Westphalia - News, Updates, Questions and Developments Etc. (North Beach: crime, home)

[NativeTongue]

Originally Posted by adelphi_sky

Those of us that do have those skills would gladly stop commuting to Assburn, I mean Ashburn, VA and drive 20 minutes to jobs on this side of the metro area. But such is life. I have a dream....

I know four fellow tech workers that live on the Maryland side of the Beltway and commute to the far reaches of the Virginia suburbs for tech jobs.

If you build it, they will come. Even from Virginia. Especially if it is near the metro. Metro is a great equalizer in our area. It is just as easy for people in Maryland to ride Metro to Virginia as it is people in Virginia to ride Metro to Maryland to work.

A lot of those skills just require individuals to put pen to paper or fill out a spreadsheet doc. They can bring them over to this side of the area. Amazon can buy out some of those factories in Cheverly and Bladensburg along 201/295 and 50 if they want distribution with metro and highway accessibility.

[adelphi_sky]

Originally Posted by NativeTongue

A lot of those skills just require individuals to put pen to paper or fill out a spreadsheet doc. They can bring them over to this side of the area. Amazon can buy out some of those factories in Cheverly and Bladensburg along 201/295 and 50 if they want distribution with metro and highway accessibility.

While I disagree that this county is only good for paperwork jobs, it is as simple as locating near transit and finding the numerous sites to develop on in the county.

As I said, there are highly skilled individuals in this county that already fill those tech jobs in VA. If more tech jobs opened up in MD, those tech workers could work closer to home. You have a flagship university churning out qualified tech candidates on a yearly basis. There is no reason why they shouldn't be able to fill positions in tech companies near the university if they chose to locate in and around College Park, MD.

[lookingbutnotlost]

Originally Posted by adelphi_sky

While I disagree that this county is only good for paperwork jobs, it is as simple as locating near transit and finding the numerous sites to develop on in the county.

As I said, there are highly skilled individuals in this county that already fill those tech jobs in VA. If more tech jobs opened up in MD, those tech workers could work closer to home. You have a flagship university churning out qualified tech candidates on a yearly basis. There is no reason why they shouldn't be able to fill positions in tech companies near the university if they chose to locate in and around College Park, MD.

I would love if we had more tech companies near UMD.

[G1..]

Originally Posted by NativeTongue

A lot of those skills just require individuals to put pen to paper or fill out a spreadsheet doc. They can bring them over to this side of the area. Amazon can buy out some of those factories in Cheverly and Bladensburg along 201/295 and 50 if they want distribution with metro and highway accessibility.

You just can't understand the size of Warehouse they are talking about.

[the resident09]

Originally Posted by NativeTongue

A lot of those skills just require individuals to put pen to paper or fill out a spreadsheet doc. They can bring them over to this side of the area. Amazon can buy out some of those factories in Cheverly and Bladensburg along 201/295 and 50 if they want distribution with metro and highway accessibility.

Well it's a done deal now, and Amazon is lost for good. They're not doing business in this county, whether it be an HQ2 option or a warehouse.

PG is anti big business and known for it, furthering the image of the county as a bedroom community for government workers in DC/Nova.

Look at the zoning in the county, it's not even built like a place that will ever house many true large employment centers. National Harbor is the best development in the county, and is a hotel district.

[Mr Beco]

https://product.costar.com/home/news...utm_content=p1

Maryland County Angles for Amazon After Online Giant Pulls Out of Neighboring Locale
Montgomery County Executive Reaches Out About Potential Fulfillment Center

Montgomery County, Maryland, may have missed out on Amazon's second headquarters, but the affluent D.C. suburb is throwing its hat in the ring for a possible fulfillment center that could measure up to 4 million square feet.

At a virtual town hall meeting held earlier this week, County Executive Marc Elrich said he reached out to the online retail giant about potentially establishing a center in Montgomery County. Amazon operates fulfillment centers in the Baltimore area and Northern Virginia but nothing in Montgomery County, the most populous county in Maryland.

Elrich's comment came in response to a question asking whether there were any plans to encourage Amazon to build in Montgomery County after the company last week pulled out of plans to develop a 4 million-square-foot fulfillment center in Prince George's County after community backlash over the proposal. The retreat was similar to the one Amazon made in New York after vocal opposition from some politicians and residents, with the company ultimately scrapping plans to establish part of its second headquarters in Long Island City.

