First Work Session on Sector Plan to be Held Thursday

The redevelopment workgroup, made up of members of Wheaton Urban District Advisory Committee and Wheaton Redevelopment Advisory Committee, met tonight to discuss the first work session on the Wheaton Sector Plan, scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 7 at the MNCPPC building. 

The first work session, one of three planned for this fall before the planning board submits the final draft to the county, will cover broader concerns brought up by public testimony.

• Promoting office growth in Wheaton and revising the jobs/housing balance
• Is the goal of 30 percent non-auto commuters appropriate?
• Whether the current jobs/housing balance will overcrowd the Red Line.
• School facilities and projected student population.
• Whether CR zone limits, process is a discouragement for developers to come to Wheaton.
• Rezoning existing single-family houses to townhouses, multi-family units.
• Plan should promote and include concepts of sustainability.
• Additional east-west bike connections.

For some of these issues, the staff recommendation means no change to the sector plan, i.e. keeping the 30 percent non-auto goal. Others have staff recommendations to change in the report, correcting an error in the projected number of students, adding supporting language about sustainability and additional bike pathways. 

The staff recommendations, however, do not  preclude a member of the planning board from changing additional items or refusing the staff recommendation. 

The second and third work sessions, held on Oct. 28th and Nov. 18th, will work out questions on specific parcels and locations described in the plan.