The Potomac Master Plan, the 20-year blueprint for landuse, is scheduled to receive its official blessing in less than two weeks.
As reported in last week's issue of the Almanac, the Council voted to preserve much of the Planning Board Draft at a full Council worksession held Tuesday, Feb. 5. Highlights of last week's session included the Council's unanimous support of the Plan's stand against a bridge crossing the Potomac River; the retention of Potomac's two-lane road policy and rustic roads; plans to acquire 14 sites for parkland; and the adherence to a sewer-service envelope.
The Council voted 6-2 (Michael Subin was temporarily absent) to preserve Potomac's two-lane road policy.
"The vision of the Plan is to preserve low-density, a predominantly residential community and a semi-rural nature, which was not consistent with building a number of roadways," said Derick Berlage (D-At large.)
While Isiah "Ike" Leggett (D-At large) thought the specific widening of River Road could have been a solution to congestion in Potomac, Marilyn Praisner (D-4) objected to Potomac's two-lane plan, calling an out-of-balance Master Plan (in terms of road capacity and congestion) a "legal issue."
"I'm not aware of a County Council in the 1990s keeping a plan out of balance," said Praisner. "We can make Potomac different from everybody else or make Potomac consistent."
Many councilmembers last week said that the Master Plan needed to be more aggressive in identifying possible sites for elderly and affordable housing. Many councilmembers also acknowledged that Potomac's low-density housing, high-land cost, lack of transit and sewer service presents many obstacles for such housing services.
Potomac accounts for 8.3 percent of all housing in the county and 6.9 percent of all affordable housing in the county, according to Callum Murray, Potomac Master Plan leader with the Planning Board.
"Given the large-lot zoning, that's amazing," said Murray.
Sites named as possible locations for elderly and affordable housing include Cabin John Shopping Center, Stoneyhurst Quarry, Fortune Parc, Rock Run Advanced Waste Treatment Site at Avenel and school surplus sites including, Brickyard Junior High School, Churchill Elementary School and Kendall Elementary School.
One of the most passionate debates centered around Cabin John Center, especially regarding the number of townhouses allowed in a redevelopment of the center and the distance required for setbacks and the height limitations of a garage or building adjacent to the Inverness Knolls homeowners association.
Council staff is scheduled to complete a staff resolution, which is a listing of modifications that the Council requested be made to the final text at its session on Feb. 5. The resolution, which will be issued either Wednesday or Friday of this week, gives the public — citizens, attorneys, developers and advocates — a chance to ensure that the language written adequately conveys the intent of the Council.
"If there is a problem with the language, they should call me." If there is a problem with the vote, they should call their Councilmember," said Marlene Michaelson.
Councilmembers are still being lobbied by citizens and attorneys, hoping that councilmembers will help initiate last-minute changes.
Council has tentatively scheduled a full Council worksession on Feb. 26, at a time to be determined. The worksession will be the time councilmembers can introduce motions for final changes to the Plan.
Call 240-777-7900 the week before Feb. 26 for the time of the session.