Planning principles are based on safety, connectivity and enhancing the Veirs Mill corridor
SILVER SPRING, MD – The Montgomery County Planning Department, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, will present the preliminary recommendations for the Veirs Mill Corridor Master Plan on Thursday, January 11, 2018 at the Planning Board meeting. These strategies address land use and zoning; urban design; transportation; parks, trails and open spaces; sustainability and community facilities.
“The Veirs Mill Corridor Master Plan seeks to improve connectivity between transit and community uses, and enhance safety in alignment with Montgomery County’s recent adoption of the Vision Zero policy to eliminate traffic fatalities and severe injuries,” says lead planner Jessica McVary. “Our recommendations support limited redevelopment of diverse housing prototypes that encourage a walkable lifestyle, such as those identified in the “missing middle” concept of mid-rise, high density residential buildings.”
In developing the plan, McVary and the team held extensive community outreach meetings and events, including a presence at festivals in the plan area and Wheaton. The planners also provided an online platform for public feedback through a GIS-based map and Spanish language advertising to reach a broad audience.
Once the plan’s preliminary recommendations are reviewed on January 11, the Working Draft of the Veirs Mill Corridor Master Plan is scheduled to be presented to the Planning Board in March 2018. Following its approval, a public hearing and work sessions will be held, offering opportunities for the community to comment on the plan recommendations.
For details about the January 11 meeting, please consult the Planning Board agenda.
About the Veirs Mill Corridor Master Plan:
The Montgomery County Planning Department, under the guidance of the Montgomery County Planning Board and Montgomery County Council, initiated the Veirs Mill Corridor Master Plan in January 2017. To develop the plan, staff is seeking feedback from the community and reviewing current land uses and existing conditions in order to make recommendations for improvements in the area.
The Veirs Mill Corridor Master Plan extends approximately four miles, from the City of Rockville to the Wheaton Central Business District and Vicinity Sector Plan boundary. The plan boundaries roughly correspond to a ¼-mile area around each of the bus rapid transit (BRT) stations identified in the 2013 Countywide Transit Corridors Functional Master Plan.
The Veirs Mill Corridor Master Plan will:
- Evaluate and provide recommendations to guide future land uses along the Veirs Mill Road corridor from Wheaton to Rockville.
- Develop recommendations to improve the compatibility between the land uses adjacent to Veirs Mill Road and the future bus rapid transit corridor.
- Offer recommendations to improve pedestrian and bicycle accessibility, connectivity and safety within the plan area.
- Explore opportunities for redevelopment at strategic locations to provide more walkable, neighborhood-serving development.
- Consider a comprehensive streetscape design and opportunities for placemaking within the corridor.
The Veirs Mill Corridor Master Plan complements the Veirs Mill Road Bus Rapid Transit Study recently completed by the Maryland State Highway Administration in coordination with the Montgomery County Department of Transportation. This transit study evaluated alternatives for bus rapid transit service along Veirs Mill Road between Wheaton and Rockville, originally recommended as part of the 2013 Countywide Transit Corridors Functional Master Plan.
Learn more about the Veirs Mill Corridor Master Plan by signing up for the plan e-newsletter. For more information, contact lead planner Jessica McVary at Jessica.McVary@montgomeryplanning.org.