Saturday, April 18, 2020

Little Falls Parkway closes for first time

Dorset Avenue traffic can
still cross parkway

Little Falls Parkway closed for the first non-weather reason in history yesterday, and will remain closed this weekend until 6:00 PM Sunday evening. Montgomery Parks closed the parkway to provide more room for social distancing not possible on the narrow trails in the vicinity.

No public meeting was held, nor was any formal public input sought on the closure, prior to the announcement. The Planning Board and department appear to have concluded that public participation in their decisions is no longer required, a dangerous precedent in a board and county already controlled by developers. Rather than go on hiatus like most other non-essential business ventures, development approvals are going forward via teleconferencing, another hurdle for citizens trying to be heard.

Traffic is much lighter during the coronavirus lockdown, but this would cause major gridlock once the county "reopens."  Even now, the closure is generating cut-through traffic in Kenwood and Somerset.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Not sure where the "developer" narrative comes in. This decision squarely benefits the PEOPLE of the area, which need a break from speeding cars.

Robert Dyer said...

9:19: The Planning Board, controlled by developers, is taking "a break" from public input on major infrastructure decisions, such as closing our parkway. If they want it, the commissioners can put money together and buy it from us. Until then, they must abide by the public process.