November 18, 2004


Steven A. Silverman                                                                        Sent Via Email
President
Montgomery County Council
100 Maryland Avenue
Rockville, MD 20850

Re:     Olney Master Plan

Dear Mr. Silverman, Montgomery County Council:

I am a resident of Montgomery County in the Upper Rock Creek Master Planning area and neighbor to the Olney Master Plan.  I am writing today to voice my concerns over the Olney Master Plan, and in particular the increase in densities proposed without any forethought given to providing the appropriate infrastructure to current residents to accommodate these densities. As a neighbor to Olney any increased densities in this area will impact the roads I use and the already over crowded schools (the Magruder Cluster, which serves part of the Olney area as well )  Having spent three years fighting overdevelopment of the Upper Rock Creek, I find it incomprehensible that this Council seems even more determined  to impose higher-density housing on every square inch of undeveloped land. 

 I have commuted to Bethesda everyday for the past 10 years and this commuting time has doubled while the distance has remained the same! In an article in the Washington Post today, citizens and experts alike commented on the exponential increase of traffic on I-270. The same thing has happened along Shady Gove, Muncaster Mill Rd., and Muncaster Rd. and other routes across the county. Many mornings leaving my street to turn onto Muncaster Rd. is very difficult due to traffic using this rural country road to cross the county. Alot of this traffic is from Olney, a suburban community and a commuting community which has no direct route to 270 and can use  Muncaster Rd. as one route to get them closer.   My sons school buses have been late many a morning for school due to traffic congestion on Muncaster Rd,  Muncaster Mill Rd. and Redland Rd.  For over 20 years the ICC has been stalled and no roads have been built. This neglect has already pushed this area into the brink of gridlock. So now that the County Council would even begin to urge higher densities in Olney as has already been done in the Upper Rock Creek Master Plan and Shady Grove Master Plan is irresponsible.  This is a direct contradiction to the promises you made to citizens who voted for you based on promises to "End Gridlock."  When will this Council begin to consider the needs of the residents who elected you?
 
In particular I would ask that you maintain the existing zoning on the 32-acre tract and build housing that would be compatible with existing neighborhoods. If you are going to rezone developable large lot properties to RNC, the density must not to exceed 0.33 on sewer.  Even at that threshold, developers will enjoy approximately twice the density they would get with the current zoning of RE1 and RE2 on septic.  Any  additional densities sought by developers  is motivated by greed and would have significant negative impacts on the environment, quality of schools, roads, and public services.  These community concerns are not important to developers who do not live in the community; their only concern is to follow zoning and maximize profits. Limit RNC development with sewer only to the properties that can connect to existing sewer lines without new pumping/grinding stations.  This will help to protect sensitive environmental resources in areas zoned RNC.
 
Olney and the surrounding communities, including the Upper Rock Creek, cannot accommodate the increased traffic that comes with higher-density communities.  It is time for this Council to truly represent its constituency and provide an adequate infrastructure for those of us who currently reside here rather than continue to contribute to its decline and eventual decline to our quality of life as well.
 
 
Sincerely,
 
Elaine Adornetto
5916 Wild Flower Ct.
Derwood, Maryland  20855