BENEDICT Md. – Previously, The Baynet reported on the proposed development plans in Benedict, MD. At the time, much of the community in Benedict opposed much of the redevelopment plans, however, some updates have much of the community looking at the project in a more positive light.
As a result of the community’s reaction, the plans were revised and re-presented to the community during the evening of November 14, 2023. Ron Russo, President of RAR Associates Development Corporation, shared feedback from RAR’s meeting, where they shared their revised development plans with the Benedict community.
Sharon Murphy is the President of The Benedict Heritage Preservation Society (BHPS), which was formed at the suggestion of Commissioner Bowling. BHPS was formed so that “the residents would have a collective voice regarding the direction of development in their town and bring concerns before county officials. BPHS, collectively, wants to preserve Benedict’s small town heritage and family-friendly lifestyle that Benedict is known for.”
According to Murphy, RAR’s original plan introduced to the community in November 2022, included multi-story high-density housing, senior housing, and a community center.
“Residents felt strongly that the proposed development would destroy Benedict’s ambiance and eliminate many of the features of small-town life,” said Murphy. “Also, it does not have resources or amenities required to support such development.”
The BHPS subcommittee met with RAR several times to discuss the development plan and presented the results of a survey conducted in April 2023, which showed residents were opposed to multi-story high-density housing, senior living, and a community center. RAR agreed to make these changes based on the results of the survey. The survey also showed the residents were in favor of a new post office and restaurant. BHPS was successful in communicating residents’ desire to RAR in maintaining Benedict’s small town heritage, historic significance, and waterfront character and appeal.
According to Murphy, at the recent meeting between RAR and the community, including BHPS, sixty-plus attendees were “generally satisfied with the extent to which the revised plans responded to their concerns regarding multifamily housing, senior housing, and a community center”.
Russo explained that the new plan addresses BHPS and other residents’ previous concerns. In Murphy’s message to RAR, she also stated, “No major new concerns or residual concerns emerged during the community discussion.”
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