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| Kentbury Drive right-of-way |
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| Kentbury Drive right-of-way |
I contacted the Montgomery County Department of Transportation regarding the two proposed abandonments, which were difficult to locate on maps (more on that momentarily). MCDOT Property Acquistion Section Chief Eric Willis provided some very helpful information and documents for both.
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| Kentbury Drive right-of-way also extends to Rosedale Avenue (not part of the portion being sought for abandonment)... |
The portion of Kentbury Drive being sought by an adjoining property owner for abandonment is actually a grassy lot between homes that backs up to Columbia Country Club. On Google Maps, however, it is listed as Chestnut Street; a street sign in the center of the lot at the curb delineates the "real world" boundary of both roads. It is part of a longer ROW that actually connects Chestnut and Kentbury all the way over to the Lynbrook School Center.
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| ...and to Maple Avenue, creating a walking route to Lynbrook School Center |
But the public purpose of the segment being requested for abandonment is unclear - dedicated in 1949, it was already blocked from going any further east at that point by the country club, which has been there since 1911. The one conceivable use would be as a future road, bicycle or pedestrian connection if the Columbia Country Club were to be redeveloped - an unlikely but real possibility, if a plan by developers to tax country clubs out of existence (so that they can acquire those large sites for redevelopment) ever passes in Annapolis. A pedestrian connection would provide a mostly off-street walking route all the way to the Lynbrook School site and Lynbrook Local Park for kids in that case.
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| Unbuilt Andrus Road, off Greentree Road across from WMAL transmitter site |
Andrus Road has its own Google Maps-challenged identity. You see, Andrus Road doesn't exist. It was never built. But it is shown on a plat recorded in 1946. Intriguingly, at that time, Greentree Road was called "Cabin John Road," according to the plat map. Today, the ROW for Andrus Road sits between Barnett Road and Grubby Thicket Way, off Greentree Road toward the I-270 spur.
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| "Andrus Road" |
The abandonment request is for a 6700 SF portion of the ROW at the western end (at the I-270 spur). A developer is proposing to construct the rest of Andrus Road eastward from there to Greentree as part of a residential development project.
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| Andrus Road as recorded on a 1946 plat |
What's notable about this location is that it is directly across the street from the WMAL transmitter site, which is about to be redeveloped into a massive Toll Brothers community. Many residents in the area have noted that they walk their dogs on that property. So it would seem that there might be a need for a dog park there.
However, the road is listed on the historical plat, and the developer indeed plans to build it in this case. There may not be any legal standing to deny the abandonment for the purpose of a dog park. The property owners who would receive the abandoned ROW land will not have to compensate the County for them, Willis said. They do pay a $2500 abandonment processing fee, however.
Both abandonment requests are mainly notable for being coincidentally timed to major changes at one end or the other - the Toll Brothers project across from the future Andrus Road, and the possibility of Lynbrook School Center being reopened as a school.
Map images via MCDOT
The Andrus Road one is fascinating. My neighbors have been losing their sh** for years over the WMAL development and here is a developer squeezing 9 houses IN BETWEEN existing houses right across the street. No one has mentioned a thing on this.
ReplyDeleteNice use of maps to provide context to the story, Robbie.
ReplyDeleteNow why don't you do that with every article you write about the Moses Cemetery?
Columbia Country Club being redeveloped is a real possibility? You know what Robert? You can have your blog and report on local information and all that's fine. But you can't say things like that when you have no source or information supporting that kind of statement. That nut, Moon, who has proposed this ridiculous proposal of levying heavy taxes on clubs is never going to happen not around here anyway. Do you have any idea how powerful and influential many of those members are? I do. You had better watch out because you could get into potential trouble. Do yourself a favor and make sure you state that as your opinion or your sense not that something is a real possibility not as a fact. That tax nonsense is anything but real and is a big, big if. Not good.
ReplyDelete7:19: Did you actually read what I said? I said "unlikely but real possibility."
ReplyDeleteThere is a proposal that will be brought back every legislative session to tax country clubs. The effort behind it is to help flip those large properties to developers when they are taxed out of existence.
It's unlikely to pass in the near term, but if it does, redevelopment of any affected country club is a "real possibility." You make it sound as if I stated the club is redeveloping. I did not.
Facts.
It's important to remember that the Council and Planning Board, along with our representatives in Annapolis, have become more aggressive and autocratic than ever before SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE they finally DEFEATED Columbia in the Purple Line battle.
If you can defeat Columbia, you can defeat anyone.
With the legislature moving further and further to the radical left each year, how do you consider it a lock that this country club tax won't pass at some point?
Your enemy is the cartel and the elected officials in its employ, not the journalist who is providing analysis of the real and factual range of possible outcomes here.
7:13: It's an established fact that the cemetery is located under the Westwood Tower and its rear parking lot, and partly on the other side of the Willet Branch.
7:07: That's why the Suburban News Network is here - this site reports on the news our elected officials would rather you not know about.
You did say unlikely but you also said it's a real possibility. No, it isn't a real possibility. That's factually inaccurate. Moon is targeting clubs and specifically Columbia. He's a nut ok? This will go all the way to Supreme Court if necessary. I agree it'll come up again and they are radical no doubt. You don't know what kind of possibility this is so don't say real possibility. You get offended and I'm trying to help you. In my opinion, that's a real possibility. You see the difference? You replied to another commenter that you rest your case. Means nothing. Moon could get hit by a bus, die from cancer. Anything. It isn't a real possibility at all at this moment that's all. Say thank you or valid point or I'll give it serious consideration.
Delete"Moon said that his bill is meant to take direct action against specific clubs, naming Chevy Chase Club, Columbia Country Club, Congressional Country Club, Kenwood Golf and Country Club, and Bethesda Country Club."
