Kensington Residents Share Ideas For Sector Plan

After the last month, we asked Kensington Patch readers what they'd like to see come to town with this development.

The answer was clear— locally-owned restaurants and specialty grocers were what they'd like to see open in their business district.

"It's more what I'd like not to see. No national chains please..." wrote Patch user . "Small local chains like BGR would be okay. Definitely a range of restaurant alternatives as well as shopping and gourmet grocery/wine/cheese would be great."

Reader agreed.

"Would love to see small businesses. Local coffee shops, more of a focus on community," Menk wrote. "It would be great to have restaurants with outdoor seating. Cute restaurants & bars like Jackie's in Silver Spring and Sidebar. They have a niche for the type of food they serve & the restaurants are designed well on the inside & out."

Readers like and added Trader Joe's and a locally-owned butcher shop to the list.

Kensington Mayor Peter Fosselman said he has seen some of these ideas and thinks they are good ones. The first thing he wants to address now that the sector plan has been approved is the town's parking situation.

"We really want to start working on the municipal parking project," he said, referring to a plan that would involve parking space and lot sharing between Kensington businesses.

There is also money in this month's town budget to begin marketing and outreach to business developers, property owners, and architects said Fosselman.

"We want them to know what's available here in Kensington," he said.