Community invited to meet with planners, learn about goals for the area and provide feedback about initial ideas for areas surrounding the Boyds and Germantown MARC rail stations.
SILVER SPRING, MD – The Montgomery County Planning Department, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, is launching the MARC Rail Communities Plan, focused on the Boyds and Germantown stations, on Wednesday, November 4, 2015 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Upcounty Regional Services Center (12900 Middlebrook Road #1000, Germantown, MD). RSVPs are encouraged but not required.
RSVP for the November 4 MARC Rail Communities Open House.
The MARC Rail Communities Plan centers on the historic communities of Boyds and Germantown in western Montgomery County. The stations are located approximately three miles apart along the Brunswick line of the Maryland Transit Administration’s MARC system. Each of the two communities has a distinct development pattern and requires a different approach to land uses, design and multimodal access around the stations.
Background on the MARC Rail Communities Plan:
The new MARC Rail Communities Plan will build on the recommendations of the previous 1985 Boyds Master Plan, the 1989 Germantown Master Plan and the 2009 Germantown Employment Area Sector Plan, and will examine in greater detail the land uses, zoning, design and multimodal access to the two MARC stations. Specifically, this limited Master Plan will:
-Evaluate land uses and zoning at sites near each station.
-Provide recommendations to improve multimodal access to each station (information gathered during the Master Plan of Highways and Transitways, and the current Bicycle Master Plan will help inform the access provisions of the MARC Rail Communities Plan).
-Address additional concerns raised during the planning process, such as parking.
General Schedule for the MARC Rail Communities Plan:
November 4, 2015 – Kickoff Community Meeting (Upcounty Regional Services Center, 12900 Middlebrook Rd., Room A, Germantown, MD). Briefing Book to be posted on the same day.
Winter 2016 – Design Workshop (Charrette) and Development of Preliminary Recommendations.
Spring 2016 – Refinement of Preliminary Plan Recommendations.
Summer 2016 – Presentation of Working Draft to the Planning Board.
Fall 2016 – Planning Board Public Hearing and Work Sessions.
Winter 2016/2017 – Planning Board Draft Transmitted to County Council.
Stay Connected:
Visit the project website at www.montgomeryplanning.org/marcrailplan or contact the planners at:
Roberto.Duke@montgomeryplanning.org 301.495.2168
Leslie.Saville@montgomeryplanning.org 301.495.2194
-Meet with planners at the Planning Department in Silver Spring (8787 Georgia Avenue) or attend your own group’s meeting.
-Come to public meetings, workshops and outreach events.