PLANNING BOARD DRAFT

Sandy Spring Rural Village Plan

Abstract
This Plan contains the text and supporting maps for a limited
amendment to the approved and adopted 1998 Sandy Spring/Ashton
Master Plan. It also amends the General Plan (On Wedges and Corridors)
for the Physical Development of the Maryland-Washington Regional District
in Montgomery and Prince Georges Counties as amended, the Master Plan
of Highways within Montgomery County as amended, and the Countywide
Bikeways Functional Master Plan as amended. This Plan makes
recommendations for land use, zoning, design, historic preservation,
transportation, trail connections, parks and open space, environment and
community facilities.
Source of Copies
The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
8787 Georgia Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3760
Online: montgomeryplanning.org/sandyspring
Notice to Readers
Each area master plan reflects a vision of future development that
responds to the unique character of the local community within the
context of a Countywide perspective. Area master plans are intended
to convey land use policy for defined geographic areas and should be
interpreted together with relevant Countywide functional master plans.
Master plans generally look ahead about 20 years from the date of
adoption. As communities evolve, the specifics of a master plan may
become less relevant over time. Generally, sketches or drawings in an
adopted master plan are for illustrative purposes only; they are intended

to convey a general character rather than a specific commitment to a

particular detailed design.
Master plans do not specify all development possibilities for a particular
property or area. In order to understand the full range of development
options, the reader should be aware of additional land uses and
development potential available through permitted conditional uses;
variances; transferrable development rights (TDRs); moderately priced
dwelling units (MPDUs); rezoning by local map amendments; public
projects and mandatory referral process; and municipal annexations.
The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission is a
bi-county agency created by the General Assembly of Maryland in 1927.
The Commissions geographic authority extends to the great majority of
Montgomery and Prince Georges Counties; the Maryland-Washington
Regional District (M-NCPPC planning jurisdiction) comprises 1,001
square miles, while the Metropolitan District (parks) comprises 919
square miles in the two counties.
The Commission is charged with preparing, adopting and amending
or extending the General Plan (On Wedges and Corridors) for the
Physical Development of the Maryland-Washington Regional District in
Montgomery and Prince Georges Counties.
The Commission operates in each county through a Planning Board
appointed by and responsible to the county government. All local plans,
recommendations on zoning amendments, administration of subdivision
regulations and general administration of parks are responsibilities of the
Planning Boards.

PLANNING BOARD DRAFT

Sandy Spring Rural Village Plan

Prepared by the Montgomery County Planning Department

October 2014

montgomeryplanning.org/sandyspring

CONTENTS
Introduction

Purpose
Rural Village Character


Mix of Land Uses


Connections and Street Character

Open Spaces

5
5
6
9
9

Plan Framework

10

Overview 10
Study Area Boundary
10
History 12
Development Patterns 12
Notable Architecture 14

Outreach Approach and Process
16

Vision, Characteristics and Implementation
16
Rural Village Precedents 17

Cultural Neighborhood Recommendations
32
Planning and Land Use
32
Buildings 33
Connections 33
Open Space 33
Specific Property Recommendations 34

Area-wide Recommendations 36
Historic Preservation 36
Environment 37
Transportation 38
Trail Connections 49

Parks and Open Space Concepts
50
Community Facilities 50

Implementation
53

Zoning 53
Plan Recommendations
18
Retain R-200 and Majority of the

R-60 Zoning
53

Sandy Spring Rural Village Concept
18

Retain RE-1, RE-2 and RC Zoning
53

Village Core Neighborhood Recommendations
20

Zoning Text Amendment for Cultural
Planning and Land Use
20

Institutions in the RC Zone
53
Buildings 21
CRN Zone 56
Connections 22
Why the CRN Zone? 56
Open Space 24

Removal of the Overlay Zone
57
Specific Property Recommendations 25
Design Checklist 58

Residential Neighborhood Recommendations
29
Buildings 58
Planning and Land Use
29
Connections 59
Buildings 30 Open Space 59
Connections 30
Sewer and Water 60
Open Space 30
Capital Improvements Program 60
Specific Property Recommendations 30

