Takoma Metro Development

Current Status:

April 23, 2008 5:34 PM

WMATA has approved the sale of land at the Takoma Metro for a townhouse development project. The proposed development has to be approved by the District of Columbia Office of Planning and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) before it is to become final. The Takoma Park City Council has the opportunity to present its position to both the District of Columbia Office of Planning and the FTA. But what should that position be?

Resolution 2008-37 was passed on April 21, urging the Federal Transit Administration to not approve WMATA’s sale of land at the Takoma Metro. Consideration of a resolution on what the City Council’s position should be on the Takoma Metro development proposal has been postponed, and will not be discussed at the April 28 meeting.

The City Council held a Community Priority Setting Workshop on Wednesday, March 19, 2008. This facilitated discussion is available for online viewing here: http://takomapark.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?publish_id=61

A questionnaire completed by more than 300 people provides additional comment on the Takoma Metro issue. (Please note that this questionnaire was not intended to be statistically significant and was not a random sample survey.)

For more information, contact Suzanne Ludlow, City of Takoma Park Community and Government Liaison at SuzanneL@takomagov.org or 301-891-7229

On November 8, 2007, the WMATA Board voted 5-0 to approve the EYA development plan for the Takoma Metro station property. The WMATA Board approved the sale of 75% of the property and the plan to squeeze the bus, parking and other transit facilities onto the small amount of remaining property. The plan replaces the existing 150 space parking lot with a 121 space parking garage, leaves the station with room for only 10 bus bays when 12 are needed, and includes a shared bus/car traffic circle that will create many problems on the site. More seriously, safety for pedestrians and handicapped patrons is compromised with the plan. These issues were raised by the City of Takoma Park, Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett and others. Details of the resolution approved by the Board can be found at WMATA Approval of EYA Plan. The approval included an amendment proposed by D.C. Board member Jim Graham stating, “Resolved, That the Board request that the DC Office of Planning, as a part of the District’s PUD process, consider the Montgomery County alternative on the Takoma Metrorail Station as it relates to pedestrian safety and handicap access.”

The change to the mass transit plan must be approved by the Federal Transit Administration and the development plan must go through the District of Columbia’s land use approval processes for a Planned Unit Development (PUD) in a historic district.

Listing of Documents/Videos/Links

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