[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6178411,"mediaKeyId","5241151-1910aa8f8eec6aeea46e2eff256f0f08","parentId",5241151,"title","CarMax seeks rezoning of Shady Grove Road site to preserve dealership use","audioSeconds",791,"startMs",521000,"endMs",1312000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5241151-1910aa8f8eec6aeea46e2eff256f0f08&start=521&end=1312","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5241151-1910aa8f8eec6aeea46e2eff256f0f08/thumbnail_521000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6178411/Gaithersburg-City/Montgomery-County/Maryland/CarMax-seeks-rezoning-of-Shady-Grove-Road-site-to-preserve-dealership-use","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6178411-9b574b19db2b488576986e1706a49d74/orig.mp4?Expires=1771161742&Signature=mP-sHKdXL72Av1KSx3YegQPHfdKQ1LNk4aIs3GoIsDQIo9S86jY6gXh3kKU8VD3JwUKyScZhBlrnnhU6R9iJByE92MiuxeTZZF9RmzS7cryUgOnf4vUkIkO0z51GJMlFJE7cX00K1IqKW0NP9D8gnEfYMhOQ6~olLN2NyQQxXitKwwB2e5HWP0gBEruKai6zetNW4EkptC-Yn1WNLu1rVvWxigkyjbhibD0snHu2Rs9JTqq5rcCiuIIPGW3r7mdd8ae65t09LYFEeEHhp-Bp2sZL7HqqSK-1IZe9VdosskYOCdR5D9UU2gkVkd26B8dUCLKdU52FKuD~7jt1fdkZbw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Gaithersburg, MD","date","2025-07-08T00:50:53Z","article","CarMax asked the Gaithersburg mayor and council during a joint public hearing on July 7 to rezone 13.34 acres at 16383 and 16411 Shady Grove Road from MXD (mixed-use development) to C-2 (general commercial) to protect its existing automobile sales operation.

The rezoning request matters because a 2012 annexation covenant with Montgomery County bars residential use of the property so long as the transfer station to the south remains in operation; the applicant said that, together with a recent change to the city’s MXD rules that removed automobile sales as a permitted MXD use, the combination could leave the dealership without a lawful zone if the use ceased for more than 90 days. “We didn’t want to have to come through and reentitle the property,” said Erin Gerard, the applicant’s attorney, explaining that rezoning to C-2 would validate the existing development and preserve the site’s current improvements.

Aaron Gerard (as identified in the hearing) and Bradley Escobar of CarMax described the site and its regulatory history: annexed in February 2012 into the city and originally placed in MXD consistent with the 2006 Shady Grove sector plan; sketch and schematic plans approved in 2013 envisioned an auto sales establishment and a larger office/commercial pad; a site plan approved on February 19, 2024 established the current dealership. The applicant told the council the surrounding area has developed with commercial and industrial uses — including county fleet management and a Maryland Transportation Authority facility — and that the county reaffirmed the long-term role of the nearby transfer station in its February 2021 sector plan update.

Planning staff advised that the application is a standard-method zoning map amendment under city code section 24-12.3 and that, unlike MXD/CD zones, C-2 rezoning does not include a schematic development plan and would require any future redevelopment to go through site plan review. Staff also noted the Maryland Land Use Article, section 4-204, which sets required findings for a rezoning to C-2.

Council and planning commission action: the planning commission voted to hold its record open until 5 p.m. Monday, July 28, 2025, with an anticipated recommendation on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025. The mayor and council voted to hold the city record open until 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, and scheduled anticipated policy discussion and possible final action for Monday, Sept. 15, 2025.

Key factual details from the record: the applicant requested that the temporary use permit covering vehicle storage on the site be extended through Sept. 4, 2030; the earlier schematic development approvals allowed 12,904 square feet for automobile sales and a 225,000-square-foot office/commercial building; the applicant described the county covenant that prohibits residential uses on the site while the transfer station remains in operation. Planning staff noted that any future changes to the site would require site plan approval and that the rezoning request rests in part on a claimed substantial change in circumstances in the surrounding neighborhood since annexation.

