Montgomery Planning to host a series of sessions in October to gather more community input about the plan area.
WHEATON, Md. – The Montgomery County Planning Department, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), invites the community to four listening sessions in October to provide input on opportunities and challenges on the east side of Interstate 270 and west of MD 355 – the plan area for the Clarksburg Gateway Sector Plan.
Community input gathered at the upcoming listening sessions will inform the plan team’s development of preliminary recommendations for realizing a thriving Clarksburg that works for the future of its residents and the surrounding county. Each listening session will focus on different topics for attendees to discuss in small breakout groups and present their feedback to the plan team.
“The Clarksburg Gateway Sector Plan team is looking forward to hearing more about what the Clarksburg community loves about its neighborhoods and what needs to improve,” said Upcounty Planning Division Chief Patrick Butler. “This plan is a great opportunity to enhance this area’s unifying identity and sense of place and to find the right mix of land use and zoning recommendations that reflects the strengths and needs of the Clarksburg community.”
Listening Session #1 (Online Only)
Date: Tuesday, October 3, 2023
Time: 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Topics: Transportation and Environment
Sign up to receive the Zoom meeting link.
Listening Session #2
Date: Wednesday, October 11, 2023
Location: Rocky Hill Middle School (22401 Brick Haven Way, Clarksburg, MD 20871)
Time: 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Topics: Land Use, Housing, Economic Development, Employment
Listening Session #3
Date: Thursday, October 19, 2023
Location: Rocky Hill Middle School
Time: 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Topics: Parks and Trails, Historic Resources, Community Facilities, Community Identity, Urban Design
Listening Session #4
Date: Saturday, October 28, 2023
Location: Rocky Hill Middle School
Time: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
All Topics
About the Clarksburg Gateway Sector Plan
The Clarksburg Gateway Sector Plan is an update to the 1994 Clarksburg Master Plan and Hyattstown Special Study Area, which was last revised with the 2011 Clarksburg Master Plan and Hyattstown Special Study Area Limited Amendment and the 2014 10 Mile Creek Area Limited Amendment. The plan area consists of approximately 969 acres and is generally bounded by I-270 to the west, West Old Baltimore Road and the Little Seneca Greenway to the south, Clarksburg Road to the north, and Frederick Road (MD 355) to the east.
The plan will focus on a portion of the Transit Corridor District and small parts of a few surrounding areas, including the I-270 corridor—a significant employment resource for the county and the region. By evaluating land use, zoning, transportation, environmental, and historic preservation to determine if a new mix of land uses and zoning would be more appropriate for this area, this plan will make recommendations for how best to update the 1994 plan and its 2011 and 2014 amendments for an improved Transit Corridor District, including interchange design, staging of retail development, transportation corridors, and environmental recommendations.
The plan will also provide an opportunity to integrate policy guidance from countywide plans and initiatives, including Corridor Forward: The I-270 Transit Plan, the Pedestrian Master Plan, Complete Streets Design Guide, Thrive Montgomery 2050, the Climate Action Plan, and Vision Zero, as well as employ a robust outreach and engagement strategy to create a plan that advances racial equity and social justice.
Major properties in the plan area include the Gateway 270 office park, the former Communications Satellite Corporation (COMSAT), Clarksburg High School, Rocky Hill Middle School, and the residential neighborhoods of Gateway Commons, Gallery Park (formerly Eastside), Hurley Ridge, Clarksburg Square (formerly Garnkirk Farms), and Dowden’s Station.
The Montgomery County Planning Board, part of The M-NCPPC, approved the plan’s Scope of Work at its June 22 meeting. For more information about the plan, visit its dedicated website which includes the plan boundary map, planning team contact information, a place to sign up for the plan’s eletter, and an online questionnaire for community members to fill out and submit comments, concerns, and ideas to us.