Public Meeting Held on Takoma/Langley Crossroads Sector Plan

Government representatives involved in the long-awaited Takoma/Langley Crossroads Sector Plan took a step to facilitate community involvement today, with a public forum held this morning at Takoma Park's Piney Branch Elementary School.

Billed as the “No Boundaries” forum, the event was hosted by Montgomery County Council President Valerie Ervin. More than 70 attended the roughly three-hour session, which brought togther council members and other decision-makers from Montgomery and Prince George’s counties with property owners, tenants, businesses, planners, and advocacy groups, in an effort to move forward the community redevelopment plan.

Erwin said the purpose of the public meeting was to "create and sustain meaningful dialogue," plan future meetings and promote "tangible outcomes"—all in an effort to ensure the future of the area, which encompasses Prince George's and Montgomery counties and the City of Takoma Park. The area's diverse population, its location as part of the planned Purple Line and a proposed transit center, and existing residential and commercial properties were also cited.

“Today is not about talking heads,” said Erwin. “We’re here to engage, listen, learn and share our thoughts about what this community is and should be.”

Ervin said that a revised plan, which include's some of today's input, will go before Montgomery County Council in the fall.

Also present at the meeting was Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker, who said the forum is “just the beginning” of the two counties working together on revedelopment, in addition to current cooperation on public safety issues.

Baker said any plan put forth must treat the communities as the residents do,

“They don’t see a Berlin Wall,” he said. “They go back and forth.”

Representatives of Friends of White Flint, a nonprofit organization working to redevelop that portion of Montgomery County, presented aspects of the plan they helped devise which have already been approved. Ervin said the White Flint partnership could be a model for Takoma/Langley Crossroads.

“It wasn’t always easy. Not everyone gets what they want,” said Evan A. Goldman of Federal Realty Investment Trust, a member of Friends of White Flint and property owner. “But through compromise, you end up with a good plan.”

A major concern for many audience members was the possibility of displacement and gentrification.

Kim Propeack, political director of Casa de Maryland, said her organization’s main interest lies in making sure that any redevelopment plan does not displace small businesses. The current plan does not have protections in place for these businesses, Propeack said.

“We’re hopeful that Council President Ervin and County Executive Baker are committed to changing that,” said Propeack, who has worked at Casa de Maryland for 12 years.

“Like President Ervin said, if the community is not actually engaged, then a very few voices will control the process.”

Montgomery County Councilmember Nancy Navarro said today’s forum was different, because in the past groups would come together to talk about specific ideas without “connecting the dots.”

The forum took an "holistic" approach by including separate discussions on themes such as culture, ecology, economy, food, health, infrastructure and knowledge.  Attendees broke into groups to discuss the sector plan in relation to these themes.

Ervin said the next step is to get a report from each group and see how to continue to put together an organization.

“The business community cannot go this alone,” she said. “We are in this together.”

Erwin said more public meetings will be planned and announced at a later date.