Committee approves abandonment of small Old Georgetown Road segment for assisted‑care development

The Transportation and Environment Committee unanimously approved an administrative resolution to abandon a small portion of Old Georgetown Road to permit construction of a public stair connection from a new assisted‑care development at 11565 Old Georgetown Road.

The committee’s action, announced at the Feb. 3 work session, follows a recommendation from the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) that the segment is no longer required for present or anticipated future public use and that the proposed stair will not interfere with the public right of way.

MCDOT staff noted conditions that will accompany the abandonment: the new stairway must remain open to the public, and storm‑drain and public‑utility easements will be retained where required. Mr. Kenny (MCDOT staff) also said the petition revealed a documentation issue: the parcel had been state property and is now county property and the transfer was not fully documented in the original application. The resolution before the committee includes language to resolve the ownership documentation.

Committee members raised no objections and the chair announced the item approved without objection. The action does not record a roll‑call vote in the transcript.

The abandonment applies only to the limited parcel described in the petition. No changes to the adjacent reconstructed sidewalk or bike lane were proposed; MCDOT said the stair will connect the development’s ground‑floor retail to Old Georgetown Road without impairing the public way.

Implementation steps now follow the county’s standard closing and easement recording process; MCDOT indicated it is confident the ownership documentation will be sorted after the committee action.