Olney Master Plan County Council

Olney Master Plan County Council Work Session #2

Northern and Southwest Olney

October 25, 2004

Summary

Central Mission Property - revisit after language is crafted to indicate no public access while a camp is there

Mess, Simms, & Brooke Grove Foundation - staff recommendation

Silo Inn and Tower Company Property (Small’s Nursery) - revisit after paper history has been submitted

Norbeck Country Club – change text in master plan to clarify it is in the sewer envelope

County-owned property on Emory Lane – clarify mitigation for ICC is to be purchased by the state. If ICC is not built, do not specify the type of housing recommended.

Items requested for the next work session:

Silverman asked Planning Board staff to come back with several options for developing additional housing (above R200) on the 32 acre Bowie Mill Site – he suggested an all townhouse concept, a mixed development, and a combination of single family and townhouses. He also asked staff to recommend the zoning needs to be to enable the increased density..

He wants the maximum development possible limited only by the environmental and utility right of way constraints.

Praisner wants a review of the 1980 plan regarding expectations for the Southeast Quadrant, more specific recommendations regarding the library and post office, and status update by MCPS regarding a new high school site.

Details of the Discussions

Central Mission Property – add the word priority in the recommendation: Protect priority forest areas and wetlands on the Central Union Mission property. This allows the landowner to develop sites in the low priority forest areas. Landowner requested and Committee agreed there should be no public access through the property while a camp is there. If the camp ceases operation, MNCPPC would acquire portions through dedication or acquisition. Committee will revisit this topic to review the new language.

Mess, Simms, and Brooke Grove Foundation Properties – No representatives were present for this property so Committee agrees with the plan recommendations of Mess property RNC with 0.33 units per acre; Simms property RNC with 0.2 units per acre or 0.33 if combined with Mess.

Silo Inn – the history was discussed: Solomon (from Finmark who purchased the property 10/21/03) had consent agreement created in 1995 with P & P, property owner, and Historic Preservation to restore Higgins Tavern and develop 32,000 square feet of retail. Solomon confirmed with DPS before purchasing the property that he is grandfathered (APFO is still valid). Answer was yes so he bought the property. Then he received a letter (after purchasing the property) with no explanation that he was not grandfathered. It turned out that the confirmation with DPS was with Malcolm Shannemen (a staff member) not the Commission or Board.

Berlage stated that even if everything Solomon said is true, it is not relevant. It is illegal to guarantee zoning. The question here today is: what is the right zone for this property? Silverman is inclined to listen to the residents of Victoria Springs, Floreen supports the staff recommendation. She feels that they may have been swayed by a Starbucks, a Chiccos, etc coming to their area which may or may not be what is put there or stays there. Silverman is outraged by the way the property purchaser (Solomon) has been treated (leading to vested rights litigation) and wants copies of all DPS and P&P correspondences for next worksession.

Tower Company Property (Small’s Nursery) – Before discussing, Silverman stated no decisions will be made today. Issue is complicated – see staff packet (http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/www.montgomerycountymd.gov/apps/council/compackets/041025/20041025ag.pdf for history. Planning staff is to return with a zone that is feasible on the acreage that can be developed (after the park expansion and state claims portion for the 28/97 interchange)

Norbeck Country Club – the Country Club opposed the rezoning since it affects land value and thus ability to use as collateral in loans. Mary Dolan stated the parcel is located in the North Branch of the URC, in the Williamsburg Run, and adjacent to Casey/Dungan which was rezoned RNC in the URC master plan. Committee agrees RNC is correct zoning, amended recommendation to state that the property is in the sewer envelope

County-owned property on Emory Lane – Praisner started and all agreed to remove the recommendation for affordable elderly housing. The thought is if the ICC is not built then all right of way (ROW) properties would be reconsidered. Floreen wanted it clear that if they valued ICC mitigation over housing, then that needed to be stated in the master plan. In addition, clarification is to be added that any portion not used by ICC should be purchased by the state for mitigation.

Items requested for the next work session:

Silverman wants several options presented to committee for additional housing (above R200) on the 32 acre Bowie Mill Site – he suggested an all townhouse concept, a mixed development, and a combination of single family and townhouses all at a higher density than R200. These would be concept plans – not actual proposals for development

He wants to see how much is possible to build on this site given environmental restraints so the appropriate zoning can be applied to achieve that maximum development.