Comments for FLOG - the Friends of White Flint Blog http://blog.friendsofwhiteflint.org Promoting a Sustainable, Walkable and Engaging Community Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:35:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 Comment on FoWF Letter to Council on Remaining Issues in the White Flint Plan by Ben Ross http://blog.friendsofwhiteflint.org/2010/03/01/fowf-letter-to-council-on-remaining-issues-in-the-white-flint-plan/#comment-74 Ben Ross Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:07:10 +0000 http://blog.friendsofwhiteflint.org/2010/03/01/fowf-letter-to-council-on-remaining-issues-in-the-white-flint-plan/#comment-74 Action Committee for Transit has sent a letter on the transportation issues to the Council. It's <a href="http://actfortransit.org/archives/letters/2010Feb28LtrWhiteFlintGaithWest.html" rel="nofollow">here</a>. Action Committee for Transit has sent a letter on the transportation issues to the Council. It’s here.

]]> Comment on The Birds and the BLTs by evangoldman http://blog.friendsofwhiteflint.org/2010/02/28/the-birds-and-the-blts/#comment-73 evangoldman Mon, 01 Mar 2010 03:21:35 +0000 http://blog.friendsofwhiteflint.org/2010/02/28/the-birds-and-the-blts/#comment-73 Barnaby, great piece. The key to remember in the case of White Flint is that today there is NO REQUIREMENT to purchase BLT's under the 1992 sector plan. The new White Flint will result in more than $500 million in mostly private investment in infrastructure, a library, parks, a recreation center, environmentally sustainable buildings, excellent storm water management, a civic green, improved streetscape and pedestrian and bicycle friendly streets, and of course more than 1200 new affordable housing units. The property owners have agreed to a goal of 50% modal split meaning that 50% of people arriving to work in White Flint won't arrive by car. This will require costly investments in transportation demand management, a bus circulator and will likely require a new Rockville Pike with a Bus Rapid Transit system. On top of all of this the new zone has a lengthy list of community benefits which local residents will be able to negotiate with property owners to provide. It is here that recent debate has flared over BLT's. The new CR zone will increase BLT requirements from 0 to 5% for all new development. This places BLT's as 1 of only 3 required improvements for all new developments along with affordable housing and streetscape improvements. The zone also provides an incentive for property owners to purchase additional units up to 20% for large properties and 30% for smaller ones. For the local community what is important is that at 5% there is still room financially for local property owners to provide the community benefits which are described in the Sector Plan. Without that flexibility, the majority of the community benefits expected will be unrealized. The BLT supporters are asking for $40 to $50 million from White Flint to purchase development rights in the agricultural reserve. That is the cost of 2 new elementary schools, 2 new community/recreation centers, 4 civic greens, or 8 libraries. Yes, there is a reasonable responsibility to purchase BLT's. The Council followed the recommendation of Royce Hanson the Chairman of the Planning Board and mastermind behind the BLT. He has set a reasonable requirement to fund BLT's at 5% and created an incentive to fund more. By doing this he has also allowed the flexibility in the zone for property owners to provide the many community benefits that the residents of White Flint are expecting. That balance is important and must be a major part of the discussion on Tuesday prior to the Council vote or the vision for a new White Flint will stumble. Barnaby, great piece. The key to remember in the case of White Flint is that today there is NO REQUIREMENT to purchase BLT’s under the 1992 sector plan. The new White Flint will result in more than $500 million in mostly private investment in infrastructure, a library, parks, a recreation center, environmentally sustainable buildings, excellent storm water management, a civic green, improved streetscape and pedestrian and bicycle friendly streets, and of course more than 1200 new affordable housing units.

The property owners have agreed to a goal of 50% modal split meaning that 50% of people arriving to work in White Flint won’t arrive by car. This will require costly investments in transportation demand management, a bus circulator and will likely require a new Rockville Pike with a Bus Rapid Transit system.

On top of all of this the new zone has a lengthy list of community benefits which local residents will be able to negotiate with property owners to provide. It is here that recent debate has flared over BLT’s. The new CR zone will increase BLT requirements from 0 to 5% for all new development. This places BLT’s as 1 of only 3 required improvements for all new developments along with affordable housing and streetscape improvements. The zone also provides an incentive for property owners to purchase additional units up to 20% for large properties and 30% for smaller ones. For the local community what is important is that at 5% there is still room financially for local property owners to provide the community benefits which are described in the Sector Plan. Without that flexibility, the majority of the community benefits expected will be unrealized.

