THE GAZETTE
Wednesday, January 29, 2014 r
Page A-3
LOCAL
New Glenmont rezoning could mean additional development mix
Tubin’ in Wheaton
Changes are around Georgia Ave., Randolph Rd. n
BY
SARAH SCULLY STAFF WRITER
TOM FEDOR/THE GAZETTE
Dan Komarek of Silver Spring and his son Max, 5, ride a snow tube Sunday at Layhill Village Local Park in Wheaton. Tuesday’s arctic blast is expected to moderate during the rest of this week, with only a small chance of rain or snow forecast for Saturday.
Ponds to be added to Horizon Hill Park to slow erosion Public meeting to discuss designs scheduled for Thursday n
BY
ELIZABETH WAIBEL STAFF WRITER
Engineers are designing changes for a Rockville park in an attempt to slow down erosion and keep pollutants out of the Watts Branch watershed. The city of Rockville is planning to revamp its system for dealing with stormwater runoff in Horizon Hill Park, near the intersection of Wootton Parkway and Falls Road. Gabe Kosarek, a city civil engineer, said the park has three dry ponds that fill with water when it rains, then slowly release the water into the Watts Branch stream. The stream
connecting two of the ponds is unstable and eroding, however, and that’s starting to threaten private property behind some houses, sewage lines and trees, he said. The city plans to stabilize the stream and convert two of the dry ponds into wet ponds in an effort to combat erosion and reduce the potential for flooding, according to a project page on the city’s website. “These ponds will be permanently full of water, and the function of the wet ponds is to provide a water quality treatment,” Kosarek said. While rainwater typically stays in the dry ponds for about 48 hours, it would stay in the wet ponds longer, giving sediment and nutrients time to settle to the bottom of the ponds. The result would be cleaner water flowing into Watts Branch.
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At a meeting of the mayor and City Council on Jan. 13, some residents who live near the park said they weren’t happy with the designs. Edward Himmelfarb, who lives on Sunrise Drive, said the plan would entail taking down trees and installing pools with nothing to block the unsightly view. Robert Plotkin of Glastonberry Road said he was concerned that a concrete apron designed to protect the sewage line behind his house would leak. Plotkin said he has lived in the house since 1968 and hasn’t seen any problems, and he suggested putting the money toward other projects. Craig Simoneau, director of Rockville’s Department of Public Works, said the city is trying to figure out how to accommodate some of the neighbors’ requests without compromis-
ing the project. A community meeting to discuss the project is scheduled for Thursday. “Every comment we’ve heard, we’re going to be prepared to address ... at that community meeting,” he said. Simoneau said the project is partially funded by a $1 million grant. The grant has a timeline attached to it, limiting how much the city can slow down its design process. “We have a tightrope here to walk in not losing a milliondollar grant and still including some of their changes into the project,” he said. The public meeting about the Horizon Hill stormwater management plan is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday at City Hall. ewaibel@gazette.net
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County planners are close to completing rezoning for Glenmont that would allow more commercial and residential development in the 68.41-acre area north of Georgia Avenue and Randolph Road. “Weareencouragingmixeduse development in more areas around the Metro center than currently allowed,” planner coordinator Michael Brown said. The area is about 1½ miles north of the Wheaton-Glenmont Metro station. No one testified at a Tuesday County Council hearing on the subject. Council approval will mark the end of a two-year rezoning process. The changes are in the area around Georgia Avenue and Randolph Road, north of where they intersect, and a small parcel west of Georgia Avenue. This includes the Glenmont Shopping Center and areas farther north across of Layhill Road. The small area west of Georgia Avenue will be a lower-density mixed-use zone than the other spaces. With the exception of the shopping center, most of the lots are currently more geared toward residential use, or are residential-only. The council has already approved the amendment to the Glenmont Sector Plan Sectional Map and the Planning Board has recommended the council approve the zoning ordinance needed to complete the process. Neighbors and local business owners have mixed views on whether the new zoning will improve the area, although most appear to be in favor of redevelopment. “The shopping center defi-
nitely needs a facelift,” said Tim Hahn, owner of Sports World, who supports the rezoning. “It’s not pedestrian-friendly.” Hahn would like to see a large anchor store move in, to attract customers. “The problem with the shopping center is there are like six different landlords so it’s hard to get all the landlords to agree on what needs to be done as far as improvement is concerned at the shopping center,” Hahn said. Some business owners are skeptical of a large developer moving into the area, he said. Another landlord, Mike Fisher, a partner at Glenmont Commercial, said all of the business owners in the shopping center are on board with rezoning and redevelopment. Glenmont Commercial owns several storefronts, including Pizza Hut, Subway and a Department of Motor Vehicles office. Neighbor John Bogasky agrees that the rezoning would allow the area to evolve favorably.Bogaskyisaboardmember of the Strathmore-Bel Pre Civic Association and the Glenmont Exchange — an uumbrella organization that brings together neighborhood associations and business owners. “I generally favor the rezoning,” he said. “My hope is that it will kind of attract to Glenmont the attractive redevelopment we’ve seen at other metro stations in the county.” But Vicki Vergagni, president of the board of directors and on-site community manager for Glen Waye Gardens Condominiums is skeptical that rezoning will bring new business. Her worry is that it will only attract new residential development, and with it more traffic. The council is scheduled to vote on the rezoning next Tuesday.
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sscully@gazette.net