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Marketplace Drives Construction to New Heights
Madeline Hanington, left, and Alana Taylor stroll in Clarksburg Town Center.
(2004 Photo By Ricky Carioti -- The Washington Post)
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"Chances are the developer would be able to recover in the sales price a lot more than they spent to raise that ceiling," Alfano said.
Across Montgomery, the question of how high is too high is pitting neighbor against neighbor.
Some residents in older communities closer to the Capital Beltway say their neighborhood's character is being ruined by homeowners who tear down houses and replace them with conspicuously larger structures. The County Council is considering a proposal by council member Howard A. Denis (R-Potomac-Bethesda) to restrict all single-family homes in residential districts in southern Montgomery to 30 feet, down from the current 35-foot limit.
In Clarksburg Town Center, no such uniform zoning requirements exist. It is in a special zoning district created to give developers more flexibility. Still, developers are expected to follow the site plans approved by the Planning Board.
Planning officials say Newland agreed to construct townhouses and single-family homes no higher than 35 feet. Newland officials say they thought they had to agree to limit townhouse heights to four stories.
County planning officials, who realized the height only after a group of Clarksburg residents brought it to their attention, are recommending that the builders and developer be fined a total of $1.2 million. It would be one of the largest fines levied against an errant developer in Montgomery, but some Clarksburg residents say it is too low.
"The sanctions proposed by the planning staff can only be described as laughable," said Norman Knopf, an attorney for the Clarksburg Town Center Advisory Committee. "These units are selling for many thousands of dollars more than they otherwise would because they are higher and bigger in terms of a footprint."
On the other side, Maier argues that any substantial fine could severely curtail developers' interest in Montgomery, thus crippling joint efforts between the county and builders to supply more affordable housing.
"All the builders and developers are watching this thing," he said.
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