Community Corner

Meeting Round-Up: WUDAC November

The Wheaton Urban District Advisory Committee, comprised of small and large business owners and residents, discussed a range of issues, including the Wheaton Sector Plan.

At the monthly meeting of the Wheaton Urban District Advisory Committee Tuesday night, the committee discussed the proposed community benefits agreement bill

WUDAC voted to draft a letter to send to the Montgomery County Council with a position on the bill, but no one clearly stated what the letter should say, only that the committee members would work it out over email.

Here’s a quick summary of some of the other things the committee discussed:

  • Devala Janardan, who represents residents, explained that because Bill 32-11 has passed the Montgomery County Council, WUDAC (along with other advisory groups around the county) must submit certain materials to a county-established review board within 60 days: a description and justification of the committee, a list of accomplishments from the last two years, a two-year work plan, an explanation of the resources used and a plan to reduce the use of those resources.
  • Several subcommittee chairs talked about stepping up the way that WUDAC works with small businesses and community groups in Wheaton: making suggestions for improving individual stores and maintaining better communication both online and offline.
  • The community-building subcommittee proposed compiling a list of civic associations in the area and their points of contact, but Pete McGinnity, of the county's Wheaton Redevelopment Program, said that the Wheaton Redevelopment Advisory Committee already had such a list.
  • Ana Lopez van Balen, director of the Mid-County Services Center, said that she is communicating with the Coalition for the Fair Redevelopment of Wheaton to help educate small businesses and community programs about how redevelopment will affect them. However, she did not share details at the WUDAC meeting.
  • McGinnity noted that the Wheaton Redevelopment Advisory Committee, on which he also serves, is considering whether to endorse the Coalition at its next meeting on November 16.
  • McGinnity also shared a redevelopment report about the current status of the Wheaton Sector Plan in the Montgomery County Council’s Planning, Housing, and Economic Development committee. McGinnity said that most of the issues had been resolved at the PHED committee’s Oct. 31 meeting. “For the most part, it’s moving toward full council,” McGinnity said. “There’s been a decision to separate the design guidelines from the sector plan.” The county planning board would use these design guidelines for general design ideas that would be consistent with the sector plan. Separating the guidelines from the sector plans keeps them from being set in stone, McGinnity said.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here