Name

Address

Olney, MD 20832

17 November 2004

President Steve Silverman

Montgomery County Council
100 Maryland Avenue
Rockville, MD 20850

Dear Mr. Silverman,

Our family chose to move to Olney in order to establish a reasonably normal family atmosphere in the midst of the Washington, DC area megalopolis.  What impressed us about Montgomery County was the fact that great care had been exercised in planning communities where green space and human need were well balanced.  Our understanding of what is proposed for the 32-acre space on Bowie Mill Road in Olney is that this concept is being cast aside in order to “shoe-horn” a miniature city into the spot.

When we selected our home in Olney (virtually over-looking the proposed 32-acre development), we checked the county park and planning office in accord with the recommendations of our realtor.  At that time we clearly saw a proposed high school at the location in question.  This gave us confidence in the intended future balance of Olney’s development.  Recently, however, we became aware of closed session decisions concerning this land and, naturally, we felt betrayed by our county planners.

The Bottom Line—We strongly urge you to prevent the rezoning of the 32-acre county-owned property.  However, if it is not needed on a long-term basis for educational purposes, use it for work force housing, consistent with the R200 zone and compatible with adjacent R200 neighborhoods. (This should be housing for households with incomes at 80-100% of the median income for Montgomery County (e.g., teachers, nurses, firefighters, and police officers) who have been over-looked by existing affordable housing programs.)  Given the environmental and utility constraints on this land, only two thirds of the land can be developed.  In order to reach the R200 yield of 64 single-family dwelling units and 14 MPDU’s, the housing will need to be significantly more compact than the adjacent neighborhoods.

Traffic Concerns--When my family moved here, Bowie Mill Rd was already moving a large traffic volume, especially given the variable width stretch between Route 108 and Cashell Road.   Having witnessed several accidents on the road immediately adjacent to our home, we have serious concerns about the road infrastructure being able to handle a higher traffic volume.  My perception is that Bowie Mill Road is already at its reasonable carrying capacity.  If any further development of that land is to occur, regardless of whether it is a school or a new neighborhood, an incremental investment should be made.  A minimum should be to add lights at Bowie Mill & 108 and Bowie Mill & Cashell.   We fear that anything less than this will cost lives via traffic accidents.

Overall, we ask for your support in preserving our family-oriented character with fine schools, excellent roads, and a healthy environment.  Please help us by discontinuing the rezoning of the 32-acre space on Bowie Mill Road, Olney, MD.  Thank you.

Sincerely,

Name