Maps

Sandy Spring within Montgomery County Map
4

Existing Land Use Map
6

Sandy Spring/Ashton Map 10

Sandy Spring Rural Village Map
11

Sandy Spring Post Office and Vicinity

(1879 G.M. Hopkins Atlas)
13

Village Core Neighborhood Properties Map
25

Residential Neighborhood Properties Map
31

Cultural Neighborhood Properties Map
34
Historic Context Map 37
Roadway Classifications Map 41
Bentley Road Map 45

Meeting House Road Map
47
Bicycle Classifications Map 48
Regional Connections Map 51

Existing Zoning Map Prior to October 30, 2014
54
Proposed Zoning Map 55

Illustrations

Sandy Spring Rural Village Concept
19
Village Core Neighborhood 20

Conceptual Aerial View of the Village Core
21

Conceptual Streetscape Perspective of the Village Core

Looking West
23

Conceptual Aerial View of MD 108 Looking East
24
One Property Redevelops 26
Three Properties Redevelop 27
All Properties Redevelop 27

Residential Neighborhood 29
Cultural Neighborhood 32

Proposed Street Section for MD 108
41

Existing Olney Sandy Spring Road (MD 108)
42

Proposed Concept for Olney Sandy Spring Road (MD 108) 43
Proposed Village Green Concept 50
Proposed Townhouse Setback 50
MD 108 Build-to-Area 58

Tables

Existing Zoning within the Sandy Spring Rural Village

prior to October 30, 2014
7

Household Growth 1990-2011
8
Population Estimates 2010 11
Development Potential 39
Road Classifications 40
Bicycle Classifications 49

Comparison of the Sandy Spring/Ashton

Overlay Zone with the CRN Zone
57

Sandy Spring within

Montgomery County Map
4

Planning Board Draft

INTRODUCTION
Purpose
In Spring 2013, the Montgomery County Council
requested that the Planning Department examine
a limited amendment to update the 1998 Sandy
Spring/Ashton Master Plan. The 1998 Master
Plan recognized the Sandy Spring village center
as the heart of the community in terms of local
commerce and community gatherings (page 32).
The Plan also acknowledged the well-established
character of the village center on the south side of
Olney Sandy Spring Road (MD 108) and the need
to reinforce the village center on the north side. The
1998 Plan (page 34) required that a more detailed
study be conducted to address the following:
Rural Village Character: Establish a scale that
provides an appropriate transition to adjacent
low density residential neighborhoods and
buildings in keeping with historic character of
the area,
Mix of Land Uses: Consists of one- to threestory buildings with commercial uses that serve
the community,
Connections and Street Character: Provide
pedestrian and vehicular improvements and
address street character, and
Open Space: Create a quality open space in the
village center that provides opportunities for
gathering.

Rural Village Character

Sandy Spring is a rural village with low scale
buildings. It is clearly distinguished from the
surrounding land as one travels along MD 108.
Homes of varying eras, historic buildings, offices,
and institutions line the road, set off in some cases
by wooden fences, picket fences or hedgerows. This
cluster of buildings and institutions creates the
village and has a clear entrance from the westthe
intersection of Norwood Road and MD 108. This
Plan seeks to preserve the rural character of Sandy
Spring by enhancing the existing gateway and
reinforcing the distinctions between the rural village
and adjacent residential neighborhoods.

Eastern rural entry to Sandy Spring:

Wooden fence defines the edge of a
number of properties on the south side
of MD 108.

Western rural entry to Sandy Spring:

Fencing marks the dressage center at
Avalon Farm (above).
MD 108 has a rural character west of
the Norwood Road intersection (left).

