Johnson Property Annexation Petition Draws Opposition from Community Members
Map | Montgomery Planning
UPDATED The owners of the Johnson property, which is located at the corner of Darnestown Road and Quince Orchard Road, are proposing to annex the 23-acre property from Montgomery County into the city limits of Gaithersburg.
The item is on the Nov. 12th Montgomery County Planning Board agenda and the topic is generating immense interest from surrounding communities.
In fact, the staff of the Planning Board has received over 550 emails and letters, and 30 voice mails in opposition to the petition for annexation, according to a staff report. “That’s a lot,” said Planner Michael Bello.
Hundreds of residents have also signed a Change.org petition expressing their concern about the annexation petition.
Many of the residents cite traffic and overcrowded schools as the reasons for their opposition to the annexation petition and the potential rezoning of the land. In a letter to neighbors, the owners of the property said their current idea is to redevelop the property in three phases beginning with a residential development on 14 acres on the western portion of the property. One of the reasons the owners give, in an open Nov. 6th letter to neighbors, for wanting to be annexed into the city limits of Gaithersburg is “that the review process in the city is generally more efficient.”
You can learn more about the annexation request by perusing the background information posted on the Nov. 12 Planning Board’s agenda online, here.
On Nov. 10th, Bello said he and other planning board staff were meeting with some community members at 6 p.m. at Thurgood Marshall Elementary School to answer questions about the annexation petition and to outline the timeline of the process ahead.
Gaithersburg officials have posted a project page for the proposed annexation on its website, here. The Gaithersburg Planning Commission is expected to discuss the annexation at its Dec. 2nd meeting. Public comment for that meeting is due in by 5 p.m. on Nov. 20th, according to the city’s website. The Gaithersburg Mayor and Council are scheduled to conduct a public hearing on this topic on Feb. 1st.
City officials are also informing interested residents that the owners of the Potomac Valley Shopping Center, at the same intersection as the Johnson property, are also seeking annexation for the portion of the shopping center, the southeast quadrant, not currently in the city limits. You can get more information about about both of these annexation requests by contacting the city of Gaithersburg’s planning department at 301.258.6330.
Related:
Johnson Family to Unveil Revised Plan for Proposed Annexation
The Johnson Family is scheduled to unveil a new modified version of their proposed annexation plan tonight to residents at Quince Orchard High School. The meeting is a follow-up to a community workshop the family hosted back in February, where residents raised concerns about the development plan. Organizers sent the following in an email invitation […]
Johnson Family Hosts Property Development Workshop With Community (VIDEO)
Russell Johnson, owner of the Johnson Property located just across the street from Quince Orchard High School held a community workshop Feb. 23rd at the school to discuss concerns about the annexation of the property by the city of Gaithersburg. MyMCMedia talked with Johnson and community members after the workshop. For more information about […]
Residents Still Skeptical About Johnson Property Annexation Plan (VIDEOS)
Dozens of Montgomery County residents attended a workshop at Quince Orchard High School held by the Johnson Family about the annexation plan for the 14 acre parcel known as the Johnson Property. Residents were divided into small groups to discuss three key topics with a team of consultants including proposed development, traffic and pedestrian safety, and school capacity. […]
UPDATED Dozens of Residents Attend Johnson Property Annexation Workshop (PHOTO)
UPDATED Dozens of concerned residents attended a community workshop at the Quince Orchard High School cafeteria to discuss the proposed annexation of the Johnson property on Tuesday night. At the meeting, residents were divided into small groups to discuss three, key topics with a team of consultants: Proposed Development, Traffic and Pedestrian Safety, and Schools. The workshop was […]
Community Workshop Set for Feb. 23 on Johnson Property Annexation
A community workshop is set for Feb. 23 at 6:30 p.m. in the cafeteria at Quince Orchard High School to discuss the proposed annexation of the Johnson property. Attendees are expected to participate in small break-out sessions on various topics related to the development of the Johnson property, according to information posted online. You may […]
Carol Scott on Potomac Valley Shopping Center Annexation (VIDEO)
The Mayor and City Council of Gaithersburg held a public hearing this week about the Potomac Valley Shopping Center annexation petition. Darnestown Valley – WHM LP and Darnestown Valley Petroleum WHM, LLC are petitioning to annex a portion of the shopping center that is located in Montgomery County at intersection of Quince Orchard Road and […]
Joseph Allen on Potomac Valley Shopping Center Annexation Petition (VIDEO)
The city of Gaithersburg held a public hearing on Nov. 16th regarding the Potomac Valley Shopping Center annexation petition. Joseph Allen, Gaithersburg resident, testified at the hearing. In this MyMCMedia Extra video, Allen discusses his concerns about intersection safety in the area. You can find out more about the Potomac Valley Shopping Center annexation on […]
Johnson Property Annexation Petition Draws Opposition from Community Members
UPDATED The owners of the Johnson property, which is located at the corner of Darnestown Road and Quince Orchard Road, are proposing to annex the 23-acre property from Montgomery County into the city limits of Gaithersburg. The item is on the Nov. 12th Montgomery County Planning Board agenda and the topic is generating immense interest […]
There is also a change.org petition circulating on this subject.
https://www.change.org/p/planning-gaithersburgmd-gov-20878-don-t-let-our-neighborhood-and-schools-become-overdeveloped-over-commercialized-and-traffic-ridden?recruiter=420418150&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink