Town Council Passes Resolution in Support of Revised Sector Plan

The Town Council voted 2-1-1 Monday in support of the revised Kensington Sector Plan, including the incorporation of new Commercial-Residential zones, and urged the County Council to continue working towards the plan's adoption.

One council member abstained from the vote on Resolution R-06-2011. Council Member Lydia Sullivan, who has launched a website to highlight the implications of the sector plan and gather signatures for an on-line petition calling for less density and reduced building heights, voted against it.

The resolution stated that, with more than 60 open public meetings having been held on the issue since 2007, "the Mayor and Town Council of Kensington, Maryland, feel it is time to move forward in this process."

Julie O'Malley, president of the Kensington Historical Society, questioned why the Council would move to approve the sector plan while the new CR-neighborhood and CR-town zoning designations haven't yet been finalized.

Mayor Peter Fosselman said it's crucial for the town to get its voice heard early enough in the process, before the County Council moves toward final action on the plan. The county Planning Board has scheduled a public hearing on the plan at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 28.

"This is the opportunity for the town to speak and say what we like about the zones," he said. "This is our opportunity to have input. Otherwise we have none; it's too late."

Fosselman and Council Member Mackie Barch, responding to O'Malley's concerns, conceded that, no matter what position the town takes, the plan could be significantly changed before the County Council approves it.

"It might come out totally different from what we want," Barch said. "That's something we can't control."

The plan would serve as a blueprint for development in Kensington, which is now operating under a 1978 plan, for the next 40 years. The resolution backed its main features, including the inclusion of new zones and setting building height requirements from 45- to 75-feet, and called for different levels of development incentives for MARC and Metro service, to reflect the fact that MARC has fewer riders than Metro.

The plan's proponents say it is necessary to promote reasonable development in Kensington, including luring desirable new shops and restaurants that town residents could walk to. Others worry that the town would become too congested, with worsening traffic, crowded schools and too-tall buildings out of sync with the town's historic flavor.

"This proposed density increase would change the character and quality of life of Kensington," said a statement on Sullivan's web site.

In other action:

The council opened debate on the proposed $1.76 million town budget for fiscal 2012, which begins July 1, 2011. The only major change in taxes in next year's budget, compared with the current one, is that the town would impose a new tax on Pepco in an effort to recoup money it now pays in a tax on its street lights. Town officials argue that, as a municipality, the town should be exempt from the tax. All county residents also pay an energy tax. The town will accept comments on the budget through May 9 at 5 p.m. The council is expected to vote on the budget at its meeting that night.