Montgomery County Council
Attn: Natali Fani-Gonzalez, President
100 Maryland Avenue
Rockville, MD 20850
Re: Viva White Oak TIF and Needed Infrastructure
Dear Council President Fani-Gonzalez and Members of the Council:
My name is Radwan Chowdhury, speaking on behalf of the East County, which strongly supports the Viva White Oak development and urges the Council to approve the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) program and Phase 1 funding. We also support the developer’s Phase 1 project list.
We also request a public review of the planned improvements at Old Columbia Pike and US 29 at Tech Road and Industrial Parkway. These intersections must safely serve not only Viva White Oak but also the thousands of residents living within this area and the commuter traffic that traverses through this area.
When times comes to consider Phase 2 of this project, consideration must be given to update and meet compliance with the Fairland–Briggs Chaney (FBC) Master Plan as well as the White Oak Science Gateway Master Plan.
However, we ask that Phase 1 fully fund a study and mitigation plan to alleviate the foreseeable congestion occurring on Cherry Hill Road, Broadbirch Drive, and Calverton Boulevard intersection to ensure the network can handle early development traffic.
This area is designated to acquire three new activity centers, the Life Sciences Center, White Oak Center, in addition to the existing FDA campus, Montgomery College’s probable location of its East County campus in this area, and possible new activity at the Federal Research Center. All of this will further increase demand on roadways already at capacity.
A Bus Rapid Transit network is essential. We urge the Council to plan funding of the BRT through both CIP and reassigning LATIP funds currently earmarked for Ride On improvements to the BRT. We foresee the BRT concept uses not only the North-South Rt 29 corridor, but also the East-West Randolph Road corridor. We ask that a BRT alternatives study begin this year to evaluate these configurations and begin identifying station locations.
In closing, we ask the Council to:
- Approve the TIF and Phase 1 funding.
- Direct the DOT and Planning department to update and expand LATIP, including BRT funding; and
- Initiate a new East County BRT alternatives study, including the Randolph Road BRT.
Thank you for your consideration and for your continued commitment to the future of East County.
Sincerely,
Radwan Chowdhury
Candidate, County Council At-Large
CC:
- Marc Elrich, County Executive
- Jewru Bandeh, Director, ECRSC
- Jenny Bryant, OMB Director
- Artie Harris, Chair, MNCPPC
- Chris Conklin, Director, MCDOT
- Radwan Choudhury, Chair, ECCAB