SILVER SPRING, MD – On Thursday, June 28 at approximately 9:15 a.m., the Montgomery County Planning Board will take another look at a development proposal for Ashton, a rural community in the northwest corner of the county, which could include a shopping center, restaurants, condominiums and offices.
Developers of Ashton Meeting Place, located at intersection of Routes 650 (New Hampshire Avenue) and 108 (Ashton Road), modified their original plan after going before the Board in April. During that hearing, dozens of residents testified about the project, some speaking in favor, the majority against.
The Board postponed action on the item to consider testimony and recommendations from its staff. Planning staff recommended denial because of possible parking limitations in the zone, encroachment on environmentally sensitive wetlands and concern that the building design would detract from the character of the rural village.
The new proposal pulls buildings out of environmentally sensitive areas, addressing one of the concerns. Yet, planners continue to recommend denial because of the shopping center’s proposed density, the orientation of storefronts away from main streets and the prevalence of paved areas rather than green space. Planners also say the development deviates from the area’s master plan, which guides development in rural Sandy Spring and Ashton and calls for village centers with attractive entry areas and a main-street ambiance.
Since the Board heard 2½ hours of public testimony about Ashton Meeting Place in April, Board Chairman Royce Hanson has limited public comment at this week’s hearing to one hour. Some 20 residents already have signed up to testify.
WHO:
Montgomery County Planning Board
WHAT:
Hearing on Ashton Meeting Place, a proposed mixed-use
development project in Ashton
WHEN:
Thursday, June 28, 2007 – approximately 9:15 a.m.
WHERE:
Park and Planning Headquarters
8787 Georgia Avenue
Silver Spring, Md.
