Politics & Government

Attendees Voice Divided Opinions at Sector Plan Hearing

The County Council heard from supporters and opponents of the proposed plan for Kensington.

Supporters and opponents of Kensington's sector plan voiced their opinions at a County Council public hearing last night, debating whether the majority of residents support the plan's vision for the town.

About 30 people testified before the Council in its , some praising the plan, some proposing slight changes to density and zoning, and some saying it should be scrapped outright. Earlier in the day, the Council that would be used in the plan.

Claudia Caplan, who lives in Kensington, said the town is one of the only small communities left downcounty, and that the plan would transform it into yet another urban center.

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"I want to live in Kensington, not Kentlands," she said. "I’ve seen the destruction of downtown Silver Spring and downtown Bethesda, and I don’t want that in Kensington."

Former Kensington Town Council candidate Julie O'Malley said that most town residents support aspects of the plan, but that the residential densities it allows don't fit the spirit of the community. She brought to the meeting a petition, signed by 530 residents, asking the Council to scale back the plan's proposed densities and building heights.

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The proposed plan allows for buildings as tall as 75 feet along Connecticut Avenue, and O'Malley suggested the limit be lowered to 45 feet.

"Kensington was just named the ," O'Malley said. "How much do we want to mess with success?"

But supporters argued that the plan has the backing of the majority of Kensingtonians, and Mayor Peter Fosselman pointed out that, in the town's June election, the two who favored slower growth.

Sharon Scott, a former member of the Town Council, said the election results speak volumes about the plan's support in the community.

"The election was a referendum on the sector plan," she said. "The people who voted chose to support the sector plan by the candidates they elected."

Town Councilwoman Lydia Sullivan pointed out that Barry Peoples, who opposes the plan, , and said that there are many in the town who believe the plan is too far-reaching.

But Sullivan said the plan doesn't need to be thrown out — just scaled back.

"It’s a flawed but fixable document," she said. "With a few tweaks, Kensington could be a successful example of what the county did right."

The Council took no legislative action at the hearing and will later hold a work session on the plan, which has yet to be scheduled, according to the Council office.

Do you support the sector plan? Vote in our poll below and let us know why or why not in the comments section.

Correction: An earlier version of this story misidentified Julie O'Malley. The sentence has been fixed.


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