The column by John Frece (The Capital, March 8) was excellent in pointing out the major flaws in the proposed senior development at Crystal Spring. Like John and thousands of others, I must drive on Spa Road and onto Forest Drive every day. Like John, I ask that the mayor honor his pledge to stop the development of Crystal Spring.

The traffic along the Forest Drive corridor already is horrendous. I know property owners who have difficulty selling their homes because people are nervous about buying on the peninsula because of the increasing traffic. The intersection at Spa Road is one of the worst in the city and is rated now at the failing level of F, the worst rating given.

The traffic from more than 500 new residents in nearly 400 homes and from workers and trucks serving this development will add to this problem.

The intense development on 48 acres proposed by the developers would destroy 27 acres of priority forest, which is supposed to be left undisturbed under forest conservation laws. We live on the South River and it is a polluted body of water, mainly due to stormwater runoff, which will be exacerbated by the destruction of forest and the addition of a large development with so much impervious surface.

Worse yet is that the senior development may be just the first of several developments to come on the land we know as Crystal Spring. The current plan leaves over 60 acres at Crystal Spring bordering Forest Drive that could also be developed in the future.

You can change the name of the retirement community and move buildings around, but this development is still far too large in scope for the Forest Drive corridor.

MICHAEL BOYD, ANNAPOLIS

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