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More than 150 residences are closer to being built at the corner of Redland Road and Chieftan Avenue in the area known as Old Derwood, which residents say is already congested.

The county Planning Board on Thursday approved the preliminary and site plans for the 4.26-acre parcel known as the Thomas Somerville property while offering to help alleviate traffic congestion in the area.

Both plans were able to go before the board at the same time because a rezoning application, which was approved last year by the County Council and allows for more housing on the site, had already gone before the board, said Josh Sloan, a planner with Park and Planning.

Keystone Real Estate Investment LLC, the developer of the property, plans to build 36 townhouses, three single-family houses and a four-story building with 117 multi-family units, according to a staff report.

Rich Koch, a managing member of Keystone, said the neighborhood will likely be called Residences at Shady Grove Station. He said he does not know if the multi-family building will be apartments or condominiums.

Eighteen units in the multi-family building and the three single-family houses, which will face Chieftain Avenue, have been designated as Moderately Priced Dwelling Units.

Derwood residents have said they generally like the plan, but worry about added traffic.

Koch said he recognizes the traffic problem and will feature on-street parking along Chieftain in an effort to deter non-residents from coming through the community.

The Shady Grove Sector Plan, which is designed to bring thousands of new residences to the area around the Shady Grove Metro station, calls for a traffic circle at the intersection of Yellowstone and Chieftain, but the Planning Board staff report states there is not enough right of way there to build one that would meet the county's Department of Transportation standards.

Koch said Keystone is planning to widen Yellowstone and add a dedicated right-turn lane on to Redland to help alleviate traffic back-up, but he also recognizes that could encourage more vehicles to cut down the street.

Joseph Parello, and Old Derwood resident and second vice president of the Greater Shady Grove Civic Alliance, told the board Thursday that something needs to be done to improve traffic in his community. He pointed out the community has a busy Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program station, cut-through traffic and multiple large trucks making deliveries daily.

"Something has to be done by Montgomery County and we need a traffic circle," he said.

Planning Board Chairman Royce Hanson said he is aware of the traffic because his son lives in Derwood.

"I think we can write to DOT [Department of Transportation] and see if we can get some traffic-calming devices in your neighborhood," he said.

Sloan said staff is working on drafting the letter and plans to submit it later this week.