The property owners have agreed to a goal of 50% modal split meaning that 50% of people arriving to work in White Flint won’t arrive by car. This will require costly investments in transportation demand management, a bus circulator and will likely require a new Rockville Pike with a Bus Rapid Transit system.

On top of all of this the new zone has a lengthy list of community benefits which local residents will be able to negotiate with property owners to provide. It is here that recent debate has flared over BLT’s. The new CR zone will increase BLT requirements from 0 to 5% for all new development. This places BLT’s as 1 of only 3 required improvements for all new developments along with affordable housing and streetscape improvements. The zone also provides an incentive for property owners to purchase additional units up to 20% for large properties and 30% for smaller ones. For the local community what is important is that at 5% there is still room financially for local property owners to provide the community benefits which are described in the Sector Plan. Without that flexibility, the majority of the community benefits expected will be unrealized.

The BLT supporters are asking for $40 to $50 million from White Flint to purchase development rights in the agricultural reserve. That is the cost of 2 new elementary schools, 2 new community/recreation centers, 4 civic greens, or 8 libraries. Yes, there is a reasonable responsibility to purchase BLT’s. The Council followed the recommendation of Royce Hanson the Chairman of the Planning Board and mastermind behind the BLT. He has set a reasonable requirement to fund BLT’s at 5% and created an incentive to fund more. By doing this he has also allowed the flexibility in the zone for property owners to provide the many community benefits that the residents of White Flint are expecting. That balance is important and must be a major part of the discussion on Tuesday prior to the Council vote or the vision for a new White Flint will stumble.