Agenda will focus on community recreational facilities and potential long-term redevelopment possibilities in the plan area
SILVER SPRING, MD – The Montgomery County Planning Department, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, will host its third public meeting for the Veirs Mill Corridor Master Plan on Monday, May 15, 2017 at the Newport Mill Middle School (11311 Newport Mill Rd, Kensington, MD) from 7 to 9 p.m. RSVPs are encouraged but not required.
RSVP for the May 15 Veirs Mill Community Meeting.
The community is invited to learn about the county’s recreational facility development, existing recreational programs and planned facilities, and the process for the disposition of public property.
Participants will also receive an overview of the history and potential future redevelopment of the Halpine View apartments located along Twinbrook Parkway. Many of these topics emerged from the previous Veirs Mill community meeting where attendees shared their thoughts on the future of the Veirs Mill Road Corridor area, which extends about 4 miles from Wheaton to Rockville.
To weigh in on the future of the Veirs Mill Corridor Master Plan, please send your comments through our online questionnaire:
English – Veirs Mill Corridor Master Plan questionnaire.
Spanish – Veirs Mill Corridor Master Plan questionnaire.
Background on Veirs Mill planning process
About 30 community residents and business owners attended the visioning workshop on March 29 to share their ideas and concerns with Montgomery County Planning Department staff. Among the attendees was Montgomery County Councilmember Sidney Katz (District 3), whose comments can be accessed online.
The discussion focused on the assets and drawbacks of neighborhoods along Veirs Mill Road. Breakout groups met during the event to focus on specific topics, including transportation, community facilities, retail, neighborhood character, housing and the future of the area.
A graphic artist illustrated the ideas from the community, capturing the need for inviting streetscapes, pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, lighting, roadway maintenance, youth and recreational facilities, amenities at bus stops and other improvements.
The first community meeting on the master plan was held on February 22. At that event, about 40 residents and stakeholders listened to a presentation about the purpose and goals of the plan, and major areas to be analyzed.
Residents who have been unable to attend the meetings but want to give feedback can visit the Veirs Mill Corridor Plan Feedback Map. This online interactive map provides the chance to comment with respect to specific areas along the four-mile stretch of Veirs Mill Road that will help planners develop recommendations for the plan.
Check out the Veirs Mill Corridor Plan Online Feedback Map.
Learn more about the Veirs Mill Corridor Master Plan and sign up for the plan e-newsletter to hear about future meetings. Invite planners to meet with your own group by contacting Jessica McVary at Jessica.McVary@montgomeryplanning.org.
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 new corridor 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 BRT 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 will develop long-term land use recommendations to complement 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 rapid bus service along Veirs Mill Road between Wheaton and Rockville, originally recommended as part of the 2013 Countywide Transit Corridors Functional Master Plan.