http://www.yesmagazine.org/new-economy/local-economies-close-the-distance-between-us

Fact Sheet: Monrovia Town Center

1. The Planned Unit Development for the Monrovia Town Center encompasses over 400 acres of land. The project is age-restricted to adults over 55. It includes 1,608 dwelling units and 30,000 square feet of commercial space. 

2. The PUD was approved by theprior Board of County Commissioners on September 28, 2006, just weeks before its term concluded. Commissioners Mike Cady, John Lovell and Bruce Reeder voted in favor of the PUD. Commissioner Lenny Thompson voted against the PUD. Commissioner Jan Gardner abstained. Commissioners Cady and Lovell were voted out of office 6 weeks later. Commissioner Reeder retired.

3. On January 8, 2008 the new Board of County Commissioners announced its Growth Management Initiative. Under this Initiative, the Board will, among other things, revise the County’s Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Map. A key purpose of this initiative is to “link the pace of residential growth with the county’s ability to provide adequate roads, schools, public safety and other government services.” The Board also wishes to “preserve the rural, cultural, and historic character of the county.”

4. In order to prevent further adverse land use impacts while this process is underway, the Board established a moratorium on subdivision activity. The Monrovia Town Center is subject to this moratorium. As a result, there can be no further review or permitting for this project until revisions to the Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Map are completed.

5. In its review of the County’s Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Map, the Board of County Commissioners will assess the impacts of this project on local roads, schools, public safety facilities and other government services. In its recent revisions to the New Market Region Plan, the Board reclassified a number of properties as agricultural to avoid over-development and adverse impacts on infrastructure in the area. The Board is authorized to take similar action here.

6. The County’s Planning Staff will forward its proposed revisions to the Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Map to the Planning Commission in January 2009. The Planning Commission will hold public hearings on these proposed revisions. The Planning Commission has the authority to recommend to the Board that the lands encompassed by the Monrovia Town Center be reclassified as agricultural. The public hearings in January and thereafter will provide an important opportunity for the citizens of Monrovia to express their opposition to the project.

7. The site of the proposed Monrovia Town Center PUD is situated at the intersection of two State arterial roadways – Rt. 75 ( a major arterial ) and Rt. 80 ( a minor arterial). Rt. 80 serves as an east-west connector between northern Montgomery County and the I-270/Rt.355 corridor. Rt. 75 serves as the primary north-south route for the eastern portion of the County. Both roads are already subject to serious traffic congestion in the vicinity of the project and beyond.

8. In 2004, the prior Board of County Commissioners approved the PUD now known as the Landsdale Active Adult Project. This PUD encompasses almost 400 acres of land to the west of Ed McClain Road. The project is age-restricted to adults over 55 and includes 1100 dwelling units.

9. Taken together, the Monrovia Town Center and Landsdale Active Adult Project total over 2,700 dwelling units. These units would house approximately 4,500 people (assuming an average household size of 1.67 people per age-restricted household in Frederick County). This would increase by fivefold the population in the vicinity, which only recently stood at 1,148 people. This huge increase in population would put enormous strains on roads, public safety and other government services in the area. It would also destroy the rural character of Monrovia.

10. In developing a Transportation Plan for the Urbana Region in 2004, the prior Board of County Commissioners assumed that major improvements would be made to Rt. 75 to accommodate the development contemplated in Monrovia. These proposed improvements include major realignments of Rt.75 where it intersects with I-70 to the north and I-270 to the south. According to the Urbana Transportation Plan, these improvements to Rt. 75 are the County’s “number one priority for state secondary highway projects” and would “provide a more direct and faster route to I-270 and Montgomery County.” It is now clear, however, that the state funding for these improvements will not be available in the foreseeable future, if ever.

11. Rt. 75 from I-70 to the Rt. 355/I-270 corridor is already severely congested. Its narrow, winding and sight-restricted road bed greatly restricts automobile and truck travel and poses severe safety risks. An additional 2,700 age-restricted residential units in Monrovia would generate thousands of additional car trips on Rt. 75 everyday. When combined with constantly increasing through-traffic from other sources, these additional cars trips would produce gridlock at many points along Rt. 75 from I-70 to I-270. It would also make it far more difficult to safely access Rt. 75 from the many neighborhoods that depend on it for north-south travel.

12. The traffic mitigation measures proposed for the Monrovia Town Center PUD were developed under the County’s existing Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance. These measures are designed to facilitate access to the development and the movement of traffic in the immediate vicinity of the project. They do not address traffic conditions over the length of Rt. 75. The existing APFO has failed to safeguard the County’s road network and will be replaced by a new ordinance as part of the County’s Growth Management Initiative.

A helpful map to view the area at the intersection of Rtes 75 and 80 is on the Urbana map found on the menu of the Growth and Quality of Life: finding the right balance in Frederick County presentation (on www.we-draw-the-line.org). Click on the Monrovia area on the zoning map and you will see an aerial view of the farms planned for conversion for both the Landsdale Project and to the planned urban development described above.

Can Monrovia’s roads handle five times more traffic? There are 2,708 dwelling units planned for the Md. 75 and 80 intersection area that will cover 800 acres that is now used as farmland.The planning commission will begin meetings in January and they have the authority to recommend that over half of this land be reclassified as agricultural. We have the opportunity to request this recommendation. Please consider the impact that 2,708 houses packed into the “dragstrip” intersection area will have on our daily lives, our roads, our traffic congestion, our schools, our public facilities, our environment.

If you also find this objectionable, please write a letter to the editor and send an e-mail to the members of the planning commission.

–

CHERIE HOWARD

Monrovia

http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/opinion/display_lte.htm?storyid=83228

For some time now there has been talk of a Planned Unit Development at the intersection of U.S. 75 and U.S. 80 (where the old drag strip used to be) and on Ed McClain Road that would contain more than 2,700 dwelling units and 30,000 square feet of commercial space.
The PUD was approved by three of former members of our board of county commissioners who promptly were voted out or retired after this vote took place. Unfortunately, I feel these members were not acting in the best interest of Monrovia residents.

This development would bring more traffic to the area and ruin the rural landscape of Monrovia. There are homes in my neighborhood that have remained unsold. Why do we need 2,700 more? The Green Valley Shopping Center is very convenient and has difficulties keeping some of its tenants. Why do we need additional commercial space?

My neighbors and I are forming a citizen’s group to let our current commissioners know that we do not think building in Monrovia is “smart growth.” The board of commissioners is currently reviewing its growth plan, so I encourage anyone who lives in this area to contact their board members to let them know we do not want to lose our rural character by allowing unnecessary development.

JEANNIE PELICIER

Monrovia