Board will review Working Draft’s recommendations for retail, housing and environmental upgrades in Westbard before public hearing in September
SILVER SPRING, MD – The Montgomery County Planning Board, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, will review the Working Draft of the Westbard Sector Plan at its meeting on Thursday, July 16. This Plan aims to encourage more parks and open spaces, housing and community retail options, and environmental sustainability within a community located in close proximity to Washington, DC and Downtown Bethesda.
The new Plan updates the 1982 Westbard Sector Plan to keep pace with the times and changes in the area. Some of the earlier Plan’s recommendations were never realized, including design concepts aimed at improving the public realm. Recommendations for improving the Westbard area in the Working Draft include the following:
-Providing gateway features into Westbard.
– Improving streetscapes on River Road, Westbard Avenue and side streets.
-Restoring the Willett Branch stream that runs through the Sector Plan area.
-Providing more connections to the popular Capital Crescent Trail for cyclists and pedestrians.
-Creating an urban park at the corner of Westbard Avenue and Ridgefield Road.
-Creating a community-serving commercial/retail development on Westbard Avenue.
-Improving the environmental sustainability of the Westwood Shopping Center.
After reviewing the Working Draft, the Planning Board will set a public hearing date for the Westbard Sector Plan, when the community is invited to comment on its recommendations. That hearing is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, September 24.
Click on the Westbard Sector Plan for more information.