The BLT supporters are asking for $40 to $50 million from White Flint to purchase development rights in the agricultural reserve. That is the cost of 2 new elementary schools, 2 new community/recreation centers, 4 civic greens, or 8 libraries. Yes, there is a reasonable responsibility to purchase BLT’s. The Council followed the recommendation of Royce Hanson the Chairman of the Planning Board and mastermind behind the BLT. He has set a reasonable requirement to fund BLT’s at 5% and created an incentive to fund more. By doing this he has also allowed the flexibility in the zone for property owners to provide the many community benefits that the residents of White Flint are expecting. That balance is important and must be a major part of the discussion on Tuesday prior to the Council vote or the vision for a new White Flint will stumble.

]]> Comment on Ken Hurdle for Planning Board by gtrimmer http://blog.friendsofwhiteflint.org/2010/01/28/ken-hurdle-for-planning-board/#comment-69 gtrimmer Fri, 29 Jan 2010 18:33:07 +0000 http://blog.friendsofwhiteflint.org/2010/01/28/ken-hurdle-for-planning-board/#comment-69 Barnaby- Thank you for the thoughtful article on Ken. I agree that he would be a great addition. I think a key point for his candidacy is that he is NEW to the Planning Board. Let's remember that many of the planning principles, particularly with regards to transportation, employed by the County are outdated. The County needs new ideas and Ken is the man for the job. Greg Trimmer Barnaby-
Thank you for the thoughtful article on Ken. I agree that he would be a great addition. I think a key point for his candidacy is that he is NEW to the Planning Board. Let’s remember that many of the planning principles, particularly with regards to transportation, employed by the County are outdated. The County needs new ideas and Ken is the man for the job.
Greg Trimmer

]]> Comment on County Exec/PHED Committee Staff Strangle White Flint by evangoldman http://blog.friendsofwhiteflint.org/2010/01/15/county-execphed-committee-staff-strangle-white-flint/#comment-67 evangoldman Sat, 16 Jan 2010 03:34:03 +0000 http://blog.friendsofwhiteflint.org/2010/01/15/county-execphed-committee-staff-strangle-white-flint/#comment-67 Great posting Barnaby. I can't see property owners voluntarily taxing themselves to fund infrastructure if the plan only allows for 30% of the expected build out to occur. What would happen if you agree to pay a tax for the next 30 years and in year 7 a different Council votes not to allow the second phase to occur. Where does your return on that investment come from? This is a long term sector plan which must have long term certainty to give property owners and residents the confidence they need to make it happen. It is amazing in this economic climate to see a recommendation which bases the future of the County on how well a traffic model predicts the speed that cars will move in 30 years. Anyone who works with models understands that they are as variable as the assumptions and should be used simply as one point of reference not as the decision maker. Evan Great posting Barnaby. I can’t see property owners voluntarily taxing themselves to fund infrastructure if the plan only allows for 30% of the expected build out to occur. What would happen if you agree to pay a tax for the next 30 years and in year 7 a different Council votes not to allow the second phase to occur. Where does your return on that investment come from? This is a long term sector plan which must have long term certainty to give property owners and residents the confidence they need to make it happen. It is amazing in this economic climate to see a recommendation which bases the future of the County on how well a traffic model predicts the speed that cars will move in 30 years. Anyone who works with models understands that they are as variable as the assumptions and should be used simply as one point of reference not as the decision maker.

Evan

]]> Comment on How to Get Montgomery County “Back on Track” by alester174 http://blog.friendsofwhiteflint.org/2010/01/07/how-to-get-montgomery-county-back-on-track/#comment-65 alester174 Tue, 12 Jan 2010 19:31:30 +0000 http://blog.friendsofwhiteflint.org/2010/01/07/how-to-get-montgomery-county-back-on-track/#comment-65 It would be pretty sad if these projects in Tysons comes to fruition before Whiteflint is fully developed. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/12/AR2010011201853.html?hpid=newswell It would be pretty sad if these projects in Tysons comes to fruition before Whiteflint is fully developed.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/12/AR2010011201853.html?hpid=newswell

]]> Comment on A Delicate Discussion by alester174 http://blog.friendsofwhiteflint.org/2009/12/30/a-delicate-discussion/#comment-63 alester174 Wed, 30 Dec 2009 16:53:43 +0000 http://blog.friendsofwhiteflint.org/2009/12/30/a-delicate-discussion/#comment-63 A good piece on what growth policy should look like http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=4448 A good piece on what growth policy should look like

