Vehicles for Change Headed for Elkridge

Facing mounting opposition from the Relay community, the nonprofit organization Vehicles for Change said that it will vacate its present location on the 5200 block of Washington Blvd. and move to a site in Elkridge by May 15.

The nonprofit had requested approval for an outdoor used car sales area, which was denied by Baltimore County last year.

In a Feb. 7 appeals hearing in Towson, an attorney for the organization said Vehicles for Change will leave Relay rather than risk enforcement action on code violation.

"The little guys win one," Relay resident Andrew Plitt said after the hearing.

Vehicles for Change refurbishes and sells cars to low-income families in order to overcome barriers to employment, selling them for an average of $700.

Almost 75 percent of recipients obtained better jobs within 12 months of getting a car and increased their income by almost $5,000 annually, according to executive director Martin Schwartz.

More than 3,000 cars have been awarded by Vehicles for Change since its founding in 1999, Schwartz said. The group has been located in Relay since 2006.

Vehicles for Change also sells used cars to the public, the proceeds from which are used to underwrite the charitable side of the operation, Schwartz said.

Kim Box, immediate past president of the Relay Improvement Association, said that when Vehicles for Change made a presentation to the community group in 2005, the group didn't mention the for-profit used car business.

"If the community had known at the time that they were operating a used car business, that would have been an entirely different matter," Box said.

The nonprofit organization has grown substantially in recent years, creating an unsightly streetside eyesore that poses a safety risk to traffic, according to Box.

"They've outgrown the spot," she said. "As a gateway to Baltimore County, we don't think a used car lot is appropriate."

The nonprofit is located next to the entrance to the Avalon area of , on a flood plain near the Patapsco River, which residents contend could pose an environmental risk in the event of high water.

"There used to be a gas station there that was washed out by Hurricane Agnes in 1972," said Relay resident and historian Ray Chism. "The company decided not to rebuild in that spot. That should tell you something."

"We're delighted," said Lucy McKean of Friends of Patapsco Valley and Heritage Greenway after the hearing. "We hope the state will buy the property and enhance the entrance to Patapsco State Park."

Schwartz said that relocating made more sense than fighting the resistance of Relay residents.

"The neighbors have made it difficult for us to stay here," he said.

A lease for a new location is expected to be signed by next week, he said.