What happens next: the public record for the mayor and council is open through Aug. 15, 2025; the council and planning commission will consider additional evidence and then issue recommendations or take final action as scheduled.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","MC070625","oneSentenceSummary","CarMax asked the Gaithersburg mayor and council during a July 7 joint public hearing to rezone 13.34 acres at 16383 and 16411 Shady Grove Road from MXD (mixed-use development) to C-2 (general commercial) to protect its existing automobile sales operation.","taxTitle","Gaithersburg City, Montgomery County, Maryland","taxId",4997,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6178401,"Council introduces ordinance to abandon portions of O'Neil Drive and Nancy Place tied to Casey Rosedale redevelopment",135,2084000,2219000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5241151-1910aa8f8eec6aeea46e2eff256f0f08&start=2084&end=2219","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5241151-1910aa8f8eec6aeea46e2eff256f0f08/thumbnail_2084000.jpg","/articles/6178401/Gaithersburg-City/Montgomery-County/Maryland/Council-introduces-ordinance-to-abandon-portions-of-ONeil-Drive-and-Nancy-Place-tied-to-Casey-Rosedale-redevelopment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6178401-634e03bb6ad81873401f020f94e3b42d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771161742&Signature=WgX0qWjqBnYPwOo0rbqOnSxtllR6GF8WHyDrI3CpxzWuF4dsAQGEgsSnmCeBkfS~ZN9RAPFN-3-o0CEsRz-FvqFHuHNehS6eYIgknUDeteqLoopwDaT0F~n3QPdoEVosZATEf-MR91ZZ3~9qmQhWLlRnNQfsx2-K1Nyegm8y4OHEKFgAKwuP9wbFn91AleHqv51w1sTUv~4tO2zJRbOo8c9qAQVYBIwQk2vvjI9ePqitxE8hntB5uuVQ9N0CZcYxrB35i67ubfKl-I5G0J1chre5ulLbPngv~2G~OB1L-diepSMfpYoHqUvFofqPtxvaTi599FLYcbLdhwuTgt2WTQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Gaithersburg mayor and council on July 7 introduced an ordinance to abandon about 37,430 square feet of city right-of-way on O'Neil Drive and Nancy Place to enable a realignment tied to redevelopment of the Rosedale Apartments.

Planning staff said the abandonment application relates to zoning map amendment Z100302025 (Casey Rosedale) and would remove unused, never-constructed sections of O'Neil Drive and a small portion of Nancy Place so that the street realignment can proceed as part of future redevelopment. “The city is giving up their rights to the right of way, essentially,” Planning staff said when council members asked for clarification on the meaning of abandonment.

The council voted to introduce the ordinance; the introduction motion carried 5-0. Staff explained the municipal code requires a separate process for abandonment applications and that the public hearings for abandonment must be scheduled to align with the related zoning map amendment public hearing.

Key details recorded: the proposed abandonment area totals approximately 37,430 square feet and is intended to facilitate phasing of the Casey Rosedale redevelopment. Planning staff said the new right-of-way for the realigned O'Neil Drive and Nancy Place will be considered as part of the separate zoning map amendment and future site-plan approvals.

