GERMANTOWNFORWARD

TheGermantownCharrette GermantownCommunityCenter,March7,2007,6:309:30p.m.

Germantownresidents,propertyowners,andworkersjoinedinteresteddevelopers, designers,countyrepresentativesandplanningstafftocreateavisionforthefutureof Germantown. Followingabriefpresentation,theparticipantsselectedoneormoreofsixgeographic areas,andcreatedavisionstatementforthatarea,describeditscharacteristics, providedadiagram,andsuggestedtheactionsthatshouldbetakentorealizethe groupsvision.Attheendoftheevening,theparticipantspresentedtheirplanstothe entiregroup. Commonthemesemergedasparticipantsdescribedvibrantareas,eachwithaunique varietyofuses,andmultipletransportationoptionsincludingrail,bikeandpedestrian connections.Eachgroupcreateddistinctbutconnecteddistrictsandenclaveswith facilitiesandusesthatsupporteachotherandprovidelinksthroughoutGermantown. IntheTownCenterandEmploymentWestareas,thegroupimaginedthree neighborhoodscenteredonthethreeCorridorCitiesTransitway(CCT)stops:a civicdistrictfocusingonthearts,entertainmentandretailacommercialand residentialdistrictwithahotelandeveningactivitiesandanothercommercial andresidentialdistrictthatmightincludeaspecialtygrocerystore. TheMARCStationgroupconnectedimportantplacesinGermantown.Theysaw CenturyBoulevardsweepingwestandsouthtoconnecttheTownCentertothe MARCStation,andachainofparksandpondsconnectingthroughaseriesof paths.ThehistoricGermantownStationcanagainbecomethegatewayto Germantown,withanew,livelyresidential,officeandretailareathatwould reconnectandcelebratetheHistoricDistrict. TheGatewayarea,withitsDepartmentofEnergy(DOE)campus,becomesa vitaleducationandemploymenthubwhenconnectedwiththeMontgomery Collegecampusprograms.DOEworkersbringenergytotheTownCenterand itscivicspaces.ARedevelopmentArcwascreatedatthefutureCCTstop. MiddlebrookRoadwouldsupplyagreenentryintotheTownCenter. IntheMontgomeryCollegeandFoxChapelarea,participantswereinspiredby thecollegetoimagineahighenergy,hightechareafocusedoneducation,with housingchoicesforeveryonefromstudentstoseniors. TheMilestoneareawasreinventedasawalkable,livelymixofrestaurants, officesandresidentialbuildingsthatwouldconnecttothesurrounding

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community.Communityshuttlesandtransitalongthe355Corridorconnectthe areatotheTownCenterandbeyond. Last,theEmploymentEastareabecameaunifiedsetoffourmixeduse commercialenclaveswithsignatureofficesandtheBogasacivicicon. Gatewaysandstrongconnectionsforpedestrians,cars,theCCTandatrolley wouldcreatethisneighborhood.

Followingaretheideasandplansfromtheparticipants.Theappendicesincludethe agenda,presentationandschedule.

TownCentershopsandrestaurants

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Newmultifamilyhomes

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CHARRETTEGROUPSANDDISTRICTS

TownCenterandEmploymentCenterWest TownCenter EmploymentCenterWest FarNorth MARCStationArea WestTownCenter MARCStation SenecaValley Gateway Gateway TheColony WaringStation MontgomeryCollegeandFoxChapelArea MontgomeryCollegeDistrict FoxChapelEast FoxChapelWest MilestoneArea MilestoneCenter Shakespeare EmploymentCenterEast EmploymentCenterEast MilestoneNorth

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TOWNCENTERANDEMPLOYMENTCENTERWEST DISTRICTS TownCenter EmploymentCenterWest FarNorth

FACILITATORS JohnCarter,BridgetStesny,JamesTedrick

VISION TheGermantownTownCenterandEmploymentCenterWestwillbeawalkable,mixed use, transit oriented area with various levels of dense development offering three distinct districts along a world class corridor that includes civic, retail, cultural, employmentandlivingopportunities.

CHARACTERISTICS TheGermantownTownCenterandEmploymentCenterWestincludesthefollowing threedistricts: Downtown:CivicDistrict o 812storybuildings o Library o BlackRockCenter o Live/workspace o Entertainment o Gateway o TransitStation o Retailconcentration o Civicandparkspace o Employment o Linkagetogreenways o Office(secondfloorandhighrise) o Spaceforthearts o Governmentcenter o Transitstop Midtown:CommercialandResidentialDistrict o OfficealongI270(freewayexposure/signaturesites) o Retail(servesonlythedistrict) o Hotel o Nightactivity o Urbanstreets
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o ConnectiontotheeastsideofI270 o Officecondominium o Professionalservices o Parkinggarages o Residentiallocatedadjacenttoparkarea o CenturyBoulevard(uniqueurbanstreetwithtransit) o Servicesforresidences o Fitnesscenter o Transitstop Uptown:CommercialandResidentialDistrict o 812storybuildings o Neighborhoodservingretail o Specialtygrocery o ConnectiontoMilestoneacrossI270 o OfficealongI270(freewayexposure/signaturesites) o Residentialalongopenspacearea(Germantownbuffer) o CenturyBoulevard(uniqueurbanstreetwithtransit) o Transitstop

GeneralCharacteristics GreenSpaces: o Defineeachofthethreedistricts o Includetrails Mixeduse Walkable LikeBethesda Transitoriented Densedevelopment BetterthantherestofMontgomeryCounty Workingtransportationnetwork Enoughcapacity Connectivity Appropriatelevelofservice Determinetheamountoffuturedevelopment Consideremploymentdensity Enoughdensitytoencouragedifferentlanduse: o Structuredparking o Openspace Unifiedform Mixofuses Needguidelines Limitedparkinglotsversusgarages Considerwalkingdistancetotransit Transitbeforeoratthesametimeasdevelopment(notlater) Transitsystem:
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Top:ViewofCenturyBoulevard,TownCenter. Bottom:BlackRockCenterfortheArtsandthenewGermantownLibrary

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o ExpressbusalongI270 o Circulatingroutes o Pedestrianconnections Consideranalternatetransitsystem Dualmodetransit(railandbus) CorridorCitiesTransitway Retailneartransitstops CenturyBoulevardasauniquetransitboulevard Concentrationofdevelopment Tallbuildingsneareachofthreetransitstops,lowerbuildingsfurtherawayfrom transitstops PedestrianconnectionstobothsidesofI270 Residentialtypes: o Singlefamily o Highrise o Smallerunits(youthandseniors) o Urbanapartments

Whatismissingandneeded: Jobs/employment Housingoptions Destinations(retail,entertainmentandcivic) Transit(buildnow,multipartsystem) o Transitloopstoservethelocalcommunity o Transittoserveacrossplanningdistricts o CorridorCitiesTransitway o ServeGaithersburgandShadyGrove Opportunitiestoliveandworkinthesamecommunity Communitystreetnetworkorgridsystemforeachdistrict Blockdimensions300X300 Density Phasedlanddevelopmentandinfill ACTIONS Reviewconceptwithlocalleaders Buildtransit(CorridorCitiesTransitway) Buildlocal,gridstreetnetwork Adjustpolicyareastandards Dedicategreen,openspaceareastodefineandseparateeachofthethree districts Establishmixedusezoning DevelopCenturyBoulevardandincludeunique,urbanstreetstandards

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