County Council Votes in Favor of Kensington Sector Plan

The Montgomery County Council voted 8 to 1 in favor of amendments to the Tuesday.

They voted to keep in the plan language relating to transitions between the heights of newly developed buildings will design and those buildings already in town.

The Kensington Sector Plan is a long-term redevelopment of the town’s business district, addressing issues such as land uses and building heights, changing the town's traffic patterns and preserving the area’s historic character. In the works for nearly five years, the approved plan amends the 1978 Sector Plan for the town.

Marlene Michaelson, the county’s senior legislative analyst, recommended the planning board should give consideration to community needs and historic resource protection when selecting specific designs within the plan.

Michaelson also recommended they gradually taper the heights of the buildings from 75 feet on Connecticut Avenue to 45 feet on Detrick Avenue rather than setting a 60-foot height limit at the center of the property.

Some members on the council said they believed a development like this is necessary as the county’s demographics change.

“Change is threatening,” County Councilmember George Leventhal said. “Some prefer change doesn’t occur, but change will occur.”

Although he took into account the numerous emails and conversations he had with the Kensington community, Leventhal said that the county can not ignore the population growth.

Council President Roger Berliner said that development issues are never easy and always controversial, however he does hope the Kensington community believes that they’ve been heard.

"We tried to be as careful as we can in this plan to make sure that our residential neighborhoods are protected,” Berliner said. “As someone who now represents this community, and I know that I have disappointed aspects of this community with my vote to approve this project, I will continue to work hard for these residents.”

County Councilmember Marc Elrich was the lone opponent of the changes to the language in the plan.

Elrich doesn’t believe 1,300 residential units should go into Kensington.

“It seems to me that where we want 1,000 people to take up residence is in Twinbrook or White Flint,” he said. “Putting it in a place that has no transit orientation and may never have transit orientation strikes me as wrong."

He said he hopes this plan doesn’t detract from people moving into new units in White Flint along the 355 corridor.

Berliner said he hopes to have a plan for a pedestrian crossing with either the developer or county funding to build it.

He also said he will take part in the to weigh in on final designs for the development.