Sandy Spring Rural Village Plan October 2014

Mix of Land Uses

Single-use zoning currently dominates the village.
The existing C-1, C-2 and O-M Zones do not
allow a flexible response to the growing residential,
retail and office markets. In addition, the allowed
office and commercial zones do not provide a mix
of uses or any public space, nor do they support
infill development. The development standards in
these existing zones create a significant limitation to
the existing local businesses and future commercial
development. The Sandy Spring-Ashton Rural

Existing Land Use Map

Planning Board Draft

Village (SSA) Overlay Zone provides some use

and density protections, but its height limitation
constrains development potential in the village.
It should be noted that after October 30, 2014,
the nonresidential properties in the village, along
with all nonresidential properties in the County,
will be governed by the new zoning code. The
new zoning code currently calls for the C-1, C-2
and O-M Zones in the village to be converted
to CRT (Commercial Residential Town), EOF

Introduction
Existing Zoning within the Sandy Spring Rural Village prior to October 30, 2014
Single-Use
Zone1
Description
Acres
Limitations
Zoning

Residential
Allowed

C-1

General Commercial

6.89

High intensity uses; Limited mix

Yes

No

C-2

Convenience Commercial

0.43

Limited commercial uses

Yes

No

O-M

Office Building, Moderate

Intensity

5.42

Limited retail uses

Yes

No

Rural Cluster

7.24

One house per 5 acres

Yes

Yes

RE-1

Residential, One Family, 1 acre

0.04

One-family detached on
40,000 sf, no mix of uses

Yes

Yes

RE-2

Residential, One Family, 2 acre

3.06

One-family detached on
87,120 sf, no mix of uses

Yes

Yes

R-60

Residential, One Family,

6,000 sf

12.82

One-family detached on
6,000 sf, no mix of uses

Yes

Yes

R-200

Residential, One Family,

20,000 sf

9.97

One-family detached on
20,000 sf, no mix of uses

Yes

Yes

RC

1 All zones are subject to the densities of the SSA Overlay Zone, including the C-1, C-2, and O-M Zones, which are limited to 0.75 FAR.

(Employment Office), and NR (Neighborhood

Retail) Zones. The CRT Zone provides for a mix of
residential and nonresidential uses. However, many
of the allowable uses conflict with the SSA Overlay
Zone. The EOF Zone is a zone that allows only
up to 30 percent residential development. The NR
Zone is an auto-oriented commercial zone and is
not typically geared toward pedestrian-oriented uses.
These converted zones will not fully promote the
character of a rural village.
Market Analysis
Property owners and residents have long been
concerned about the economic viability of the

commercial properties at the intersection of MD

108 and Brooke Road. The existing land uses and
zoning have prevented redevelopment to date
because of the limited range of land uses permitted,
outdated development standards and excessive
parking requirements.
Montgomery Plannings Research and Special
Projects Division conducted a retail market analysis
to determine the amount and type of retail space
that the Sandy Spring Study Area could support.
(See Appendix for the full report.) The analysis
reviewed retail supply and demand, competition
from nearby areas and examined the demographic
trends and patterns to help identify retail

Existing buildings within the Sandy

Spring Rural Village

Sandy Spring Rural Village Plan October 2014

opportunities. This analysis is based on existing

retail conditions, including retail currently in the
development pipeline.
The retail market analysis indicates there is a market
for both convenience and shoppers goods in the
Plan area. Convenience goods include food and
beverage stores, health and personal care stores,
miscellaneous retailers, food services and drinking
places. Shoppers goods include the following retail
categories: electronics and appliance stores, building
materials, garden equipment and supply stores,
clothing and clothing accessories stores, sporting
goods, hobby, book and music stores, and general
merchandise.
The growth in neighborhoods surrounding Sandy
Spring has created a strong market for more upscale

businesses, specialty shops and restaurants. A good

indicator of this need in the area is that the existing
Urban Barbeque restaurant recently expanded and
doubled in size.
Household Growth
The Sandy Spring/Ashton area has seen significant
growth in households since the 1990s and the
approval of the 1998 Master Plan. Between 1990
and 2011, 746 new households were added to the
Sandy Spring/Ashton area, a 56 percent increase.
During that same time, the Sandy Spring/Ashton
population grew at a faster pace than the County
as a whole (see the Appendix). As compared to the
County, the Sandy Spring/Ashton area has a high
rate of homeownership and household incomes.
One quarter of the households in Sandy Spring have
incomes greater than $200,000.

