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The Kensington Heights Citizen's Association is vehemently protesting a proposed rezoning of an undeveloped property near Wheaton mall, arguing it undermines the current redevelopment of the Wheaton Sector Plan, the value of the master plan, and is "incompatible" with the neighborhood.

The site, at the intersection of University Boulevard and Valley View Avenue, is currently zoned to allow 18 townhomes or 14 townhomes and a commercial property under the area's master plan, but would be rezoned to accommodate 36 townhomes if approved. The Planning Board will vote Thursday on the application after hearing testimony from the developer and residents.

Donna Savage, president of the citizens association, said the opposition come as much out of principle as out of concerns about traffic increases and neighborhood preservation.

"We spend all this money creating the sector plans and master plans and then we don't follow them. What's the point?" Savage said.

Developer Sterling Mehring said the rezone would put the site closer to the county goal of dense housing near Metro stations, a principle currently being worked out in the new Wheaton Sector Plan. The site, which is partly open and partly wooded, is within walking distance to the Wheaton Metro.

"The county policy in the past is has been they prefer to do intense development close to Metro," Mehring said. "They see that it makes good planning sense. It isn't just taking into account the perspective of four people that live immediately where you enter the street, it's taking the perspective of what's good for the whole county."

Residents of the neighborhood are concerned that the only access to the development will be Findley Road, which currently has four houses and a dead end.

Molly Brunjes, who lives on Findley Road closest to the proposed development, said when she and her husband moved into the house they were aware the property could be developed into townhomes, but were expecting 18.

"We were totally on board with that," Brunjes said.

Now she said she is concerned that the townhomes, because they are on a lot on a rise higher than her own property, will be "towering over my house," and additional paved area for the extra townhomes will promote runoff down the hill toward her house.

Mehring counters that everything will be built according to county specifications, so stormwater regulation should not be a concern to residents.

Mehring said it would be more profitable for him to build the small commercial building the property is currently recommended for, but he thought that was inconsistent with the neighborhood and is keeping the development residential.

Residents and Mehring met repeatedly to try to reach a compromise, and according to the citizens association, Mehring's final proposal was to reduce the number of townhomes to 30 and to include community amenities. The citizens group rejected that proposal based on it being "incompatible with the surrounding neighborhood."

Mehring declined to say what his proposal had been, but said it had been important to him to get the community on board and he tried in earnest to do so.

The citizens group also submitted a proposal to the county in September 2007 to have the property considered for the Legacy Open Space Program, but that request was denied.

Planning staff has recommended that the change in zoning be approved, though some staff members objected it was inconsistent with the master plan.

The proposed rezone will be presented to the Planning Board on Thursday for a vote. Time will be allotted for public comment at that hearing, which starts at 9:05 a.m. at Park and Planning headquarters, 8787 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring. Another hearing will be held at 9:30 a.m. Nov. 24 in Rockville.