Neighbors urge Rockville commission to reject RMD‑25 rezoning for ZOR‑ID 17, developers propose access‑limited compromise

Chair Maung San opened the Planning Commission's public hearing on the comprehensive map amendment and asked speakers to state their names and addresses for the record. Several residents and property representatives testified on rezoning of a transition parcel identified as ZOR‑ID 17 in Area 12.

Pat Harris of the law firm Lerch, Shirley & Brewer testified on behalf of multiple townhouse developers and urged the commission to clarify proposed standards for front‑loaded townhouses in the draft zoning ordinance. Harris said the proposed cap that would limit garage doors to 50% of the ground‑floor façade (§6.6.3.13) is ambiguous (width versus area) and, if read strictly, would effectively preclude commonly built two‑car, 16‑foot garage doors on narrow townhouse lots. She also objected to driveway width limits that staff proposed and asked the city to reconsider setback and driveway provisions to avoid reducing feasible housing options.

Bill Commoners, representing Tower Dawson LLC, urged the commission to retain planned‑development provisions in the new ordinance and said Tower Dawson supports mapping the adjacent former school site to RMD‑25 provided that the city adopt an access‑based density limit (for example, capping density at 10 units per acre if regular access would require use of Don Mills Court). He also urged reinstating a 5‑year APF (adequate public facilities) extension process rather than the shorter, discretionary extensions proposed in the staff draft.

Vince Biazzi, speaking for owner Zian Avasar, said the small Halpine Road parcel near Twinbrook Metro (5946 Halpine) is ill‑served by its current R‑60 zoning and proposed a new Metro‑station transitional zone to enable a small apartment building that would present as rowhomes to the street while taking advantage of the nearby transit station.

Residents from Newmark Commons and nearby Potomac Valley voiced strong opposition. Pat Reber said Newmark Commons residents want development that is compatible with adjacent single‑family neighborhoods and emphasized that the community was not engaged earlier in Area 12 discussions. Anna Astrid Molina said she opposes rezoning ZOR‑ID 17 from R‑90 to RMD‑25, arguing the site's topography will not hide a 75‑foot building, Don Mills Court and Potomac Valley Road are already at capacity, and the parcel contains unmarked graves that require sensitive handling; she said a petition of nearly 700 signatures demonstrates strong neighborhood opposition.

Other residents, including Jeffrey Ganz and Lerone Sharon, raised concerns that denser development would stress Montrose Park, local parking and neighborhood streets. Commissioners asked staff to research site history, including prior studies that recommended restricting neighborhood access, and to clarify whether and how comprehensive‑plan recommendations constrain later rezoning decisions.

No formal vote on the map amendment occurred at this meeting; staff and the commission agreed to continue deliberations and to include neighborhood compatibility findings in subsequent recommendations to the Mayor and Council. The public hearing was left open for continuation at a later meeting.

What happens next: The commission asked staff to collect more background on the parcel (including previous studies and any grave‑site investigations) and signaled it will revisit the item at a continuation meeting scheduled for Feb. 4.