Montrose residents press council to drop proposed medium‑density rezoning for Martha Terrace

Dozens of Montrose neighborhood residents told the Rockville City Council on Jan. 27 that proposed rezonings in Planning Area 10 would worsen traffic, reduce parking and accelerate displacement.

The most sustained public testimony came during the community forum portion of the meeting, where Natasha Horwitz of the Montrose Civic Association warned that "new buildings come with new prices" and said her neighbors fear the loss of affordability, increased traffic and a reduction in green and public space if the zoning changes go forward. Geoffrey Gans, who lives at the corner of Evelyn Drive and Rollins Avenue, described heavy cut‑through traffic on Rollins and Evelyn and said the streets are already struggling to accommodate emergency vehicles. "This street is not in any way capable of carrying any more traffic than it does already," Gans said.

Kathy Stein, a nearly 30‑year resident who raised a daughter on Evelyn Drive, told council members she is worried about pedestrian safety and said she had not seen police enforcement of stop signs she described as frequently ignored. Susan Zemski said she has lived on Martha Terrace for 40 years and described existing parking shortages created by nearby apartments; she opposed medium‑density housing on the parking‑lot parcel that serves the Rollins Congressional clubhouse. David Weinstein likewise asked council members to visit the site before approving rezoning.

Montrose speakers focused on a handful of recurring concerns: (1) traffic and pedestrian safety on narrow local streets such as Evelyn Drive and Martha Terrace; (2) existing overflow parking and limited curb space near the Rollins apartments and the park; (3) possible loss of affordability if redevelopment replaces existing lower‑cost units with higher‑end housing, even if a small number of moderately priced units (MPDUs) were included; and (4) the character and walkability of the neighborhood. Several speakers asked council members and staff to walk the neighborhood with residents to see the conditions firsthand.

City staff and council members acknowledged the testimony and said staff is tracking pedestrian‑safety concerns for follow‑up. Christopher Davis, who identified himself as representing the Community Planning and Development Services Department (CPDS), was later invited to present the staff recommendations on related zoning items during the meeting's public agenda. Council members also noted the zoning rewrite process and staff outreach that preceded the recommended rezonings, and they asked staff to continue community engagement as the city develops more detailed zoning language and implementation steps.

The Montrose testimony came ahead of a scheduled CPDS work session on the comprehensive map amendment and zoning ordinance rewrite. That staff work session, led by Holly Simmons (Deputy Zoning Manager) and Jim Wasilak (CPDS), presented a citywide set of proposed rezonings derived from the Rockville 2040 plan and solicited council direction; speakers at the meeting asked staff to return with more detailed visuals, transition/layback options for edges abutting single‑family homes, and clearer descriptions of how “missing middle” housing would look in each affected block.

Council members did not take a legislative vote during the public comment period. Several said they wanted more detailed information — including renderings, height and transition graphics, and additional outreach — before advancing particular rezones in the areas residents described.

For now, the Montrose residents’ appeals were recorded in the public record and will be part of the staff and council deliberations that continue as the zoning ordinance rewrite and comprehensive map amendment move forward.