County residents and stakeholders invited to comment on the plan’s recommendations for land use, zoning, transportation, housing, parks and open spaces in bow-tie-shaped area of North Bethesda
SILVER SPRING, MD –The Montgomery County Planning Board, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, will hold a public hearing for the White Flint 2 Sector Plan on Thursday, January 12, 2017 in the auditorium of the Planning Department (8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, Maryland). For the specific time, consult the Planning Board agenda 10 days prior to the hearing date.
Learn more about the White Flint 2 Sector Plan and review the Public Hearing Draft of the plan.
Individuals wishing to testify in person at the public hearing are requested to sign up online beginning 10 days prior to the hearing date. The Planning Board welcomes written testimony in lieu of, or in addition to, testifying in person. Written testimony can be sent by e-mail or to Chair Casey Anderson of the Montgomery County Planning Board (8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910).
About the White Flint 2 Sector Plan
The White Flint 2 Sector Plan aims to close the gaps between the areas covered by the Twinbrook Sector Plan, 2010 White Flint Sector Plan and City of Rockville’s plan. The land use, zoning and transportation recommendations of the White Flint 2 Sector Plan will apply to properties in a bow-tie-shaped area between the boundaries of these already established plans. White Flint 2 will connect common elements between the areas, including Rockville Pike and a proposed network of bike lanes and public open spaces.
In the White Flint 2 area, planners studied properties along Executive Boulevard, west of Old Georgetown Road; east of the CSX rail tracks, between Randolph Road and Nicholson Lane; and north of Montrose Parkway along Rockville Pike to the city limits of Rockville. Nicholson Court, which was a part of the 2010 White Flint Sector Plan, is also included in the White Flint 2 plan area.
The Planning Board approved the Working Draft of the White Flint 2 Sector Plan on November 10, 2016.
Summary of White Flint 2 Sector Plan Recommendations
Land Use and Zoning
-Promote the transformation of single use commercial shopping centers into mixed-use places along Rockville Pike (MD 355).
-Integrate new residential and non-residential uses in the Executive Boulevard office park and promote mixed-use neighborhood centers at the Loehmann’s Plaza and Randolph Hills Shopping Centers.
-Retain existing multi-family residential development as an important resource of market-rate affordable housing and promote a diverse mix of housing options for residents at different stages of life.
-Retain light industrial properties to provide important services, offer opportunities for small businesses, entrepreneurs and vocational and entry-level employment. Promote a diverse mix of housing options for residents
Mobility
-Promote walkability with new streets and enhanced streetscapes to define the public realm.
-Encourage variety in new building heights and massing to maximize access to natural light and air.
-Extend the Rockville Pike (MD 355) Boulevard concept to the city limits of Rockville with bus rapid transit (BRT).
-Establish new streets that permit alternative ways to navigate and connect to adjacent communities.
-Support the 2010 White Flint Sector Plan recommendation for a MARC Station but recognize that Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) must develop criteria for infill stations in Montgomery County.
-Accommodate new bikeways that link to the 2010 White Flint Sector Plan area and the City of Rockville.
Parks, Open Spaces, Community Facilities
-Create new parks and open spaces for public use and expand the network of interconnected open spaces envisioned by the 2010 White Flint Sector Plan.
-Develop at least 10 acres of public use in the Plan area.
-Address school capacity issues in the Walter Johnson cluster.
-Promote the co-location of public facilities to reduce public expenditures and minimize land area.
-Retain existing wooded areas where designated and provide increased tree canopy.
Urban Design and Sustainability
-Promote energy efficiency and encourage net-zero energy building design.
-Provide adequate transitions between new development and existing neighborhoods through appropriate
building heights and development intensities.
-Establish new pedestrian paths and bikeways between existing residential communities and new mixed-use development.
Implementation Strategies for Development
The White Flint 2 Sector Plan Public Hearing Draft includes a plan for staging development in three distinct phases so that public infrastructure can be provided in a timely manner to support new residential and non-residential projects. The plan notes that the County Council and County Executive will determine how to fund these infrastructure projects. The expansion of the existing White Flint Special Taxing District is one option for this funding.
For more information about the White Flint 2 Sector Plan, contact:
Lead Planner Nkosi Yearwood, tel. 301-495-1332, email Nkosi.Yearwood@montgomeryplanning.org
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