Control of at least one of those rights-of-way may belong to the federal Surface Transportation Board, not Montgomery County. That is because the trail right-of-way was once a CSX rail line called the Georgetown Branch. Montgomery County's primary secret interest in the space here is the plan to eventually extend the Purple Line to Westbard and the Shops at Sumner Place via the trail right-of-way.
Questions raised about the additional easements yesterday will have to be resolved before the Ourisman appeal of the county's order to halt construction can go forward. During yesterday's conference, it was also revealed that the County Department of Permitting Services stopped Ourisman's demolition of its new wall by the trail, out of concern for the safety of passersby.
26 comments:
Isn't this old, old news that Bethesda Beat reported months ago? Dead space.
"Montgomery County's primary secret interest in the space here is the plan to eventually extend the Purple Line to Westbard and the Shops at Sumner Place via the trail right-of-way."
Uh-oh, here come the nutty conspiracy theories again. I hope you have on tin-foil hat. I love it when Dyer calls BM a "slightly-failing" magazine, it's like Trump saying that "a million, a million and a half" people attended his inauguration lol. #FAKENEWS
Dyer, I personally would love to see the Purple Line extended to Westbard amd McLean, the existing right-of-way of the CCT, which is being recovered from Ourisman, woukd be totally inadequate for that purpose.
Your conspiracy theory, like all your others, is ludicrous.
8:16: You mean like the small and slightly-failing magazine's EYA articles that mysteriously aren't labeled "sponsored content?" Could they be one of the magazine's anonymous angel investors? #FAKENEWS for sure.
For you to claim the Purple Line extension is a "conspiracy theory" is ludicrous. It's secretly in the works. That's why the county is trying to acquire land for the future River Road station under the guise of a "park," why it gratuitously rezoned Westwood Tower and the Kenwood Professional Building for higher heights, and why the Council excluded all of River Road from the Westbard plan to ensure it would be reserved for rail-proximate density. The circulation claims of some local media outlets are definitely like Trump talking about crowd size, for sure. Baba Booey.
8:33: There is a map. I've talked to people who have seen it. It shows Westbard as a transit hub, essentially like a Metro station. That's why the county is having a spaz about Ourisman. They couldn't care less about trail users - they know they're going to need that room for the Purple Line.
"There is a map. I've talked to people who have seen it."
This is called "hearsay". Just like your claimed readership statistics.
And it still doesn't change the fact that the land being recovered from Ourisman isn't anywhere near wide enough to build a transit line there.
8:58 AM Calm down man!
It wouldn't surprise anyone that Westbard is envisioned as a future transit hub.
What's so bad about the Purple Line extending to Westbard? That seems like a great idea to me. There are lots of people living there so there should be sufficient deman, and it could use better public transport connections.
Went thru are even still there defies all logic. That can't be tht best spot for a dealership. With all this flack, I'd like to see them fold up and head to the Pike.
11:32 AM Having all your car inventory on site seems like an old business model.
Really just need a small showroom and a few examples to drive.
Ship in the actual cars when people want to buy.
Downtown really needs a Tesla showroom.
Dyer will never shine as long as I breathe this fresh Chevy Chase air. Hear that, Dyer? Never!
IRG - Good thing we don't live in the Confederate People's Republic of Vieginia! They hate Tesla's bypassing of franchised dealers.
Hooray, Maryland and MoCo!
Saith Dyer @ 8:53 AM:
"8:33: There is a map. I've talked to people who have seen it. It shows Westbard as a transit hub, essentially like a Metro station. That's why the county is having a spaz about Ourisman. They couldn't care less about trail users - they know they're going to need that room for the Purple Line."
Dyer, I'm 8:16, 33 and 58 AM.
I think that extending the Purple Line to Westbard and beyond is a GREAT idea.
But I note that what you wrote in this article and in your comments above is diametrically opposite of everything you have written on this subject previously. You have on many occasions described Westbard as a transit desert and pooh-poohed comments from readers suggesting that the Purple Line could be extended to Westbard, using this as a pretext to block redevelopment of the area.
And as I said previously, the existing right-of-way plus that which the County is attempting to recover from Ourisman would not be sufficient by itself to build any light rail line through there - more would be needed. It's silly to suggest that the Ourisman encroachment is about an unannounced proposal to extend the Purple Line, and nothing else.
Why don't you tell us more about "the map" that you claim to have seen. It would be the Scoop of the Decade!
9:33: I've been consistent all along - I've written for years about the secret plan t extend the Purple Line. I've also mentioned that narrow spots along the trail route would make it impossible to build without extreme environmental destruction.
I clearly stated that I did not see the map myself, but have spoken to others who did.
You are a consistent liar then.
The council can't properly plan for the relocation of a school bus depot but they're all over the secret plan to extend the Purple line to Westbard.
Time to put another layer of tinfoil on that hat, Dyer.
"impossible to build without extreme environmental destruction."
You mean like all of those freeways you want to build?
West What??? West Bard!!!
West What??? West Bard!!!
West What??? West Bard!!!
8:00 AM reply, thanks Dyer-straight I guess my question was spot-on since it was directed to a MORON!
7:35: No, you were dead wrong in your criticism. The small and slightly-failing magazine is still trying to get the details on this meeting for a day-late report.
6:30: Wrong! The freeways all have rights-of-way. No need to blow up mountaintops West Virginia-style like they'd have to do in southwest Bethesda to extend Purple Line. All we need is the right leadership, and the freeways will be built very easily.
"No need to blow up mountaintops West Virginia-style like they'd have to do in southwest Bethesda to extend Purple Line."
I'd love to know what Dyer is babbling about. Because I sure can't figure it out.
7:57: Understandable, since you're not a lifelong resident like me. If you were, you'd know that there isn't enough room for the Purple Line + CCT + buffer beyond River Road industrial area without drastically changing the topography.
It's odd that a "lifelong resident" would not remember that a freight railroad carrying coal used to run on that very same right of way until 1985.
What "drastic change in the topography" would be required to accomodate an electric light rail line? Seems like the latter would have an easier time with the hills and curves.
On the stretch between Bethesda Avenue and Bradley Boulevard, there is dense development on either side and there would need to be some takings and even demolition. And the NIMBYs of Kenwood would probably insist on a tunnel at Dorset Avenue. Other than those, it is really no different than the section east of Wisconsin Avenue.
Perhaps you could cite some specific choke points that concern you, rather than speaking in glittering generalities?
Obviously the CCT would cease to exist in its present form if the Purple line were extended to Westbard. There is certainly not room to run them alongside each other, and I imagine digging a tunnel would be prohibitively expensive, but maybe some forward thinking engineers could come up with a convenient way to stack them.
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