Before Montgomery County planners go the Planning Board, they’ll present their revised vision for the future of Westbard at a community meeting on April 22.
Planners will unveil their “Plan Concepts” on the controversial Westbard Sector Plan at the meeting. They are set to present their preliminary recommendations to the Planning Board on April 30 and their full staff draft on July 16 before the Board takes up traffic, school, development and other issues starting in September.
The meeting is set for Wednesday, April 22 from 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. at the Walt Whitman High School cafeteria (7100 Whittier Boulevard).
The department says attendees will be able to take part in a “feedback loop” before the April 30 Planning Board date.
Much has happened since November, when planners last met with the community in a contentious session on their Concept Framework Plan.
Equity One, the developer that hopes to redevelop Westbard’s main shopping center and a number of other properties along Westbard Avenue, came out with its own preliminary plans and renderings. The company would like the necessary zoning changes to build 250,000 square feet of new retail space and 500-700 new housing units on its 22 acres.
Many residents are concerned about how growth in the area will affect traffic congestion and already overcrowded schools. Some of the most vocal critics have said they’re against any new development in Westbard.
Earlier this month, Equity One presented traffic studies from its consultants the developer says prove traffic wouldn’t be made significantly worse by its plans.
As part of its work for the Sector Plan, county planners will perform their own traffic studies.
The plan is scheduled to be approved by the Planning Board and sent to the County Council in March 2016.
Via Equity One
