Majority at Public Hearing Support Sector Plan

The Planning Board opened up the floor for community members to express their opinions about the newly revised Kensington Sector plan at Thursday evening's meeting. While opposition to the plan was conveyed, the vast majority of testimony was given in support of the plan.

"No plan will be unanimously accepted," Mayor Peter Fosselman said, but he said the majority of residents support the plan.

"There were only three people in disagreement with more than 40 in attendance to support the plan," Fosselman said of a recent discussion held on March 28.

Roughly 70 percent of the people who spoke at the Planning Board's public hearing were also in support of the revised sector plan.

Kensington's Sector Plan was last revised 35 years ago, which makes it the oldest plan in the county, according to Fosselman.

Councilmembers Mackie Barch, Mary Donatelli and Sean McMullen all spoke in support of the plan.

Although Kensington is viewed as a charming place with potential, Donatelli added that, "We are a pocket of stagnation." Currently, the town is unable to attract new businesses that will help the town thrive, but Donatelli said that the sector plan is "a proposal with smart growth" that will help "Kensington reach its potential."

Barch agreed and said that the plan "honors Kensington's history ... but [will] make it a vibrant town."

At the beginning of the meeting, Planning Board Chair Françoise Carrier said that rumors have been spreading that the board is using downtown Silver Spring as an example of how to urbanize Kensington and that the plan will tear down single family homes. That is not the case, she stressed.

"This version of the sector plan is to help revitalize Kensington, without changing its character," Carrier said.

Barch echoed this sentiment and mentioned that he believes some opponents of the plan are distorting information and numbers to gain support for their cause.

During testimony, managers and property owners of and said they had been confronted by worried employees who were approached at work by someone who said that the store would close and that they would be without jobs if the plan goes into effect.

Steve Colburn, who's been running the tire shop for 17 years, said that he isn't too familiar with the sector plan, but doesn't appreciate having employees calling him worried about losing their jobs. He said from what he knows of the plan he supports it, and understands people will oppose it, but that both sides should try and be honest with integrity.

Councilmember Lydia Sullivan — who spoke to the Planning Board on her own behalf and not as a council member — spoke about her multiple concerns with the plan. During her testimony, she said that she is worried about the possible loss of blue collar businesses that will be replaced by chain retail.

She also said that another public hearing should be held after CR Zones are adopted, since no one has been able to see modeling with how the zones will be used, and that another discussion might clear up some confusion.

about the worries she has about the plan, including school overcrowding, traffic and building height.

People from areas adjacent to Kensington, such as residents of Capitol View Park in Silver Spring, also expressed concern about traffic.

"Has anyone else been able to get to Univ or Conn Ave thru Metropolitan Ave & Plyers Mill between 5 & 6 pm? It's nearly impossible, or just LONG waiting to get out of the neighborhood," wrote Bonnie Adler of Capitol View Park in a letter to the Planning Board. Traffic is a concern after development, but some Kensington residents admit that traffic is already a concern and isn't Kensington's fault.

"It's the surrounding areas that are contributing to the traffic through the town," said Darin Bartram, a 14-year resident of Kensington. He added that the community should have confidence in the Planning Board and Montgomery County.

Many people mentioned that Kensington is a drive-through for people to get to more vibrant areas, and that this development is needed to help bring Kensington into this century, but opponents of the plan are worried that building heights would be too high.

Gail Dalferes of the Parkwood community said that she became involved in the sector plan after attending a town hall meeting and learned of the changes to the CR Zones. She said she agrees with residents who believe "Connecticut Avenue would best be preserved in Kensington's character with 45-foot buildings rather than 75-foot building heights."

The height issues are one of the more serious concerns of some residents, but the mayor emphasized during his testimony that only five buildings' heights would change. He said that it is not true that 75-foot buildings would be throughout the town.

"Only three [buildings] are being increased ... and two properties are being reduced," Fosselman said. The two buildings that are being reduced can currently build higher than 75 feet.

In 2010, the Kensington town council submitted three goals that they hoped would be considered in the amendment process. Back in January, Fosselman said that these items had not yet been changed in the plan, and the town, therefore, . But the newest version of the plan has taken the council's goals and implemented them in the plan.

"All of these things have been put into the revised plan," Fosselman said.

The public record will be kept open until May 4, and the Planning Board will hold a work session on the sector plan amendments on May 12.

Correction: This article has been corrected. In an earlier version of this story, we incorrectly stated the source of information that employees of downtown shops had heard from. We thank reader Neil Burka, the property owner of Hardware City, for helping us to make this correction. We regret the error. Also, after viewing footage of the testimony and speaking with Gail Dalferes, a clarification has been made to her statement.