Montgomery planning board rejects controversial Takoma Park development
The Montgomery County Planning Board on Thursday rejected a developer’s proposal for a new two-story building next to a popular Takoma Park food co-op, concluding a development debate that has consumed much of the Maryland city for eight years.
The pitch to build office space above stores and restaurants on a 1.2-acre city-owned parking lot drew criticism from some residents who said it would be out of character for the Takoma Junction business district, a half-mile east of the Takoma Metro station. Many said it would destroy community gathering space, attract too much traffic and threaten deliveries and parking for the adjacent Takoma Park Silver Spring Co-op grocery store and other small businesses.
The proposal also had drawn attention after supporters said Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot (D), a gubernatorial candidate and Takoma Park resident, had met with state highway officials before they denied an unloading area for delivery trucks that was needed for the county’s approval.
Advertisement
Maryland transportation officials and Franchot’s office later said the comptroller had no influence on the Maryland State Highway Administration’s decision to reject the pull-off area, known as a layby, for safety reasons. The agency said it could be dangerous for pedestrians, and its location wouldn’t give motorists enough time to stop safely to avoid trucks pulling in and out.
Planning board members cited the state’s repeated denial of the proposed pull-off area along Carroll Avenue when they turned down D.C.-based Neighborhood Development Co.’s application. The county typically requires that commercial developments have off-street space for delivery trucks to unload.
“This comes down to the layby,” planning board chair Casey Anderson said. If the highway administration wouldn’t permit it along the state road, he said, “We can’t approve this project.”
The Takoma Park City Council selected the developer’s plan after soliciting proposals for the parking lot in 2014 to help revitalize the area. But debate over the winning proposal’s details has since engulfed the city. In June, the council passed a resolution urging the planning board to reject the plan, saying it fell short of city requirements, including for public space and parking for nearby businesses.
Advertisement
“I think the city needs to get its ducks in a row as to what its residents want for this property,” planning board member Carol Rubin said.
The developer could submit a new design for approval or appeal the planning board’s decision to the Circuit Court of Montgomery County.
Heather Howell, a spokeswoman for Neighborhood Development Co., said in an email: “We’re disappointed and disagree with the [planning board’s] decision, and will confer with the City of Takoma Park, our partners in this project, to decide on next steps.”
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7uK3SoaCnn6Sku7G70q1lnKedZMGzrc2sp6iqpJbBqrvNaGlpamJkfXJ7kXBmrZmbpLqiec%2BaqaRlmqq7pMDIqKVmnJWrsq27z6acp6xf