Private Institutional Facility Development (PIF) located at 3110 Emory Church Road, Olney

December 10, 2009


Dr. Royce Hanson, Chair
Montgomery County Planning Board
8787 Georgia Avenue
Silver Spring, Maryland 20910

RE: Proposed Private Institutional Facility Development (PIF) located at 3110 Emory Church Road, Olney, Maryland. (AKA the Doherty Property)

Dear Dr. Hanson:

We have received tremendous response from the affected neighborhood in regard to the above proposed PIF development as well as the Olney community. We would also like to voice our opposition based on the following criteria:

• This proposed development is not in keeping with the Olney Master Plan, approved and adopted April 2005, which states that this property cannot be served by public sewer through gravity. The plan further recommends that this property is not recommended to be in the public sewer service envelope. Recommendation to approve a water and sewer category change has been approved and we understand is currently being contested.

• Emory Church Road is a narrow dead end secondary residential street (1 and ½ lanes wide at best) that serves approximately 32 homes in the southeast corner of Olney. This proposed 46,500 square structure with parking for approximately 220 vehicles will virtually destroy the peace and tranquility of this rural neighborhood road. Furthermore, this development would necessitate the widening of this road to accommodate increased vehicular traffic and cause the removal of many mature trees.

• We share the community concern that the amount of impervious surface required for this project will certainly add to the degradation of the already stressed Northwest Branch of the Anacostia River beginning at the headwaters known as Batchellor’s Run. This stream has been determined by the Army Corps of Engineers to be in a protected status.

In keeping with the spirit of the community the MCCAB feels a project of this size should not be built on this site. Thank you for your consideration of our concerns.

Sincerely,


Sheldon Fishman
Chair

cc: County Executive
County Council