Coalition for Smarter Growth

Town Hall Meeting on Monday:
Oppose Gaithersburg West Expansion, Support White Flint Metro Plan

Dear Montgomery County Resident,

Next Monday evening, February 8, there will be a town hall meeting with several County Councilmembers to talk about development plans for Montgomery County.

As you may know, Montgomery County is facing several decisions about how and where to grow. There are two vastly different plans for future development – one for massive expansion of the Life Sciences Center in Gaithersburg and the other a transit-oriented development at White Flint Metro.

Town Hall Meeting

Monday, February 8, 2010
7:00-9:00pm
Speakers include: the At-Large Councilmembers: Nancy Floreen, George Leventhal, Duchy Trachtenberg, and Mark Elrich
Quince Orchard High School cafeteria, 15800 Quince Orchard Rd, Gaithersburg

This meeting will address the proposal for massive expansion of the Life Sciences Center and plans for the North Potomac Community Recreation Center, but is also a good opportunity to express your support for the White Flint Metro Plan. If you can't attend, you can email your thoughts to the County Council.

Good Idea, Wrong Location

High tech jobs are an important goal for Montgomery County, but where we put those jobs is important too. Massive expansion of the Life Sciences Center, located almost as far out as Dulles Airport in Virginia, would increase traffic, energy use, water and air pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. The location has poor transit connections and is far from existing business districts.

Trying to commute here from the populous eastern and southern parts of the county would require multiple bus transfers or a long drive. Much of the development is allowed to occur before the proposed Corridor Cities Transitway is running, and funding for the CCT isn't certain. Instead, we should focus jobs at our existing Metro stations.

About the White Flint Sector Plan

White Flint can become a vibrant, walkable place improving housing and transportation choices.

Montgomery County is planning for the future of the White Flint Metro Station, and the exciting draft plan envisions a vibrant, walkable center for North Bethesda. Anchored by the Metro Station, the draft plan outlines a set of neighborhoods complete with new parks and public spaces, an improved local street network, a vibrant mix of uses, more housing choices, and better pedestrian/bicyclist access.

For more information, read the press release we co-released with several community groups in support of the White Flint planning effort and testimony (pdf) our policy director Cheryl Cort gave on this topic. You can also read the draft plan (pdf) online.

Our 12 Metrorail stations, including White Flint, are among Montgomery's greatest assets that should be leveraged for maximum benefit. Locating growth at White Flint, unlike the proposed expansion of the Life Sciences Center, takes advantage of existing infrastructure, increases transit use while taking cars off the road, encourages walking and bicycling, and helps protect air and water quality. The White Flint Sector Plan meets county goals of providing jobs, homes, and transportation choices through redevelopment of Metro stations into mixed use communities. In addition, focusing growth at White Flint will create sustainable, environmentally-friendly communities that reduce driving, energy use, and climate changing emissions.

Montgomery County has a history of commitment to smart growth and should uphold this vision by placing a priority on Metro station communities and improving existing commercial corridors like Rockville Pike. Massive expansion of the Life Sciences Center would directly undermine these county efforts. With a good plan for the future of White Flint and its other Metro stations, the county can remain a leader in sustainable transportation, energy and climate solutions, offering residents more transportation and housing choices.

Thanks for your support and involvement.

Sincerely,

Rebecca Perring
action@smartergrowth.net
Coalition For Smarter Growth

Received this from a friend? Sign up to receive alerts and news from CSG .

This message was sent to .  Please visit your Subscription Management Page to update your email address and mailing address (you may need to log in). To stop receiving these e-mails altogether, click to unsubscribe.