[North Beach Person]

Meanwhile everyone ignores why tech companies don't, or won't, locate in the County.

It's not zoning, it's not necessarily taxes or regulations, which aren't any more onerous than those in much of the rest of the state, but something else keeping companies with highly educated employees with families from locating there.

A factory type operation like a warehouse is OK for those companies.

What could it be?

[Mr Beco]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

Meanwhile everyone ignores why tech companies don't, or won't, locate in the County.

It's not zoning, it's not necessarily taxes or regulations, which aren't any more onerous than those in much of the rest of the state, but something else keeping companies with highly educated employees with families from locating there.

A factory type operation like a warehouse is OK for those companies.

What could it be?

That's a really good question! I think one needs to look at its leaders over the last decade or more.

[SpikeMilligan's Alter Ego]

Originally Posted by Mr Beco

https://product.costar.com/home/news...utm_content=p1

Maryland County Angles for Amazon After Online Giant Pulls Out of Neighboring Locale
Montgomery County Executive Reaches Out About Potential Fulfillment Center

Montgomery County, Maryland, may have missed out on Amazon's second headquarters, but the affluent D.C. suburb is throwing its hat in the ring for a possible fulfillment center that could measure up to 4 million square feet.

At a virtual town hall meeting held earlier this week, County Executive Marc Elrich said he reached out to the online retail giant about potentially establishing a center in Montgomery County. Amazon operates fulfillment centers in the Baltimore area and Northern Virginia but nothing in Montgomery County, the most populous county in Maryland.

Elrich's comment came in response to a question asking whether there were any plans to encourage Amazon to build in Montgomery County after the company last week pulled out of plans to develop a 4 million-square-foot fulfillment center in Prince George's County after community backlash over the proposal. The retreat was similar to the one Amazon made in New York after vocal opposition from some politicians and residents, with the company ultimately scrapping plans to establish part of its second headquarters in Long Island City.

I think that's a long shot, given (A) Elrich's anti-biz profile, and (B) lack of suitable locations. The only locations I can think of with both space and 495 accessibility are the Viva and West Konterra locations. White Flint would be a distant third if at all. Trucks/vans would still most likely need to use R 50 to access downtown DC, too many traffic lights on the alternatives.

[adelphi_sky]

Originally Posted by the resident09

Well it's a done deal now, and Amazon is lost for good. They're not doing business in this county, whether it be an HQ2 option or a warehouse.

PG is anti big business and known for it, furthering the image of the county as a bedroom community for government workers in DC/Nova.

Look at the zoning in the county, it's not even built like a place that will ever house many true large employment centers.

I disagree. There are people who will always demonize developers for building anything anywhere at will. I'm anti-NIMBY all the way. But this case is different. Here, residents who had a valid argument against a warehouse in their neighborhood won a victory against such blatant disregard for the original plans for their neighborhood. Nine out of ten people here would not want to stand in their backyard at 12 midnight looking at truck after truck roll in and out of a warehouse when they were promised shops and restaurants.

Amazon is well aware of the multiple optimal sites available in the county for warehouses, offices, stores, etc. They are like a young child who didn't get their way, so they are taking their toys and going home. I fail to see how the county is at fault. We all know the county needs more business and I'm pretty sure Alsobrooks is aware as well and I'm sure she presented other alternatives to Amazon.

I have no respect for multi-billion dollar corporations who clearly don't have the public interest in mind. This was evident when they held that sham of a "contest" for HQ2. That was a display of Amazon's lack of restraint sending many cities into a frenzy wasting millions of tax dollars to woo the company.

Prince George's County residents are not alone in winning against such shenanigans.


Amazon has the resources to choose other locations within the county if it wanted to. I'm not buying this anti-business trope. One company choosing not to build here is not indicative of an anti-business culture. Sometimes it is simply that a location is just not a good fit. This is that time.

I wonder how people would feel if it was a Wal-Mart logistics center.

It's ironic. Politicians used to be accused of being in bed with big business. Now they are accused of being anti-business. Is there no middle ground?