SILVER SPRING – As planners continue to work on an amendment to the 1994 Clarksburg Master Plan to address the Ten Mile Creek area, the Planning Board has scheduled a public session on Wednesday, April 17 to hear from the public on the plan in progress.
Planners, charged with drafting an amendment to balance development goals approved in 1994 with modern-day concerns about water quality in the Ten Mile Creek watershed, on Thursday presented an analysis of environmental impacts to the Board. The analysis focuses on development scenarios and how they might affect water quality.
The 1994 plan guides Clarksburg’s evolution from a rural crossroads to a vibrant town surrounded by open space. Land use recommendations in the plan weigh the need to protect sensitive environmental resources against higher densities that would warrant transit service.
Development in Clarksburg is managed by a staging plan that balances development with infrastructure like roads and schools. The staging plan highlights the need to undertake significant environmental monitoring before allowing development in the Ten Mile Creek watershed.
On Thursday, staff, working with a consulting team, presented the results of computer models measuring the impact of development on water quality. The development scenarios run in the model used Environmental Site Design, or state-of-the-art stormwater collection techniques. The models simulate storm events and measure impact on stream flow and other water quality indicators.
Board members directed staff to study more development scenarios for environmental analysis as well as its effect in different locations in the watershed. The Board also scheduled a public session in response to property owners interested in building in the area and environmental groups who would like to discuss the scenarios and analysis approach.
Who: Montgomery County Planning Board
What: Clarksburg Master Plan Limited Amendment for the 10 Mile Creek Area public session
When: 3 p.m. Wednesday, April 17
Where:
Park and Planning Headquarters auditorium
8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring
Sign up to speak at the public session.