| Page 3 of 4 < > |
Readying Rockville Pike for Renewal
|
TOOLBOX
   Resize
COMMENT
 Discussion Policy
 CLOSE
Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.
Who's Blogging  |
"You increase mobility by separating the through traffic from the local traffic. It's much safer for drivers and pedestrians," said Rockville consultant Gianni Longo, a nationally known planner.
The increased safety would help spur construction of apartments, stores, restaurants and offices, he said. Additional parallel side streets, behind the first wave of new buildings along the pike, would create other walkable areas with stores, residences and offices.
In neighborhoods a few blocks off the pike, residents are watching the process closely. Paula Bienenfeld, president of the community association in mid-price Luxmanor, said residents welcome a new town center. But they are worried about traffic, building heights and congestion.
Bienenfeld said the planning agency isn't heeding community concerns about density and height. "Almost no attention is being paid to the existing, surrounding community," she said.
Planners say they will have tall, skinny buildings whose shadows won't last long in any particular spot.
In Bethesda, buildings are no taller than 200 feet, or about 18 stories, similar to parts of downtown Rockville. Planners have developed models for White Flint that could result in some 28-story buildings, or about 300 feet. Bienenfeld said there also are discussions about buildings as tall at 500 feet. An approved building in JBG's North Bethesda Market would be about 280 feet, or about 25 stories.
In the Rockville segment of the pike, consultant Longo is proposing smaller-scale buildings of about eight stories or fewer. "That's what the market demand is," Longo said.
Hanson, Montgomery's planning chairman, said the agency should be flexible about height. After the overarching vision has been agreed upon, he said, the agency should have the ability to evaluate specific plans in light of their surroundings.
The politics are complex, too. Redoing the pike arguably benefits the entire county because the tax base would expand, but residents on the county's east side, where redevelopment is also needed, might hesitate to support investment of public money.
County Council member Valerie Ervin (D-Silver Spring), whose constituents live on the eastern side, said she hears regularly from residents who are angry about the amount of taxes they pay and feel financially pressed by the faltering economy.
"Pay-as-you-go commercial development may be the only way to go," she said.
Several developers commissioned a study to come up with a proposal for a tax district on the pike or some other funding plan to help pay for infrastructure.
Mobile
Email