Dear Friends,

We want to thank you for your work and support that has been the driving force moving the White Flint Sector Plan forward. Your dedication, emails and calls have resulted in yet another success. Last week The County Council's Public Housing and Economic Development (PHED) Committee listened to you and concurred that Old Georgetown Road between Executive and Rockville Pike should remain four lanes not the six that the staff recommended (saving the island in the middle), they accepted a Level Of Service (LOS) that allows the entire new White Flint to move forward without reductions or just a first phase approach and finally our community won a full expanded library as opposed to just the staff proposed express library. We thank all of you who took the time, invested your energy and participated in this transformative opportunity. We also are grateful to the County Council members who heeded your calls to keep the new White Flint moving forward. We will continue to keep you posted.

The White Flint Partnership would also like to invite you to the third installment of our speakers series. The two previous breakfasts were terrific. This time we will be discussing regional job trends and how a New White Flint will bring significant employment opportunities to the community. This free event will take place at 8:00 AM on Friday, February 19^th at Dave and Busters in the White Flint Mall. We will be joined by some very knowledgeable speakers, Nancy Floreen, the County Council President, Dr. Stephen Fuller from George Mason University and Jim Dinegar, President of the Greater Washington Board of Trade, who will provide insight into the exciting economic growth that the White Flint Sector Plan will create.

We hope you can join us and we look forward to continuing to make headway with your help!

Last week was a giant step forward toward making the new White Flint a reality. Before a quick recap, we just want to remind you to please visit the Action Center on the White Flint Partnership web site. There you can learn how you can sign up to testify at the Sector Plan hearing on October 20th, as well as send emails and letters of support to County Council Members.

First, a big thank you to everyone who came out to Tuesday evening’s Annual Growth Policy hearing. As the hearing demonstrated, supporters for a rebirth of a new White Flint community far outnumber the vocal critics. I was thrilled to witness residents acknowledge the opportunity for a community that is accessible, connected and vibrant. Like the president of the Wisconsin Condominium Association, who said he supported the new plans because he wanted a “community-based neighborhood system where I can eat, shop, and take my grandchildren to community parks…without having to use my car all the time.”  Hopefully our Council Members heard them, too, and have the courage to make it a reality.

Wednesday and Friday provided more opportunities for residents to learn more about the Sector Plan. First was the Friends of White Flint Town Hall, featuring Planning Board Chairman Royce Hansen.  More than 120 residents attended the two-hour meeting that included a presentation of the plan and a wide-ranging question and answer period.

And the final event of the week was the second edition of our Speaker Series, this time with Councilmember Roger Berliner serving as master of ceremonies and former Gov. Paris Glendening and the EPA’s John Thomas both making excellent presentations. Governor Glendening talked about the principals of smart growth, how it is being used around the Country and how expected demographic changes in Montgomery County will impact the way we grow in the future.  He focused on making investments in transit and sustainable design as a way to meet future demand and improve quality of life for existing residents. Mr. Thomas provided an informative sketch analysis which depicted the environmental benefits of compact development in White Flint focusing on potential opportunities for major carbon emission reductions

We look forward to see all of you at more events in the future…especially the Sector Plan hearing on October 20th.  Again, don’t forget to visit the Action Center for more information on how you can help today.

Greetings!

We are now in the homestretch toward passing the Sector Plan for a new White Flint community. Since the draft plan was passed by the Planning Board, we are now preparing for the County Council to hold its hearing and vote on the Sector Plan. That hearing is currently scheduled for October 20^th. Please visit our Action Center to see what you can do to show your support for a new White Flint.

Prior to the Sector Plan hearing, the County Council held a separate hearing on the County’s Annual Growth Policy. As some of the issues discussed relate to the White Flint Sector Plan, we prepared fact sheets on specific questions that have come up in our convesatios with residents. Click here to see a fact sheet.

On September 11^th, the White Flint Advisory Board Steering Committee, comprised of local residents, businesses and land owners, sent a letter to County Executive Leggett supporting passage of the Sector Plan and providing details on what the plan will and won’t do if passed. Click here to read that letter.

Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to seeing you at the hearing on October 20^th.

Craig Ciekot

Development Associate

The JBG Companies