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Residents raise questions about Rockville Town Center master plan, third-rail language and neighborhood traffic during community forum
Summary
Multiple residents used community forum to urge the council to revisit language in the Town Center Master Plan about a possible third rail, to press for clearer rezoning rationale in Planning Area 10, and to propose traffic-calming, signage and enforcement measures for Montrose and adjacent neighborhoods.
At the Feb. 3 Mayor and Council meeting, several residents spoke during community forum about redevelopment, the Town Center Master Plan’s reference to a possible third MARC track and neighborhood traffic and safety concerns in Montrose and surrounding areas.
Mark Preciola, a resident at 816 Fordham Street and a former elected council member, asked the council to remove a passage in the Town Center Master Plan supporting “a 3rd MARC rail” unless funding and feasibility confirmed it belonged in the plan’s geographic boundary. Preciola said the plan’s planning-area boundary places the eastern edge east of the Metro tracks and west of the MARC/CSX tracks and cautioned that supporting a third track in the Town Center plan could create conflicts with redevelopment areas to the east. He said, “This plan is supportive of this 3rd track should funding and feasibility analysis showed as possible,” and asked staff to research the study’s distribution to neighborhood civic associations.
Jeffrey Gantz, a lifelong Rockville resident from the Montrose neighborhood, objected to proposed rezoning in Planning Area 10 and urged the council to consider split rezoning on affected parcels so that denser zoning applies to some blocks while lower-density zones remain adjacent to single-family homes. Gantz listed local traffic fixes he would like the city to consider: increased enforcement of stop signs (Rollins and Evelyn), clearer no-left-turn signage at Montrose/Evelyn, added crosswalks, a permanent speed camera on Rollins Avenue, radar speed signs, pedestrian islands and curb extensions, plus making Congressional Lane one-way between Rollins and East Jefferson to deter cut-through traffic.
John Becker, who lives across from the Rockville Metro Station at 148 Monroe Street, voiced support for residents seeking speed cameras and improved sidewalk conditions. Becker said he observed intersections where people do not obey blinking crosswalk lights and urged the council and staff to press state and county partners to advance camera and enforcement requests more quickly.
Council members acknowledged the comments and said staff would follow up where appropriate. Several residents’ suggestions overlapped with items discussed later in the Vision 0 presentation, including crosswalk guidance, sidewalk petitions and requests for permanent speed-camera placements.
Speakers emphasized they were raising concerns during public comment; no formal council action on rezoning or the Town Center language occurred during the Feb. 3 meeting.