Next steps: the ordinance was introduced at the July 7 meeting and will follow the city’s public hearing process for abandonment applications with dates to be posted according to the city code.","Gaithersburg mayor and council introduced an ordinance July 7 to abandon roughly 37,430 square feet of right-of-way along O'Neil Drive and Nancy Place to enable realignment connected to the Casey Rosedale zoning map amendment; the ordinance was introduced and carried 5-0.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6178407,"Mayor and council approve Gateway Lake Forest rezoning and schematic plan; staff says traffic impact manageable with conditions",1276,2229000,3505000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5241151-1910aa8f8eec6aeea46e2eff256f0f08&start=2229&end=3505","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5241151-1910aa8f8eec6aeea46e2eff256f0f08/thumbnail_2229000.jpg","/articles/6178407/Gaithersburg-City/Montgomery-County/Maryland/Mayor-and-council-approve-Gateway-Lake-Forest-rezoning-and-schematic-plan-staff-says-traffic-impact-manageable-with-conditions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6178407-12004f08e742fec2fa9b28f62d519287/orig.mp4?Expires=1771161742&Signature=lefcHaQRQhKdmojmh3oWld5bs1g-4cIofVfq8J4TUctyeGyUkhohapK8pqiXFRJ4pIOldYzK6dQ4BZwedYGJ-sxJsFiuXbhcJq6UL9yDV1j0ekC7NNVwrAhKu~hXohdDoRptME5m~Ij1CeAuUvC2q6Z5hyaV-4JJaS03Vhkn9beOwfp~62HtXgjBqZl-xS82f~aTKy37x8W-q9ZOYVyq0qPfq33vMFtcvEQAhDN44oQhxaL0B1qck9m-p0cUdC55lEJNM0-6NFvE1R4xBUoVXg4Vzb2eZdnIo8eXoRvgcu~aKmQZ1WJkzqWFr9kR7hkpO52cqYa8YZobCB~AScv3nw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Gaithersburg mayor and council on July 7 approved a zoning map amendment to rezone 481 N. Frederick Ave., 101 Lake Forest Blvd. and 702 Russell Ave. to Corridor Development (CD) and granted a schematic development plan that would allow an eight-story multifamily rental building with ground-floor commercial space, subject to three staff conditions.

The action matters because the development will add housing density near Maryland Route 355 and MD-124, raising traffic and connectivity concerns that staff and council members discussed during the policy session. The city required a final-site-plan traffic impact study (TIS) update that includes the MD-355/MD-124 intersection and said applicants should incorporate a market study to confirm the final unit mix, including 3-bedroom units.

Planning staff, led by Laura Mayfield, presented the project as the first CD rezoning under Gaithersburg’s new zoning code. The application proposes replacing two existing office buildings with an 8-story multifamily building with ground-floor commercial uses and retaining a third office building with minor improvements. “The final mix will be determined at final site plan, and the applicant reiterated that they intend to include 3-bedroom units in the final unit mix,” Mayfield said; staff included a proposed condition requiring three-bedroom units at final site plan.

Doug Smith of the city’s public works staff described the Gateway Lake Forest Traffic Impact Study, which staff said was prepared conservatively and met the city’s TIS regulations. Smith said the TIS estimates site trips will account for about 2% of total projected volumes at the MD-355/MD-124 intersection and represent roughly 8% of pending development traffic. Smith told council that the applicant’s TIS used conservative assumptions and did not take credit for multimodal trip reductions, pass-by retail, or the elimination of trips from replacing existing office uses; after those credits, the city said the development could produce a net reduction in some peak movements. Smith also described outreach to the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) about a separate MD-124 pedestrian safety action plan that would reduce vehicular capacity in places and said the city sent recommendations to SHA on June 13 and has not yet received a response.

Council members pressed on traffic and retail visibility. Councilmember Jim McNulty thanked staff for analyzing whether the project would be the “straw that broke the camel’s back” at the 355/124 intersection and praised work showing options, including an overpass fit study. Councilmember Jamila Hernandez asked whether the applicant was committing to any three-bedroom units; Mayfield said the applicant stated an intent to include three-bedroom units and the city added a condition requiring them at final site plan. Councilmember Lisa Henderson noted the proposed condition and expressed support. Public works staff told council the city will require a TIS update at final site plan that will include MD-355/MD-124 and updated trip assumptions.

The council voted to approve the rezoning and SDP with the three staff conditions; the motion carried unanimously, 5-0. The city’s decision requires the applicant to provide a final-site-plan TIS update and to include three-bedroom units as a condition of final approval.","The Gaithersburg mayor and council voted to rezone three parcels at Lake Forest Boulevard/N. Frederick Ave to a Corridor Development (CD) zone and approved a schematic development plan (SDP) for an 8-story multifamily building with ground-floor commercial; staff required three conditions and a traffic study update at final site plan.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

CarMax seeks rezoning of Shady Grove Road site to preserve dealership use

Council introduces ordinance to abandon portions of O'Neil Drive and Nancy Place tied to Casey Rosedale redevelopment

Mayor and council approve Gateway Lake Forest rezoning and schematic plan; staff says traffic impact manageable with conditions