Chamber Events

 

Sofia Alrich from the Montgomery County Planning Department will join us to discuss the potential removal of M83 from the Transportation Master Plan. Any GGCC member is welcome to attend. Sofia will review the history of the transportation master plan and M83, as well as how the idea to potentially remove M83 from that plan.

 

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89533844804?pwd=Yk5wcStaeDMxa1JvVjVKYnVibVRzdz09

Meeting ID: 895 3384 4804

Passcode: 947136

 

 

From our GGCC email Action Alert 10/21:

 

Hi GGCC ED&LA Committee, Board Members, and GGCC Clarksburg/Damascus businesses  – 

If you’ve been following transportation in the County, you know that M-83 has been in the master transportation plan for almost 50 years, and it was contained in the Clarksburg master redevelopment plan. The portion of M-83 between Montgomery Village Ave and Ridge Road would significantly reduce congestion on I270. Completion of the roadway would provide direct connection from Snowden Farn Parkway in Clarksburg to Shady Grove Metro and the ICC. 

 

While there has been no movement on M-83 for several years under the current administration, and there has not been funding yet for the road’s development, many people who live Upcounty bought homes and invested in developments that were assured of certain infrastructure, including M-83’s development. M-83 was the basis for the density that was approved and constructed in Danascus, Clarksburg, Germantown, Montgomery Village, and other areas east of I270, and it was reconfirmed in the 1994 Clarksburg Master Plan. The County is now considering REMOVING M-83 from the transportation master plan.  

 

And for those of us who now use the ICC, and can’t imagine it ever not having been there, we know how critical it is to be able to connect communities across our county. 

• Learn more about M-83 here: Midcounty Highway (M-83) - Montgomery Planning
• From the Planning Dept website: “A major theme of the testimony received at the 2024 update to the Master Plan of Highways and Transitways (MPOHT) public hearing on September 12, 2024, was to remove the unbuilt sections of Midcounty Highway Extended, including both the northern extension between Montgomery Village Avenue and Ridge Road, as well as the southern extension between MD 200 and Shady Grove Road, from the master plan. On October 3, 2024, the Planning Board directed Planning Staff to modify the scope of work to consider removing Midcounty Highway Extended (including the adjacent unbuilt bikeway) from the master plan and set a second public hearing to hear from residents, which is set for Thursday, November 14, 2024.”

• Upcoming Public Meetings to provide your feedback:

In order to solicit community input about whether to retain or remove the unbuilt sections of Midcounty Highway Extended from the Master Plan of Highways and Transitways, the Planning Department will also hold two community meetings to receive additional feedback:

• TODAY Monday, October 21, 2024, a virtual meeting from 6 to 8 p.m. RSVP for October 21.

• Wednesday, October 23, 2024, at Neelsville Middle School, 11700 Neelsville Church Rd, Germantown, MD from 6 to 8 p.m. RSVP for October 23.

• A second public hearing will be held on Thursday, November 14, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. to consider whether the unbuilt sections of Midcounty Highway Extended should be removed from the Master Plan of Highways and Transitways. Community members are encouraged to sign up to testify live at the public hearing either in-person or online via Microsoft Teams. More info here.

• The Chamber will be providing written feedback to oppose the removal of M-83 from the transportation master plan.

ACTION NEEDED – please consider providing your own testimony (verbal or written at these meetings, or via email to mcp-chair@mncppc-mc.org – see above).  If there are 1 or 2 chamber members who would like to take point on this effort for GGCC, please let me know. You don’t have to be a member of the GGCC’s Economic Development & Legislative Affairs committee.

 

Many thanks,

Paula

 

 

 

 

Through the Gaithersburg-Germantown Economic Development & Legislative Affairs (ED&LA) Committee, the Chamber will proactively work with City, County and State Leaders to support the Economic Development of Gaithersburg, Germantown and surrounding jurisdictions, and represent the GGCC and its members in a pro-active manner in the formulation of state and local legislation and policy affecting the business community. These meetings are open to all members to attend and learn more about the various economic and legislative topics impacting businesses in our area.