WHEATON REDEVELOPMENT STATUS
July 2010
SUMMARY
The Wheaton Redevelopment Program continues to gain momentum and provide a positive setting for change in the community. During the last two years there were three notable policy accomplishments affecting the downtown. The first was receiving State designation as an Arts and Entertainment District. The second was the County Council’s enactment of zoning legislation to modify the Wheaton Retail Preservation Overlay Zone, and the boundary of the urban district was extented to cover Blueridge Avenue. All of these actions will serve as incentives for new redevelopment activity in the business core of Wheaton.
The national economy has had an impact on Wheaton to include a rise in commercial vacancies. Many visits to businesses, as well as discussions with developers, indicate softening markets. Restaurants especially have been impacted by rising food prices and a shrinking customer base.
County Executive Isiah Leggett is pursuing strategies to implement the June 30 recommendations of the International Downtown Association (IDA) for revitalizing downtown Wheaton. IDA was asked to assess how government facilities could foster redevelopment in downtown Wheaton. Key among their recommendations was the creation of a Town Square with a library.
The Wheaton Redevelopment Program (WRP) is working with other County departments, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) and Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) to establish the framework to solicit the services of a Master Developer.
The County issued a request for qualifications in an effort to get a Master Development team that will work with the community and stakeholders on Wheaton's revitalization. This process was very successful in the revitalization efforts to make downtown Silver Spring the vibrant downtown it is today. More to come on this soon.
Currently, Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) is up-dating the 1990 Sector Plan for the Wheaton Central Business District. A Sector Plan Work Group meets 7 p.m. on the first Monday of each month to address planning issues and provide input to the Sector Plan update effort. The group is comprised of representatives from the Wheaton Urban District Advisory Committee, Wheaton Redevelopment Advisory Committee, citizens and business owners) along with Redevelopment staff and Sandra Tallant, M-NCPPC's Project Manager for the Sector Plan. To better address planning issues, this work group also gets out into the streets to discuss concepts through walking tours. The tours focus on select areas of the downtown. . For more information see
http://www.mcparkandplanning.org/community/wheaton/wheatoncbd.shtm http://mcparkandplanninci.org/community/wheaton cbd.shtm.
The Public Hearing Draft of the Wheaton Central Business District and Vicinity Sector Plan is primarily focused on Wheaton’s Central Business district and surrounding commercially zoned properties. The Plan includes: short and long term revitalization strategies; extending mixed use zoning beyond the CBD to surrounding commercial areas; removal of the Wheaton Retail Overlay Zone; rezoning to the mixed-use Commercial/Residential (C/R) Zone; new public use spaces including a major civic space in Wheaton’s Core; and a recommendation for an additional elementary school if needed.
You will be able to access the Planning Board packet which includes a cover memo and the Public Hearing Draft of the Wheaton Central Business District and Vicinity Sector Plan by clicking on the following link: http://www.montgomeryplanning.org/community/wheaton. To sign up to speak at the public hearing, please go to our website and click: http://www.montgomeryapps.org/planning_board/testify.asp. Oral testimony is limited to three minutes per person and total testimony for the afternoon will be limited to 2 hours. Anyone appearing before the Planning Board must provide 10 copies of all materials presented to the Planning Board, including electronic presentations, letters, photos, maps, etc.
The Board welcomes written testimony in lieu of-or in addition to-addressing the Board orally. Written comments can be sent by e-mail to mcp-chair@mncppc-mc.org or to: Montgomery County Planning Board, 8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
Copies of the Plan will be available in the Wheaton Regional Library. If you have any questions, I can be reached at 301-495-1329 or by e-mail at sandra.tallant@mncppc-mc.org you can also contact Khalid Afzal at 301-495-4650 or by e-mail at khalid.afzal@mncppc-mc.org.
For more information on Wheaton Redevelopment, Please go to the new website: http://www.wheatonmd.org.