Montgomery County Planning Board Approves New Vision for Twinbrook, I-270 Corridor

SILVER SPRING, MD – In keeping with Montgomery County’s General Plan that concentrates growth along major transportation routes, the Planning Board has recommended approval of two comprehensive projects that detail ways to revitalize Twinbrook and link the communities along I-270 that stretch from Bethesda to Clarksburg.

Early this week, the Planning Board will transmit the two projects – the Twinbrook Sector Plan and the MD 355/I-270 Corridor Study – to the County Council for consideration and potential approval.

The Twinbrook Sector Plan envisions new housing, retail and offices in a unified, walkable neighborhood located near Metro’s Red Line. One of the few communities in the county to contain light industrial businesses, Twinbrook would create an entrepreneurial area for existing and potential new companies and better integrate them with housing and retail.

When the plan is approved by the County Council and local officials enact zoning changes envisioned in the plan, Twinbrook will have the tools to take on a new look. As redevelopment progresses, the community will become more urban, with high-quality public spaces, pedestrian-friendly street crossings and trail connections to Metro, urban parks and other open spaces.

View the Planning Board’s version of the Twinbrook Sector Plan.

The MD 355/I-270 Corridor Study approved Thursday by the Planning Board looks more broadly at Montgomery County’s most-traveled corridor. The project identifies strategies to unify and improve the 27-mile swath connecting Bethesda to Clarksburg.

Through a coordinated approach, the Planning Board hopes community centers along its path – Bethesda, White Flint, Twinbrook, Rockville, Gaithersburg, Germantown and Clarksburg – will see new jobs and a mix of housing types thanks to their proximity to Metro’s Red Line or the proposed Corridor Cities Transitway rapid bus or light rail system. The study also emphasizes ways to promote environmental conservation as well as new arts and entertainment venues.

The study recommends clustering technology industries to attract experts, increasing mobility along the corridor by putting people closer to Metro, train, and interconnected bike trails, and improving the look of MD 355 (Rockville Pike).

The study sets the stage for master plans in progress for many of those communities. Each master plan forecasts approximately 15 years of land use and other improvements in a more detailed look at each community. 

View the corridor study.