Clarksburg Intentions Vary From Its Reality

The past president of the Clarksburg Civic Association, Steve Howie, said: "In a county that prides itself on planning, one would think Clarksburg would be the picture of perfection." He added, "I don't think you are seeing that."

Newland, which eventually is expected to build 1,300 single-family homes, townhouses and condominiums in Clarksburg, said everything is going according to plan, even though the corporate vice president overseeing the project resigned several weeks ago. A spokesman said her departure was unrelated to Clarksburg.

"We are proud of this community and believe it will be a model for Montgomery County," said spokesman Charles Maier.

Critics said that the years of attention and resources lavished on southern Montgomery by County Executive Douglas M. Duncan (D) and the council -- which produced, among other things, the redevelopment of downtown Silver Spring and the $100 million Music Center at Strathmore -- has left the largely rural north to grow without adequate oversight or planning and has handed builders such as Newland too much power.

"Clarksburg is proof Montgomery County is developer-driven," said Hillary Kirchman, a five-year resident.

The issue has left Duncan and the council in a defensive crouch, pointing fingers and demanding investigations.

"Who is in charge?" Council President Tom Perez (D-Silver Spring) asked last week, after learning of the building violations. "We need to ask who is accountable. Who is calling the shots?"

Knapp, who represents the area that includes Clarksburg, puts part of the blame on Duncan.

"I think there was an assumption that to do redevelopment was more difficult, and I don't think people were paying attention to the challenges of a new community," Knapp said. "There was an assumption this is all new [in Clarksburg], so how hard can it be?"

Duncan, whose 2002 reelection on the "End Gridlock" slate was financed heavily by developers, said much of what has gone wrong in Clarksburg is a matter for the county Planning Board, which is overseen by the council. He has, nevertheless, designated an assistant county administrator, Scott W. Reilly, to troubleshoot the town's development.

He noted that it took years for the infrastructure in Germantown, another fast-growing northern Montgomery municipality, to catch up with its building boom in the 1980s and 1990s. He said Clarksburg residents need to be patient.

"When you are talking about building a town of 30,000, it's not going to be full of amenities on the day the first person moves in," said Duncan, who is widely expected to seek the 2006 Democratic gubernatorial nomination. "It's not like you are moving into Silver Spring or Bethesda that's been around for" decades.