Council members push to restore Summit Avenue extension to CIP as county executive delays project

Council members and Kensington leaders urged the Transportation and Environment Committee on Monday, March 3, to restore the Summit Avenue Extension project to the county’s FY25–30 Capital Improvement Program after the County Executive recommended delaying the $31.4 million project beyond the six-year window.

Why it matters: The Summit Avenue Extension in Kensington would extend Summit Avenue from Plyers Mill Road to Farragut Road, reconfigure the University Boulevard/Connecticut Avenue/Farragut Road intersection and is intended to create a more walkable, multimodal street grid that proponents say could unlock housing and economic development on underused parcels.

During the committee discussion, Kensington Mayor Tracy Fuhrman and the town’s advocates described the project as “shovel ready” and said the municipality has offered to donate its public works facility land (appraised in testimony at about $500,000) to support the project. A district Councilmember and others emphasized prior planning work, including an Urban Land Institute technical assistance panel and a unanimous Planning Board transmittal endorsing the extension as consistent with Thrive Montgomery 2050.

Administration perspective: Director Conklin and OMB staff said the executive’s recommendation to defer the project reflects fiscal constraints and project-specific concerns. Conklin noted that approximately two-thirds of the project cost is right-of-way acquisition and that the county typically hopes to obtain much of required right-of-way through dedication by a redevelopment applicant rather than outright purchase. The executive judged redevelopment to be insufficiently “ripe” to rely on dedications and flagged the project’s $31.5 million bond capacity as a significant fiscal commitment that could be deployed elsewhere. Gary Malvin of OMB added that lower impact-tax revenue (about $70 million less across the amended CIP versus last year) and other fiscal pressures made large, county-funded projects candidates for deferral.

Council reaction: Several council members rejected the administration’s rationale as a reason to remove the project from the six-year program. Councilmember Balcom (District 2) and others argued the county should keep Summit Avenue in the CIP to continue coordinated planning with Kensington and potential affordable-housing partners who have indicated interest. Ms. Moon Battle (Councilmember) said she was “really disappointed” by the proposed removal, calling the project ready to proceed and aligned with housing and economic-development objectives.

Implementation questions and next steps: Staff told the committee the county has not yet undertaken detailed project strategy work because funding was not available; Conklin said that when funds become available the county would engage in a typical right-of-way strategy that could include seeking dedications through redevelopment or, if necessary, acquiring property directly. Council members urged earlier, sustained coordination with the town of Kensington and potential developers so land assembly might become viable.

No final decision was recorded at the committee meeting; a councilmember moved to recommend reconsideration of restoring the project to the CIP. Staff warned that the county’s fiscal position remains fluid and additional CIP amendments tied to the operating budget could follow in the coming weeks.