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Sandy Spring-Ashton Rural Preservation Consortium
The SSARPC (PreserveAshton.net)
supports development in Ashton that conforms to the Master Plan.
We are pro-Master Plan, not anti-development.
Public
Hearing Schedule
The public hearing about Ashton Meeting Place (AMP) is
scheduled for 2:00 pm on April 12 at the MNCPPC Building, 8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring. There is parking behind the building. At 1:00, there will be a separate but relevant presentation on “Principles and Techniques for Small Towns and Cities to
Accommodate Retail Growth and Enhance Community Livability” which
is open to the public.
Ever since the fall of 2005 SSARPC has been working to influence and improve the AMP proposal, and encouraging
community involvement and awareness. The public hearing is the final
official opportunity for public input. We strongly encourage you to
attend the public hearing, showing that you care about how AMP affects the
Ashton community. We plan on providing transportation. Call
301-570-9065 or send email to ssarpc.reservations@verizon.net
by Monday, April 9 if you would like to use the transportation.
Planning
Staff Recommends Denial
The Planning Staff recommends that the Planning
Board deny approval for the Ashton Meeting Place (AMP) development. Following
is the Executive Summary, written by the Development Review Division,
recommending denial of both the Preliminary Plan and the Site Plan.
Executive
Summary
“Staff has concluded that
neither the preliminary plan nor the site plan can be supported as submitted
for several reasons. Each of these issues will be discussed in detail
and should be considered independently and on its own merits. Regarding
our analysis and recommendation, the preliminary plan and site plan
conclusions are one and the same.
Outline of Denial
1)
The plan
does not comply with Section 59-C-18.18 – Sandy Spring/Ashton Rural Village Overlay
Zone, of the Zoning Ordinance. The proposed development includes
parking for commercial uses in residential zones. The allowance for
such parking is subject to specific conditions, and this project fails to
comply with those conditions.
2)
The plan
does not conform to specific language in Section 59-C-4.2 of the
Zoning Ordinance related to the use of parking structures in the C-1 Zone.
The proposed development includes a parking garage, which is not allowed as a
permitted or special exception use in the C-1 Zone.
3)
The
proposed development does not substantially conform to the design guidelines
for new development contained in the approved and adopted Sandy Spring/Ashton
Master Plan and is not wholly compatible with the Master Plan.
4)
The
locations of buildings, structures, and pedestrian and vehicular circulation
systems are not adequately safe and efficient as required by Section 59-D-3.4.(c) of the
Zoning Ordinance. There are particular problems with the locations of
buildings in relation to vehicular and pedestrian circulation patterns that
should be reconsidered and conflicts between vehicular and pedestrian
circulation patterns that should be avoided.
5)
The plan
fails to adequately protect environmentally sensitive areas as prescribed in
Section 50-32.(c) of the Subdivision Regulations.
Structures, parking facilities, and storm water management facilities
encroach into a wetland, wetland buffers, and stream buffers. Staff
believes the encroachment is avoidable and unnecessary.
The staff report describes the
existing site, the proposed development, and provides an analysis of the
reasons for denial. It concludes with the necessary findings for both the
preliminary and site plans.”
Note: You
can read the full staff report here.
But – beware – it is VERY large (94 pages of scanned text which
will take a very long time to access without a high speed connection).
You can also obtain a copy of the staff report and review the complete
application file in the Development Review Division (8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring) between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
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