ReplyDeleteMoon named Columbia as a target.
7:32: I rest my case.
ReplyDeleteLooks like the FBI just raided the home of a corrupt Councilmember.
ReplyDeleteNever mind...that's in the District.
There is no cartel.
ReplyDeleteAnnapolis has not become "more aggressive and autocratic than ever before"
More overblown opinion wrapped around a fact.
"SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE they finally DEFEATED Columbia in the Purple Line battle."
The WMAL site build up is crazy. Didn't anyone learn anything from the whole Nissan Pavilion road debacle? Limited entrance and exit roads results in unconscionable traffic.
Everyday at rush hours we should get 200 people with their cars to show what it'll be like on Fernwood, Greentree, Bradley. Well, that was a client's idea. I laughed at the time, but I think she was serious.
8:10 AM Agreed. I'd have paid $1 for the girl ordering mayo on a hamburger article alone.
ReplyDelete"extremely informative and popular"
ReplyDeleteMere puffery...no independent source for these claims
@ 8:37/39 AM -
ReplyDeleteOdd how your "healthy skepticism" doesn't extend to claims such as these:
"There is a cartel, and we know who is in it based upon actual campaign finance records, not just someone behind a keyboard trolling like you.
"The dark money from angel investors funding my competitors is absolutely true. If you were actually knowledgeable about media and the current digital publishing environment, you would know that they could not be doing what they're doing without angel investors. As private operations, they do not have to reveal their sources of funding, which makes it dark money.
"For example, the first cartel-funded effort to knock me off spent over $100,000 in their first year of operation, a veteran news publisher estimated. That company alone didn't have that kind of money. They spent $13000 to obtain a verified Twitter account in 2012 alone."
"It was a website started to divert readers from my site to theirs, where they would be served up always-positive news about our corrupt elected officials. We know this because A) it was angel-funded by the cartel, as the amount of money spent can in no other way be accounted for, B) the site's founder was in Virginia, and his next common sense business move would have been to launch a site for Fairfax or Loudoun, close to his existing successful site in Arlington, and C) Hans Riemer was retweeting the site upon its launch, thereby accidentally revealing he was in on the project. He otherwise would not have known about a site that hadn't published or advertised yet. Other cartel members and Riemer allies (about 25 in all) were caught sharing or retweeting in the early days, when in reality no one had ever even heard of the site yet."
"There is a cartel. They've launched several websites, and used their control of the few media gatekeepers in the region to solidly prevent my websites from getting any recognition or exposure via the Washington Post, Washingtonian, or local TV channels."
"Dick Morris would tell you that was a very smart move in a 9-person race. I was the only one actively campaigning, and with a platform that would be widely supported if I had won by residents and businesses. Every vote for another Republican in that situation becomes a vote for the Democrats. But this is why you are in a dark room trolling for pizza money from the cartel, instead of a well-paid political operative."
"I pioneered hyperlocal news in Montgomery County."
"They admitted the site [Bethesda Now] was a failure, and sold it for $1 to Bethesda Magazine. I was clearly beating them in scoops and reader engagement on a daily basis. They also didn't do any investigative reporting. Of course, no one other than myself has in Montgomery County."
-All of these quotes are from Robert Dyer.
9:31: And all 100% factual, but you are again wildly off-topic, troll.
ReplyDelete9:31 AM can't let go of the past.
ReplyDeleteSounds more like @9:42AM can't let go of the past and @9:31AM is just pointing it out.
ReplyDeleteAt least, that's how it looks to me.
11:25 AM I'm just saying the man @9:31am needs to let go of the old grievances.
ReplyDelete11:30AM: And I'm just saying the man @9:42AM needs to let go of the old grievances.
ReplyDelete12:19 PM Stating the fact that the Post doesn't cover the county and the last council election at all isn't a "grievance". If the Post did cover the council at large race, please provide evidence.
ReplyDeleteThe Purple Line/State cut Columbia a big check to stop litigating - as a member we are happy to take their $. Wouldn't call that much of a defeat.
ReplyDelete8:07: That's interesting - that must be one of the settlement terms that could not be revealed publicly, as I had not seen that reported at the time, only that the Purple Line was being slightly moved to avoid some holes on the course.
ReplyDeleteBut they still were unable to stop construction of the Purple Line through the club property, which they had been able to prevent for many years, which is what gave the Council a sense of overconfidence in the last few years. And the fact that they cannot be voted out of office no matter what wrong they do.
They moved the rail route north maybe 10/20 yards so we moved 14 green as well. They also rebuilt the tunnels that go under the rail/trail between holes 1/2 and 14/15 and agreed to keep the construction staging closer to Conn Ave. Impact to us is minimal and the economic benefit to the club far exceeded the cost of litigating.
ReplyDelete8:59 - Correct but as a fellow member of Columbia, the notion of even threat that the club will be closed and redeveloped is absurd. We would fight that as high as necessary. Robert says it's a real possibility. Rep. Moon is totally insane and hates clubs and people of affluence. Even with this crazy man representing far Left Takoma, CCC isn't going anywhere and it's not a possibility not in our lifetime.
Delete8:59: Your assessment is common-sense, and in reality, this was probably a win for the club from a practical standpoint. They got more than they lost.
ReplyDeleteThe larger issue was mainly symbolic - that this public use was not going to bisect the private club, and it was blocked for many years. With the state and county prevailing, it was equally symbolic of a new day in Montgomery County. "If you can beat CCC, if you can beat Chevy Chase, you can beat anybody," is their mindset now.
It's kind of like trying to keep girls out of the Boy Scouts. If the Boy Scouts get a fat check from the government to agree to allow girls in, in an alternative universe hypothetical, they've still backed off of their original stance and the "reform" is achieved.