in U.S. District Court, Central District of California.

Annapolis town center, presented as a basis for community discussion and decision

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