Over a month after Chesapeake Community Development’s initial community meeting for a planned mixed-use development on Brookletts Avenue, dozens of people once again gathered to learn more about the plans.
The Sept. 18 meeting provided the opportunity for developers to show initial designs for Easton Crossing, a six-acre development in Easton, based on feedback received at a community meeting in July. Leaders of Chesapeake Community Development, the developer for the project, have made a point to work with local community members on the overall outcome of the development.
According to Ross Benincasa, vice president of Chesapeake Community Development, Wednesday’s meeting showed attendees the initial site plan. The plan broke down the five buildings on the property, as well as open spaces and plans for parking, general traffic, and pedestrian flow, all of which were concerns raised in July.
“It was extremely important, just from the standpoint of making sure that our residents had a chance to not only see what we were thinking, but then to give feedback again on that, to tell us kind of what we got right and maybe what we missed,” Benincasa said.
Chris Wheedleton, consultant at Rivers and Roads, was hired on the project to lead in gathering feedback from the community. Wheedleton said the meeting provided a chance to answer any questions residents might still still have regarding the new site.
After a presentation of the site plan, people were separated into groups and were encouraged to answer two questions: “Would you like what you saw?” and “What would you like to see differently moving forward?”
Wheedleton said he received general positive feedback from the site plan. Major point raised by residents included diversity of housing options offered and making sure the development would integrate properly with the existing community.
An additional concern addressed was the potential for a grocery store to be built on the development. Benincasa took time to make clear that a grocery store was considered by developers but it would not be included in the project moving forward.
It was felt by Chesapeake Community Development that nearby local and international grocery stores are close enough to the project to meet the need of future residents.
Bob Porter, owner of the Sharper Graphics, said his business is next door to the planned Easton Crossing development. He attended the meeting on Sept. 18.
Porter said the piece of territory is important to him due to his 44-year history living near it. For Porter, he was excited to hear the development would serve all incomes in the community.
“The project is going to be made available at lower rates to to family, people that are working in the in the neighborhood and living in the neighborhood and making sure that they can afford to participate in the project without being in some kind of a federal or state project program,” Porter said. “And that was very meaningful to me.”
Wheedleton said there are still opportunities for people to weigh in and give their feedback and input into the project. A third meeting will take place sometime in December, details have yet to be released, this meeting will show development and further renderings of the project before it goes before the county for all necessary approvals.
See the original article published in the Star Democrat here.