Montgomery County
Planning Department
2425 Reedie Drive, 14th Floor
Wheaton, MD 20902
Planning Department
2425 Reedie Drive, 14th Floor
Wheaton, MD 20902
The Montgomery County Council approved the Sandy Spring Rural Village Plan at their regularly scheduled Tuesday meeting, February 24, 2015. All nine Councilmembers unanimously voted to approve the Plan.
The Approved and Adopted Plan is available and can be found here.
In a previous plan, the 1998 Sandy Spring/Ashton Master Plan, the "rural village" character in Sandy Spring was recognized. The village center is of great value to the community. The 1998 Plan proposed the creation of a village center concept for Sandy Spring "that will help ensure that the village center serves its role as a focal point of community life." The concept developed in 1998 for the Sandy Spring village center included the following elements: development of a new fire station as a community focal point, realignment of Brooke Road to improve access, a village green concept, and resolution of parking issues.
The Sandy Spring Rural Village Plan, launched in the fall of 2013, provides an opportunity to further preserve the rich cultural history of the area, identify connections and mobility gaps, and design civic spaces and a village center for the community to gather. Scope of Work
This Plan follows the guidance in the 1998 Master Plan and determine how to best connect the new fire station into a village center concept, design a village green, and determine the feasibility of realigning Brooke Road using the following three goals:
The Sandy Spring Rural Village Plan also examines land use and potential zoning changes. The Plan did not undergo a large scale transportation modeling process, but it examines traffic studies along MD 108 and intersection data.
The Approved and Adopted Plan is available and can be found here.
The Sandy Spring Rural Village Plan held their Public Hearing on Sept. 4. Check out this video airing in the current edition of Montgomery Plans featuring planners Kristin O'Connor and Roberto Duke about the progress of the plan:
The Sandy Spring/Ashton Master Plan (1998) proposes creation of a village center concept for Sandy Spring "that will help ensure that the village center serves its role as a focal point of community life." The Plan recommended that the concept focus on three elements:
The fire station has been built, but it is away from the intersection of Brooke Road and MD 108. The other elements of the concept remain incomplete.
In May 2010, two groups (one of residents and one representing the business community) met with planning staff, the County Executive, and Main Street, to define their visions for how Sandy Spring can retain its rural character over the next twenty years. The groups defined downtown Sandy Spring as Route 108 from Bentley Road (including the museum) to Norwood Road. The consensus was made about how this historic community can retain its small-town charm while accommodating growth. Below are the items discussed in the draft document "A Vision for Sandy Spring, DRAFT, June 2010" and they include:
Planning Board Public Hearing: September
4, 2014
Planning Board Worksession No 1: October 2, 2014
Planning Board Worksession No 2: October 23, 2014
Transmit to County Executive and County
Council: October 2014
County Council Public Hearing: January 20, 2015 at 7:30 PM moved to January 22, 2015 at 7:15 PM
County Council Worksessions: PHED, February 2, 2015 at 2 PM
District Council Plan Approved: February 24, 2015 @ 10:15 AM
Full Commission Adoption: March 18, 2015
SMA Hearing: June 9, 2015
SMA Adoption: June 23, 2015
Monday, February 3, 2014
7 – 9 pm: Presentation, Charrette Overview, and Visioning Session (Dr. Bird Room)
See: slide presentation - photo album
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
10:00 am – Noon: Visioning Exercise (Library)
1-5 pm: Visioning Session Continued; Land Use and Zoning Workshop (Dr. Bird Room)
See: photo album (days 2 and 3)
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
10 am to Noon: Land Use and Zoning (Library)
1-5 pm: Roadway Design, Connections and Open Space (Library)
See: photo album (days 2 and 3)
Thursday, February 6, 2014
10 am - Noon: Roadway Design, Connections, and Open Space (Library)
1-5 pm: Refine Plan Recommendations (Library)
7-9 pm: Charrette Final Presentation and Workshop Conclusion
See: slide presentation
Check out the online versionof the exhibit featured at the Sandy Spring Museum in March and April 2014..
Roberto Duke, Area 3: Up-County & Rural Planning, Lead Planner
301-495-2168
Roberto.Duke@montgomeryplanning.org
Fred Boyd, Area 3: Up-County & Rural Planning, Land Use, 301-495-4654
Katherine Nelson, Area 3: Up-County & Rural Planning, Environmental Planning, 301-495-4622
Rachel Newhouse,
Montgomery County Department of Parks, Park Planning,
301 650 - 4368
Sandra Youla, Historic Preservation, Preservation Planning, 301-563-3419
Leslie Saville, Area 3: Up-County & Rural Planning, Rustic Roads, 301-495-2194
Jonathan Casey, Area 3: Up-County & Rural Planning, Zoning and Land Use, 301-495-2162
Date of last update: July 24, 2015