SILVER SPRING, MD – Residents, business owners and others who care about the future of Montgomery County’s White Oak-Hillandale area should consider attending a June 28 community forum hosted by the Montgomery County Planning Department.
The meeting, which will take place at the East County Regional Center from 4:30 to 9 p.m., is intended to provide an update on the East County Science Center (ECSC) master plan in progress. The plan area is bounded by the Beltway, the county line, Cherry Hill Road and U.S. 29.
Tuesday’s event will feature a drop-in open house that will allow participants to circulate among displays and speak with planners about ideas, issues and concerns.
Also at the forum, a transportation consultant will present an initial analysis of transit options in the East County area. The transit study – the result of a collaborative interagency effort funded by a Metropolitan Washington Council of Government’s Transportation-Land Use Connection grant – will help county planners analyze transportation alternatives, a major focus of the ECSC planning effort. The consultant’s report covers potential scenarios for bus rapid transit, light rail, and Metrorail extension.
The East County Science Center plan is proposed to build upon the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) consolidation and relocation to New Hampshire Avenue. County Councilmembers have expressed an interest in a master plan that sets the stage for a life sciences hub that builds off FDA and other health-related organizations that are in, or planning to, relocate to the area.
Planners view Tuesday’s forum and other outreach opportunities as a vital way to learn more about the area’s needs and opportunities. The forum follows a Saturday event hosted by Council President Valerie Ervin in the White Oak area, where planners also expect to solicit input.
Planners are working with a Citizens Advisory Committee, which includes representatives of groups within the plan’s boundaries, including community and civic associations, business and property owners, and area organizations and institutions, to help develop the plan. CAC meetings are scheduled monthly and are open to the public.
Who:
Montgomery County Planning Department
What:
East County Science Center Master Plan Forum
When:
4:30-9 p.m. Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Where:
Eastern Montgomery Regional Services Center
3300 Briggs Chaney Road
Silver Spring
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