Where White Flint Stands in the CIP Budget
**Updated at 9:50am with ways to be heard on the proposed budget.
Over the summer, we told you about the county’s Capital Improvement Programs budget. This budget covers all capital projects (think physical projects, like buildings and roads) and is created as a six-year plan every other year. This is a capital budget creation year. As such, the County Executive proposes a draft budget which will be ratified, or amended, by the County Council. This is a tricky proposition because every capital project throughout our whole county is competing for a share of the same pot of money.
In developing his budget proposal, the County Executive hosted several community forums and Friends of White Flint was well-represented at a July event. There, we stressed the importance of funding the Western Workaround, Wall Park, the Civic Green and the new Eastern Workaround (where Executive Boulevard will cross over Rockville Pike, just north of White Flint Mall). Many of you heeded our call and advocated via email for these important projects. Yesterday, we learned how we did in those efforts when the County Executive presented his budget to the Council. Frankly, we’re pretty excited.
Below, you can find all of the White Flint-related projects proposed for funding in the County Executive’s budget. These were compiled by Ken Hartman, Director of the Bethesda/Chevy Chase Regional Services Center. He staffs the White Flint Downtown Advisory Committee, which is preparing testimony for the County Council on the subject.
Friends of White Flint is also preparing to testify before the County Council on the Capital Improvements Budget and we’d like our members’ input. Where you see an asterisk in the projects below, these are ones that will be funded through the special taxing district on White Flint redevelopment. This taxing district, though, is taking longer to ramp up than expected and, as yet, has generated less revenue than expected. Therefore, it’s our understanding that these projects will be paid for out of the general fund, if needed, and reimbursed by the taxing district when possible.
Want to be heard on this? There are lots of ways. Sign up to testify before the County Council at one of their hearings on February 5th (1:30pm or 7:30pm) or February 6th (7:30pm) by calling 240-777-7803. Or email your thoughts to the Council at County.Council@montgomerycountymd.gov. Finally, members can email us to have your thoughts incorporated into our testimony on February 5th.
Take a look at the various projects (italicized portions are commentary from the FoWF team) and let us know you’re thoughts:
Chapman Extended
Utility relocations to be completed by Summer 2014, and construction will start in Summer 2014 and will end in Summer 2015.
http://www.montgomerycountymd.
Fire Station
Land purchase in FY15; Planning and design beginning in FY16; Construction FY18-20.
http://www.montgomerycountymd.
White Flint District East: Transportation*
Design of all road projects began in FY12 and is expected to conclude in FY16. Construction of Executive Boulevard Extended East from Rockville Pike/MD 355 to a New Private Street will begin in FY17 and is expected to conclude in FY18, subject to tax district affordability. Design of Executive Boulevard East Extended was delayed due to coordination between the stakeholders over the road alignment. Design for the bridge across the the WMATA tracks adjacent to the White Flint Metro Station has been delayed due to negotiations between WMATA, State Highway Administration (SHA), the County, and the developers; bridge design will begin after a Memorandum of Understanding between the parties has been finalized.
http://www.montgomerycountymd.
White Flint District West: Transportation*
Design is underway on all road projects in the western workaround, with the exception of the Rockville Pike segment, and will conclude in FY15 (FY15 design is funded through White Flint West Workaround). Design of the Rockville Pike section will begin in FY19 and will conclude in FY21 in order to coordinate with the implementation of the Rapid Transit System (RTS) (CIP #501318). Some property acquisition may occur on this section in FY20. The current expenditure/funding schedule assumes that land needed for road construction will be dedicated by the major developers in a timely manner.
http://www.montgomerycountymd.
White Flint Traffic Analysis and Mitigation
Component A-access restrictions: bi-annual data collection: site specific studies to commence in FY17. Component B- Intersection Mitigation: site specific preliminary engineering and concept plan development commenced in FY 12 based on M-NCPPC Comprehensive Local Area Transportation Review (CLATR) evaluation. Component C- Modal Split Activities: transit, pedestrian, bicycle access, and safety studies in FY 12; data collection and updating Transportation Demand Management (TDM) information in FY 12-13.
http://www.montgomerycountymd.
1. Main Street/Market Street (B-10) – Design in FY14 through FY15, SI&U in FY16 through FY18, and construction in FY17 and FY18.
>2. Main Street/Market Street (LB-1) – Design in FY14 through FY15, SI&U in FY16 through FY18, and construction in FY17 and FY18.
3. Executive Boulevard Extended (B-15) – Design in FY14 through FY15, SI&U and construction in FY16 through FY20.
4. Intersection of Hoya Street (formerly ‘Old’ Old Georgetown Road) (M-4A), Old Georgetown Road, and Executive Boulevard – Design in FY14 through FY15, land acquisition in FY16, SI&U in FY16 through FY18, and construction in FY17 through FY19.
The schedule assumes that all land needed for road construction will be dedicated by the major developers in a timely manner. The schedule also assumes the construction of conference center replacement parking will take place prior to the start of the roadway construction. http://www.montgomerycountymd.
White Flint Redevelopment Program*
http://www.montgomerycountymd.
Montrose Parkway East
The design and land acquisition phase is expected to be complete in mid-FY16. Construction is expected to start in FY19 and will be completed in approximately 3.5 years.
http://www.montgomerycountymd.
North Bethesda Community Recreation Center
The project schedule is dependent upon the development of the White Flint Sector plan.
http://www.montgomerycountymd.
Kennedy Shriver Aquatic Center Building Envelope Improvement
Design to start in FY18, and construction to start in FY19
http://www.montgomerycountymd.
Jane Huff
What is the word on the proposed new school? My community, White Flint Park/Garrett Park Estates is against the proposed school site, the so-called North site, in the White Flint overflow parking lot because it is too close to our neighborhood school, will cause too much neighborhood traffic and worst of all will take away our daytime use of our little park.
Also we feel that the choice of Edson Lane for the post office was a bad choice for our neighborhood.