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Resurrection Baptist Church
Background
The Resurrection Baptist Church is
being built at the intersection of
Ednor Road and New Hampshire
Avenue. The builder removed all the
trees and vegetation adjoining New
Hampshire Avenue from the lot, in
direct conflict with the Sandy
Spring-Ashton Master Plan (pages 43
through 45). This action was not in
conflict with the church’s approved
Forestation Plan but was in
violation of the Church’s Landscape
Plan (approved on January 12, 2006).
On October 8, the SSARPC Steering
Committee sent a letter to the
Planning Board requesting an order
to halt construction until a plan to
restore the trees was developed.
On November 17, members of the
Church planted some replacement
trees. The diameter of most of the
tree trunks is no more than one-half
inch. This size tree will not bring
the site into conformance with the
Master Plan for 20 years or more.
On November 27, the Park and
Planning Staff sent a letter to the
Resurrection Baptist Church
requiring them to submit a new
landscaping plan that conforms to
the Sandy Spring-Ashton Master
Plan. So far, this has not been
done.
Resurrection
Baptist Church’s Landscaping
Plan Conflicts with Master Plan
October 11, 2007
The Resurrection Baptist Church is
being constructed at the
intersection of New Hampshire Avenue
and Ednor Road. During the
construction process, the vast
majority of the trees and shrubs
have been removed from the area
adjoining New Hampshire Avenue.
This destruction of vegetation along
the roadways conflicts with the
letter and spirit of the Sandy
Spring/Ashton Master Plan.
According to the Master Plan, this
intersection is considered a gateway
to the village of Ashton and should have a rural character.
The Sandy Spring/Ashton Master Plan
(pages
43 through 45) has very specific
language about this intersection to
“ensure
that the rural character of the New
Hampshire Avenue area will be
enhanced and maintained” (page 43).
On page 45 there are the following
bullets:
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“…Maintain heavily vegetated
edges as close to the road
pavement as possible. Preserve
woodland and hedgerows…”
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“…implement the concept for New
Hampshire Avenue’s rural
character. This is one of the
crossroads [with Ednor Road]
that defines the character of
the area because it serves as an
entry….”
Besides
this, the destruction of the trees
and shrubs next to New Hampshire
Avenue violates the Church’s own
Landscape Plan that was reviewed
and approved by the Montgomery
County Park and Planning Staff (on
January 12, 2006), following the
Planning Board’s approval of the
Preliminary Plan. Although the
approved Landscaping Plan showed an
area approximately 900 feet long and
up to 200 feet wide protected by a
limit of disturbance line and a silt
fence. Nearly all the trees in this
previously heavily wooded area have
been removed.
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Resurrection Baptist Church
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