NEW: State Highway Rejects Layby
The State Highway Administration (SHA) released their finding this week that the proposed layby is not safe, and cannot be approved. This confirms concerns about a Junction layby going back to the beginning of the development process. The City review process is now on hold, while the City and developers figure out how and whether to continue pursuing this plan.
Traffic, Public Space, Stormwater, Trees, High Rents
But the layby is not the only outstanding issue with the current plans. Just before the SHA put out their finding, Community Vision for Takoma (CVT) shared this video of our plan analysis. It was recorded at our Takoma Junction Town Hall on April 9th. Our team of resident experts compared the current plans to the City commitments in the Development Agreement of 2016, and 2018 Resolution.
We found these plans meet almost none of the City Council’s own requirements for the project, nor did they respond to the County staff concerns.
This video presentation documents:
- The unsafe layby
- Traffic and parking pushed into back streets
- Inadequate public space
- Inadequate parking and effect of construction on local businesses
- A rear facade that looms over Columbia
- Inadequate stormwater treatment
- Reduction and destabilization of the forest in the back
- New stairs making it difficult and unsafe for wheelchairs and strollers
- High rents that will drive commercial gentrification
- Refusal to recognize the value of open space in the pandemic