site near airpark for

industrial uses

Residents have formed a group in response to concerns over the possible relocation of several county industrial facilities to a 134-acre lot off Snouffer School Road in Gaithersburg.

The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission is eyeing the North Airpark Business Park, formerly known as the Webb Tract, as a possible site for some or all of the county facilities that would have to be moved to make room when areas around the Shady Grove Metro station are redeveloped.

A county master plan proposal, now under study, calls for a major redevelopment of the area near the Metro station, on Gaithersburg's southern border.

"It's one the worst things that's happened in this area in a number of years," said Terry O'Grady, who has had a hand in getting the group off the ground.

The still unnamed group was born from a meeting last week when the 60 or so people in attendance decided that an independent group would be the most effective way to oppose industrial development on the property.

"This gives us the ability to go toe-to-toe with politicians and say, 'You know, we represent 18,000 voters in this area,' and that can't be ignored," said David Kline, who is helping organize the group.

Residents around the tract are particularly worried by the impact of hundreds of county school and Ride On buses ending up at the site.

O'Grady fears that surrounding neighborhoods would face vastly increased traffic on roads that are clogged already beyond capacity.

"What's going to happen to the residents near Centerway Road?" posed O'Grady. "The people there have no idea what they're in for."

O'Grady and Kline are both board members of the East Village Homes Corp., which has been involved in discussions with county planners and the property owner over the last several months. But O'Grady and Kline stressed that members of the new group will act independently from their obligations as board members.

"The East Village board and the [Montgomery Village] Foundation have to try to keep good relations with the developer and the county," Kline said, "but a citizens group has a lot more freedom to speak its mind."

At its first meeting, the group divided into several committees. O'Grady said one committee will look at the impact on housing values in the area. Another will consider environmental issues. Another will conduct a traffic study along Snouffer School and adjoining roads. Another will set to work on creating a Web page and setting up a chat group.

Kline was impressed with the meeting's turnout, which he put at closer to 100.

"It's bigger than simply East Village," he said. "I think it's a sign of how deeply they feel about it.

Now Kline wants the group to start working on its vision for what it aims to accomplish.

"It's easy to be outraged about something, but this group wants to come up with some intelligent alternatives," he said. "We don't want this to be a flash in the pan."

O'Grady and Kline said a key to the group's success is to recruit members from outside the Village, especially in Flower Hill and Gaithersburg. They hope to keep the momentum going at coming meetings, which will be held at 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays at the Lake Marion Community Center.