Rockville City Council Backs Off Public Space Requirement
The Rockville City Council reversed itself this week and voted to reduce the amount of public space it will require of developers. The Council had been pressing for as much as a 20 percent set aside, or a fee in lieu of such development as part of its master plan for the city, but hot on the heels of strong public opposition, including testimony from WANADA and WANADA dealer member Sue Seboda, Congressional Motors, and a recommendation from planning commission staff, the council voted on June 7 that a 10% set aside is more reasonable.
The vote does not end the controversy, however, as the master plan for the city, which is due to be completed in another year or so, may well override that vote and/or go in a completely different direction in addressing the public space set aside issue.
Property owners in the city had been fearful that the proposed public space requirements in the citys master plan would have significantly hampered their ability to develop property on a financially feasible basis, either because the land loss was significant or the payment in lieu dollar amounts could have amounted to millions of dollars.
We are certainly encouraged by this decision, but we are by no means giving up on having a reasonable solution to the public space issue, said Sue Seboda.
WANADA historically works on local zoning matters that affect auto dealers in different jurisdictions around the Capital Beltway and see through the Rockville City action.
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