Council Takes Straw Vote on Aspen Hill Minor Master Plan (VIDEO)
The Montgomery County Council took a straw vote on the Aspen Hill Minor Master Plan amendment after some spirited discussion on March 24. Formal action is scheduled for March 31.
You can watch a recap of this discussion and vote here:
According to a county official, the area being addressed covers about 14 acres west of Connecticut Avenue near Aspen Hill Road. The vacant Vitro/BAE property encompasses ten of those acres. At the time the Council reviewed the 1994 Aspen Hill Master Plan Amendment, officials said the Vitro/BAE office building was occupied and the Master Plan supported the continued office focus.
In 2008, the Planning Board approved a Georgia Avenue Study/Urban Design Framework, which envisioned an evolution of the commercial node in Aspen Hill from an auto-oriented group of strip shopping centers to a more walkable community with a grid system of streets, a mix of uses and enhanced pedestrian amenities.
Since 2010, the 265,000 square foot Vitro/BAE office building has been vacant. One of the central purposes in the minor master plan amendment is to determine whether there is a more appropriate zone that will encourage redevelopment compatible with the adjacent residential neighborhood. A private developer had suggested a plan to build a Walmart retail store on the site, according to the county.
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