Rockville Pike Plan Ready For Comment
Jan 3, 2011 15:01 - 6 Comments
Rockville's Pike: Envision a Great Place
Way back in 2007, Cindy Cotte Griffiths wrote about the kick off of a new effort to reimagine what Rockville Pike is and can be. Cindy’s article recounts the beginning of an intricate public participation process that included input from many quarters.
As the City’s materials say:
More than 20 years have passed since the City of Rockville completed the 1989 Rockville Pike Corridor Neighborhood Plan and made it part of the City’s Comprehensive Master Plan. Since then, there have been signficant changes along the Pike, and those changes continue both within Rockville and nearby. As the economy moves toward recovery, development and new buildings will bring more residents, shoppers, commuters, and cars. A successful plan will express Rockville’s goals, guide change in the direction that the community wishes, and further Mayor and Council visions of improved urban sensitivity with distinctive neighborhoods and multimodal transportation.
That lengthy process is now reaching its last phase, and there is a draft plan that’s been created and is ready for some feedback.
The City’s Planning Commission is asking for response to the plan — available here — and the Plan will be formally introduced to the Mayor and Council at their next meeting (January 10, a joint session between M&C and Planning Commission).
The next day (January 11) there will also be an open house (5-7pm) and a presentation (7-9pm) at Richard Montgomery High School.
Three ways you can send your views to the Planning Commission:
- In writing, by letter addressed to the City of Rockville Planning Commission, c/o Long Range Planning, CPDS, 111 Maryland Ave., Rockville, MD 20850.
- By e-mail to [email protected].
- In person, at the Planning Commission Public Hearing, Wednesday, March 9, 7 p.m. at City Hall, 111 Maryland Ave.
6 Comments
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I attended every meeting of the Rockville Pike Envisioning process and described them all here on Rockville Central. All the background is at this link: http://rockvillecentral.com/tag/rockville-pike/
Back in November I outlined the next steps as we looked forward to this final version. I recommended signing up for the emails from the Rockville’s Pike Interest Group by going to http://www.rockvillemd.gov/rockvillespike. We all need reminders!
That’s right I should have added the tag link, which includes your cool comic: http://rockvillecentral.com/2010/11/comic-strip-rockburb-11-20-10.html/
I didn’t see anything in this plan talking about the space north of Town Center (starting at Beale Ave and bound by N Washington St. & Hungerford Dr.) that currently house the BofA, fire station, and former Giant. Is that area still being discussed for development or is it part of a different plan?
I like the idea of developing around Metro stations and increasing the “walkability” of Rockville, but I would think that the best way to encourage that would be to develop adjacent walkable areas, not creating brand new ones that aren’t within walking distance of major residential areas. With Town Center so close by, there would be a great mutual benefit for both areas and an easier time drawing people from the traditionally car-centric neighborhoods of single family homes that surround 355 on both sides.
It’s really criminal that the derelict Giant has been allowed to sit there, empty, for years upon years now. Why is no one demanding answers to this from our Mayor and Council? How can Rockville be so proud of Town Center, when just a block away there is a blight which looks like it was bombed in World War II and hasn’t yet been repaired? And now the same thing is happening with the empty restaurant lot that was formerly occupied by Bob’s 88 - will that one also be allowed to spend the next decade crumbling into a pile of junk?
Jeff,
The area North of Town Square is a different planning area. The Rockville Pike Plan area is as defined in the document (roughly along Rockville Pike from Richard Montgomery Drive to Bou Avenue).
I’m with Temperence on this. We have spent lots of time and money and energy trying to get the new grocery store into Rockville when there are these sites which are sitting empty and have been in years in the case of the old Giant building. This is real estate that is Metro-walkable and could be bringing revenue to the City.