http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=4448

]]> Comment on ACT Slams Montgomery County DOT’s Anti-Transit Policies by Ben Ross http://blog.friendsofwhiteflint.org/2009/12/28/act-slams-montgomery-county-dots-anti-transit-policies/#comment-62 Ben Ross Tue, 29 Dec 2009 00:09:06 +0000 http://blog.friendsofwhiteflint.org/2009/12/28/act-slams-montgomery-county-dots-anti-transit-policies/#comment-62 The very sad traffic accident this morning in front of the Twinbrook Metro unfortunately confirms the point we made about excessively wide lanes. Two people are in the hospital tonight, one with very serious injuries, hit by a fast-moving car while crossing the street in a crosswalk. The lanes on Chapman Avenue are much too wide and encourage speeding. This reinforces the need to adopt the Master Plan recommendation of 10 and 11 foot lanes on side streets in White Flint, rather than going to 12 feet (the width of interstate highway lanes) as recommended by MCDOT. The very sad traffic accident this morning in front of the Twinbrook Metro unfortunately confirms the point we made about excessively wide lanes. Two people are in the hospital tonight, one with very serious injuries, hit by a fast-moving car while crossing the street in a crosswalk. The lanes on Chapman Avenue are much too wide and encourage speeding.

This reinforces the need to adopt the Master Plan recommendation of 10 and 11 foot lanes on side streets in White Flint, rather than going to 12 feet (the width of interstate highway lanes) as recommended by MCDOT.

]]> Comment on Where Do We Go From Here? by john http://blog.friendsofwhiteflint.org/2009/12/15/where-do-we-go-from-here/#comment-61 john Thu, 17 Dec 2009 23:18:21 +0000 http://blog.friendsofwhiteflint.org/2009/12/15/where-do-we-go-from-here/#comment-61 This article pretty much sums up what has happened and why it is too late for moco to compete with Fairfax http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/29/AR2007012901967.html This article pretty much sums up what has happened and why it is too late for moco to compete with Fairfax

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/29/AR2007012901967.html

]]> Comment on Where Do We Go From Here? by john http://blog.friendsofwhiteflint.org/2009/12/15/where-do-we-go-from-here/#comment-60 john Thu, 17 Dec 2009 22:46:56 +0000 http://blog.friendsofwhiteflint.org/2009/12/15/where-do-we-go-from-here/#comment-60 I am glad to see the council has FINALLY gotten serious about job growth and economic expansion. But they are 10-20 years too late if they think they r going to compete with Fairfax, Arlington, and the rest of northern virginia in terms of jobs and economic growth. While they spent time bickering about growth and resting on moco's economic laurels instead of aggressively going after buisnesses, fairfax has become the economic engine in the private sector for the entire Washington metro region. I just think it's sad it takes a major recession to get the council to wise up and see that it is never simply a matter of growth or no growth and I think moco is a little too late to the race to ever catch up with northern virginia economically I am glad to see the council has FINALLY gotten serious about job growth and economic expansion. But they are 10-20 years too late if they think they r going to compete with Fairfax, Arlington, and the rest of northern virginia in terms of jobs and economic growth. While they spent time bickering about growth and resting on moco’s economic laurels instead of aggressively going after buisnesses, fairfax has become the economic engine in the private sector for the entire Washington metro region. I just think it’s sad it takes a major recession to get the council to wise up and see that it is never simply a matter of growth or no growth and I think moco is a little too late to the race to ever catch up with northern virginia economically

]]> Comment on Did the Schools Issue Affect the WF Community Coalition? by Natalie http://blog.friendsofwhiteflint.org/2009/11/29/did-the-schools-issue-bust-the-wf-coalition/#comment-58 Natalie Tue, 01 Dec 2009 02:25:57 +0000 http://blog.friendsofwhiteflint.org/2009/11/29/did-the-schools-issue-bust-the-wf-coalition/#comment-58 What a shame to resort to inuendos about other groups instead of discussing the real issues. The White Flint Community Coalition has consistently supported a central core of dense mixed used development centered around the Metro, stepped down density beyond, sustainable objectives, a transportation system including Metro capacity, Bus Rapid Transit, and streets and walkways that facilitate all users, and preservation of the Walter Johnson school cluster and promotion of high-quality, uncrowded schools in the cluster. Our 8 communities representing 8500 residents in the area draws its leadership from multiple community leaders and remains committed to achieving a Sector Plan that truly represents "Smart Growth" What a shame to resort to inuendos about other groups instead of discussing the real issues. The White Flint Community Coalition has consistently supported a central core of dense mixed used development centered around the Metro, stepped down density beyond, sustainable objectives, a transportation system including Metro capacity, Bus Rapid Transit, and streets and walkways that facilitate all users, and preservation of the Walter Johnson school cluster and promotion of high-quality, uncrowded schools in the cluster. Our 8 communities representing 8500 residents in the area draws its leadership from multiple community leaders and remains committed to achieving a Sector Plan that truly represents “Smart Growth”

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