preserving the quality of life in Olney, Maryland

The New Mixed-Use Town Center Zone

Introduction

Town Center is approximately 90 acres around the intersection of Routes 108 and 97.  The current zoning for this area includes several different zones: Commercial (C-1, C-2, C-O, C-T, O-M) and Residential (RT-8, RT-12.5, R-20) zones.  The entire Town Center area has been rezoned to a new, single Mixed-Use Town Center zone which will allow additional growth, open space, and a variety of uses.  The new zone is flexible and encourages residential units in the Town Center.  New or redevelopment in the Town Center can be 3 - 5 stories tall with up to 20 residential units per acre.   Site plans (which require a public hearing) will be required for developments 5+ acres and/or 20,000+ square feet. 

Staff Report (12/9/04)

Zoning Text Amendment

Staff Report:  Framework for a New Zone for the Olney Town Center (11/8/04)

Council President Steve Silverman wrote a letter to Josh Freeman regarding the need for a Civic Center on November 19, 2004

Olney Town Center Advisory Group

The Olney Master Plan recommends the creation of an advisory committee to further refine the vision of the Olney town center and to work on the development of a new civic center in the town center.  The committee would work on an illustrative plan that can be used as guide to assess the future proposals for redevelopment of various parcels in the town center.  Developers would know that this is what the community expects to see in the town center and the community would understand more what the reality and constraints of creating a true vision of the master plan are. The committee would also work on creating a civic center and a major public open space in the town center.  All stakeholders are to be represented on the Advisory Group: residents (civic/HOA representatives), businesses (Chamber of Commerce), property owners, and Planning Staff (as a resource).  The advisory group's input will be given greater weight by the Planning Board when reviewing development projects for the town center. 

This Olney Town Center Advisory Group meets the first Monday of the month.  The meetings are open to the public - stay tuned for the next location.  Sunita Bhatia represents Olney Coalition and is this year's first Vice Chair. 

Implementation of the New Mixed-Use Town Center Zone

In order to see how the new Mixed Use Town Center Zone might be implemented, the Planning Staff asked Carl M. Freeman Retail to draw some concept plans for redevelopment of the Olney Town Center (the shopping center that currently has the movie theaters in it).  Carl M. Freeman Retail created two possible options for Olney Town Center.  These are just concept plans, not development plans.  Note the file sizes.

Option A
    Ground Floor Plan in color (794 kB)
    Ground Floor Plan (2559 kB)
    Roof Plan (3117 kB)

Option B
    Ground Floor Plan (2243 kB)
    Roof Plan  (3053 kB)

Option A & B Parking Level Plan  (1910 kB)