Rockville Council Explores Bold Updates to Downtown
At its Monday, December 16, 2024 meeting, the Rockville Mayor and Council will approve a concept plan for the Rockville Metro Station and hold a second worksession on the Town Center Master Plan. On the Consent Agenda (items approved without discussion) are purchase refuse trucks, approve easements and agreements for public and stormwater improvements, install EV charging stations, construct a sidewalk on Virginia Avenue, execute ADA improvements at the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre, establish affordable housing agreements for a new development, approve meeting minutes, and extinguish a pedestrian path easement on Hardwicke Place, among others. The next meeting will be held on January 6, 2025.
This meeting is an important opportunity for you to stay informed and engaged with the decisions that shape our community.
Key Agenda Items:
Approval of Concept Plan for Rockville Metro Station (page 238+). This plan envisions the station as an iconic gateway and multi-modal hub, featuring up to 1,200 residential units, retail spaces, public amenities, and improved pedestrian and transit connections. Public feedback has been largely supportive, highlighting desires for higher residential density, enhanced pedestrian safety, and sustainable features like solar canopies. The plan includes a separate pedestrian bridge extension as an add-on project, requiring city-led funding efforts.
Worksession on Town Center Master Plan (287+). This is a follow-up to the worksession on December 9 to discuss four remaining topics. At this meeting, Council will discuss:
- Housing Goals: Increasing the goal for housing units in Town Center from 2,000 to 3,000 by 2040, reflecting current development applications and potential future projects.
- Building Heights: Revising building height allowances to facilitate growth while maintaining community transition zones. Options for increased heights in key areas, with potential bonuses for including affordable housing units, are under discussion.
- Character Areas: Modifications to the planning area’s character zones are proposed, particularly consolidating certain areas along the western edge to simplify development guidelines.
- Transit-Oriented Development: A new “Transit-Oriented Character Area” is recommended along MD-355 to allow higher building heights and promote dense, mixed-use developments near transit hubs.
- Affordable Housing and Green Spaces: Creating incentives for affordable housing and open public spaces, aiming to balance density with livability.
Mayor and Council to Discuss Affordable Housing, Environment, and a $plash Pad
At its Monday, December 6, 2021 meeting, the Rockville Mayor and Council will discuss moderately priced housing (adding 30- to 99-year rent control periods); abandoning a “paper” street adjacent to 205 Mount Vernon Place in Hungerford; and allowing 350 apartments instead of offices in Fallsgrove. On the Consent Calendar (items approved without discussion) are a $322,364 splash pad for Maryvale Park (requested by the East Rockville Civic Association); a CDBG grant application to Montgomery County ($263,000 for the maintenance and repair of low-income housing); and letters to SHA (regarding traffic and pedestrian safety; most dangerous is the Rockville Pike) and WMATA (reduced service, access, and safety—can we all agree that WMATA has among the worst planners and project managers of any agency in the region?). The Mayor and Council will also receive reports from the Environment Commission and on an Employee Compensation and Classification Study (current salaries are generally competitive).
Continue reading →Metro Seeking Comments on Service Levels in Rockville
Poster in Twinbrook Station asking for public response to increasing the number of trains to Shady Grove.
WMATA is considering running more trains to its Rockville stations (that’s Twinbrook, Rockville, and Shady Grove) by eliminating the occasional “turn back” at the Grosvenor-Strathmore station—but needs convincing. For years during the morning and evening rush hours, WMATA stops every other train at Grosvenor-Strathmore so they can be returned to DC to reduce congestion inside the Beltway. In recent years, however, the population around the Rockville stations has grown and now it is common to find trains at standing-room-only capacity in Rockville at rush hour, even though they are located at the end of the Red Line.
In October 2017, County Executive Leggett suggested WMATA “conduct a pilot project using the current schedule of 15 trains per hour to Grosvenor, but extending all of these trains to Shady Grove.” In January 2018, sixteen state Delegates and Senators (but not Rockville representatives Senator Kagan nor Delegate Gilchrist) reminded WMATA about an agreement to eliminate the turnbacks by July 2018. In February 2018, the Montgomery County Council sent a letter asking WMATA to eliminate the turnbacks [according to WTOP but I could not confirm this on MoCo website] while Rockville Mayor Newton spoke at WMATA’s budget hearing to restore full service by summer.
Evidently, WMATA isn’t convinced either by their agreement or letters from elected officials at the city, county, or state level, and now are asking for the public’s comments. If you have an opinion on increasing the number of trains to Shady Grove during rush hour from every eight minutes to every four, complete WMATA’s online survey by Monday, May 21, 2018 by 5 p.m. Your responses will be shared with the WMATA Board of Directors at their July 2018 meeting (ironically, when they had already agreed to eliminate turnbacks at Grosvenor; the Metro Board desperately needs to be reformed).
Max for Rockville 