Sandy Spring/Ashton Zoning Text Amendment
County Council Hearing 4/21 at 7:30 PM
On Thursday, April 16, the
Planning Board held the first
hearing on the Zoning Text Amendment
for the Sandy Spring/Ashton Rural
Overlay Zone (Land Uses section).
The Planning Staff’s
recommendation of acceptance
with modifications was passed by the
Planning Board by a vote of four to
one.
The Planning Board’s
recommendation will be used as input
into the County Council hearing,
which is scheduled for April 21 at
7:30 PM.
The Planning Board
sound recording is available.
The Planning Board members
who voted for the Text Amendment
considered the changes to be a
correction to the current Land Uses
section.
The dissenting Planning Board
member indicated that he does not
like to use Zoning Text Amendments
as a planning tool.
There were five people testifying at
the Planning Board hearing.
The first person testifying
was Robert Darlrymple, a lawyer from
the firm Linowes and Blocher,
representing ezStorage.
Mr. Darlymple requested that
the Planning Board not support the
Zoning Text Amendment, indicating
that it was clear to him that the
Amendment is aimed at ezStorage
[because it would prohibit
self-storage facilities].
He also indicated that
ezStorage had listened carefully to
the concerns expressed at their
Preliminary Plan Hearing (the result
being that ezStorage may build on
the Landsale property, subject to
approval of a site Plan), and they
have hired design experts who are
working on redesigning the storage
facility to meet some of the
concerns.
Mr. Darlymple indicated that
ezStorage would very much like to
bring their new design to the
Planning Board during site plan
review, but if the Zoning Text
Amendment is passed, this cannot
happen.
Stuart Barr testified
representing the Lansdale family
(whose land is the site proposed for
ezStorage).
He pointed out that the
Lansdales had worked closely with
the Planning Board during the
development of the Sandy
Spring/Ashton Master Plan and that
the zoning for their property was
something that was agreed to by all
involved.
He requested that Planning
Board vote against the Zoning Text
Amendment, which would change what
is allowed on the Lansdale property.
There were three citizens who
testified in support of the Zoning
Text Amendment.
Michelle Layton represented the
Sandy Spring Ashton Rural
Preservation Consortium (SSARPC) and
talked about how the Land Uses
changes in the Zoning Text Amendment
further the purpose of the Sandy
Spring/Ashton Overlay Zone as well
as the intent of the Sandy
Spring/Ashton Master Plan to keep
the areas rural.
Jennifer Fajman, a citizen from
Ashton, pointed out that the Land
Uses are one of the few concrete
items that are designed to keep the
area rural and questioned the
Planning Staff's recommendation to
allow railroad tracks. She also
pointed out that the zoning law is
hard for citizens to understand,
primarily because of the way it is
written and presented.
Barry Newton, an Ashton citizen
for 37 years, lives right next to
the border with Sandy Spring.
He remembers when there were
cows and horses along Route 108.
He would prefer if the Land Use part of
the Zoning law would list permitted,
instead of prohibited, items, but he
realized that it would not happen at
this time.
All three citizens testifying
requested the Planning Board support
the Zoning Text Amendment because
the items being added to the
prohibited list are consistent with
the original list of prohibited
items.
The County Council
hearing is now scheduled for April
21 at 7:30 PM.
Oral testimony is limited to
three minutes.
If you wish to testify at the
County Council hearing, call
240-777-7931 to register.
Written testimony is accepted
by the County Council and can be
used to expand on the three-minute
oral testimony.
If you have written testimony
bring 15 copies with you to the
hearing.
The hearing will be held in the
Third Floor Hearing Room
Montgomery County Council Office Building
100 Maryland Avenue
Rockville, Maryland 20850
Another way to make
your views known is to send email to
County.Council@montgomerycountymd.gov.
The email will be distributed
to all Council members.
Please also send a copy of your
correspondence to SSARPC at
feedback@ssarpc.org or
SSARPC
Box 518
Ashton, Maryland 20861
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