Councilman Hears Concerns Over Highway Proposal

Montgomery County Councilman Craig Rice faced tough questions Monday night over road construction options outlined by the Midcounty Corridor Study, which lays out a plan for extending Midcounty Highway north from Montgomery Village Avenue to Clarksburg, as well as six alternatives that would help ease congestion along Interstate 270.

More than 50 residents whose homes would be affected by the alternatives voiced their concerns at the forum at Gaithersburg Church of the Nazarene, hosted by the Greater Goshen Civic Association.

County transportation planners have for more than five years been studying alternatives to the Midcounty Highway alignment proposed in the 1960s. The Midcounty Corridor Study focused on examining other ways to relieve congestion and improve mobility between Clarksburg and Gaithersburg, east of I-270. 

With the decision on an alternative set for next summer, Rice (D-Dist. 2) of Germantown called on critics to have an open dialogue and take an objective look at the project's needs and its various impacts.

“Smart solutions require a myriad of options,” he said.

In February, the Montgomery County Department of Transportation announced six alignment alternatives to go with the Midcounty extension (with three possible northern terminus points) as part of the Alternatives Retained for Detailed Study.

On Monday night, many residents said they were opposed to the alternatives suggested in the detailed study, especially Alternative 4, which would widen Goshen, Wightman and Brink Roads. 

Rice answered that the county carefully consider the implications of each option. 

“As we try to figure out the best manner or methodology to solve this problem, we want to explore every option,” he said.

With the homes of some residents -- many of whose roots extend decades and generations -- at stake, one homeowner’s plea to reject any plan that would disrupt their community was met with applause.

Further action depends on funding and decisions by the County Council.

“When the money does come, and it will come, we need to be ready to move forward,” Rice said. “We are holding up development right now. We have to come up with something.”

Many worried that their concerns were overshadowed by those being voiced by residents from Montgomery Village, which has long fought the extension of Midcounty Highway. Some attendees argued for more analysis, pointing to concerns with the previous study.

Others worried about the impact on their home values.

“I’ve lost money on the market, but to put money into a house, that is an emotional decision,” said Rich Ratta, who lives off Brink Road.

Ratta started his family in that home and has invested in painstaking renovations. Now, he has put his projects on hold, unsure whether further investment would be wasted.

Barry Bosher, a home appraiser who looked at homes in neighborhoods impacted by construction of the Intercounty Connector, countered that much larger investments are at stake.

“Do you realize how much it will cost if you get away from the original master plan?” Bosher said.