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While the Montgomery County Council will vote next month on whether to permit redevelopment of the Falkland Chase apartments, residents that would be displaced by development say the council will also be voting on their future.

If the council upholds the recommendation of the Montgomery Planning Board and only preserves two out of three parcels within the Falkland Chase development for historic designation, the 182 rental units on the remaining parcel would be demolished.

Home Properties, which owns Falkland Chase and would develop about 1,000 new units in a high-rise apartment building at 16th Street and East West Highway in Silver Spring, has developed a relocation plan for tenants, but residents say they have been left in the dark.

"When I moved in, I wasn't even aware of the fact they were trying to tear down the section I was looking at," said Jane Bergwin-Rand, who since 2006 has lived in Falkland Chase's north parcel, which is marked for redevelopment by Home Properties.

Home Properties' relocation plan would give tenants of the north parcel "first shot" at moving into a unit on the west or south parcel of Falkland Chase, just across East West Highway, said Donald Hague, senior vice president for the Virginia-based developer.

Because the turnover rate of tenants is 46 percent per year, enough units should be available for the north parcel's tenants when and if construction begins, Hague said.

"The low-income folks, these are the ones that would really have a problem," Hague said Thursday after presenting the plans to the Silver Spring Urban District Advisory Board. "We will take care of everybody. There are more than enough units."

Hague said relocated tenants would make the same rent payments until their existing leases run out and would have their security deposit waived if they moved a different Home Properties development.

Bergwin-Rand said most residents who know about the relocation plans aren't satisfied with moving to another part of the development.

"I'm not interested in moving across the street just because they want to build a high-rise apartment building," said Jason McCool, who has lived in the north parcel for three years.

In September 2008, the Planning Board recommended two of the three Falkland parcels for historic preservation, after deeming the entire complex eligible for historical designation in December 2007. The September ruling resulted from Home Properties' intent to include significant public amenities on the north parcel, specifically more affordable housing units.

If the board's recommendation is approved and redevelopment on the north parcel is permitted, Home Properties plans to build about 1,000 apartments, 200 underground parking spaces and 60,000 square feet of retail, including a Harris Teeter grocery store, pending approval of site plans.

About 125 of those apartments would be moderately-priced dwelling units and several would be three-bedroom units, which are currently unavailable on the north parcel, Hague said.

If the council chooses to preserve the north parcel, Falkland Chase would continue as designed with any future development requiring approval from the board and the county Historic Preservation Commission, Hague said. The council will hold a public hearing on the issue March 10, followed by two subcommittee hearings and a full council vote.

Falkland Chase is currently a 22-acre complex of 450 garden-style apartments purchased by Home Properties in 2003. The apartments were originally built in 1936 and 1937 and inaugurated by first lady Eleanor Roosevelt. The apartments are available for rental only.

Preservationists have long argued that the affordable housing planned for Falkland Chase can be achieved in Silver Spring without demolishing historic property.

"Do you think it's good policy to displace 182 middle-income units to get affordable units?" said Mary Reardon with the Silver Spring Historical Society. "The tradeoff is not worth what we are giving up."