Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Veirs Mill corridor master plan recommendations a mixed-bag for business owners

The Montgomery County Planning Board has approved a draft of the Veirs Mill Corridor Master Plan, and is forwarding it to the County Council, which will hold public hearings on it. Recommendations made in the plan could impact businesses in busy commercial areas, positively and negatively.

For example, the Board has recommended not building a grade-separated interchange at the intersection of Veirs Mill Road and Randolph Road. If retained, that would remove one threat to businesses there. At the same time, the plan also recommends a sidewalk and "separated bike lanes" for the northern side of Veirs Mill between Havard Street and Bushey Drive, and for the southern side between Parkland Drive and the plan's eastern boundary.

Both of those sections run through the commercial area at Veirs Mill and Randolph. Looking at the cross section shown above in the plan for commercial areas, it's unclear how the County intends to obtain the width needed to provide all of those facilities in the right-of-way at that intersection, and if it would only fund such changes if those shopping centers redevelop into mixed-use "town centers."

1 comment:

  1. For the northern side, at least, there is a massive underutilized parking lot that probably should be eaten into.

    That being said, my understanding of the corridor plan was that the County would only use its right-of-way, and no additional land would be purchased or taken via eminent domain.

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