Household Growth 1990-2011

Location

Year

Sandy Spring/Ashton

Total

Montgomery County

Total

Number

of Houses

1990

1,329

2000

1,692

363

27%

2011

2,075

383

23%

746

56%

1990

282,228

2000

324,940

42,712

15%

2011

355,434

30,494

9%

73,206

26%

1990-2011

1990-2011

Source: 1990 & 2000 U.S. Decennial Census and 2007-2011 American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.

Planning Board Draft

% Growth of
Houses

Change in Number of Houses

Introduction
that requires vehicles to back out into the road. This
design is dangerous to pedestrians and cyclists, and
it inhibits traffic flow.
The Plan provides for major safety improvements
for pedestrian, cyclists and vehicles. The Plan
recommends contiguous shaded, tree-lined roads,
bike lanes, sidewalks, relocated parking and
improved pedestrian crosswalks at intersections.

Looking east on Olney Sandy Spring Road, 1909:

(Source: Sandy Spring Legacy, Thomas Y. Canby and
Elie S. Rogers, Sandy Spring Museum, 1999) This
intersection with its historic alignment serves as the
heart of the community life.

This Plan seeks to provide a thriving retail setting

in Sandy Spring to serve the increase in residents.
The Plan recommends a small expansion of the
village center to reinforce the centers viability with
the mix of uses, including housing. The Plan will
promote new commercial and retail establishments
in a village center that will be closer to the street and
activate the public space.
Connections and Street Character
This Plan examines a village center in the
commercial core that will keep Brooke Road in
its historic alignment. Today, the north side of
MD 108 has limited pedestrian facilities and
perpendicular parking in the public rights-of-ways

Open Spaces
The Plan encourages a village green and other
quality open spaces for public gathering and
community activities. Creating additional
vibrant public gathering spaces will add to civic
engagement, place-making and opportunities for
special events and festivals.
This Plan preserves Sandy Springs historical role
as a village center and will include a mix of uses,
connections and quality open spaces.

Open space at the Sandy Spring

Museum: The lawn in front of the
museum is the site of many community
functions.

Sandy Spring Rural Village Plan October 2014

PLAN FRAMEWORK
Overview
The Sandy Spring/Ashton area is a community of
5,800 in northern Montgomery County, Maryland,
approximately 20 miles north of Washington,
DC and eight miles east of Rockville, Maryland.
Located between two north-south routes (Georgia
Avenue and New Hampshire Avenue), MD 108 is
the east-west main street through the Sandy Spring
Rural Village. MD 200, the Intercounty Connector
(ICC) completed in 2011, is located approximately
five miles south and serves as the main east-west
highway in the northern and central parts of the
County.

While Quaker culture and history still influence

the area, many newer residents have also settled
into neighborhoods surrounding the rural village
over the past 10 years. These recent community
members have diverse interests and viewpoints. The
market study of the area indicates a wide variety of
incomes with a high level of home ownership and
new housing construction in the area. Based on
this analysis, a strong potential for new businesses,
specialty retail and restaurants exists within the
village.
Study Area Boundary
The Sandy Spring Rural Village area is centered
around the commercial properties near the
intersection of MD 108 and Brooke Road, and it is
generally bounded by the Sandy Spring Volunteer
Fire Department site and Sandy Spring Meadow
neighborhood on the north; Sandy Spring Museum
on the east; historically designated properties of the
Sandy Spring Bank, Montgomery Mutual Insurance
building and old fire station on the south; and
Brooke Road on the west.
This Plan amends pages 32-35, 37, 46, 55-56,
58-61, and 65 in the 1998 Plan that specifically
identifies the Sandy Spring Village Center and
amends the areas road and bikeway classifications.

Sandy Spring/Ashton Map

10

Planning Board Draft

Plan Framework
Population Estimates 2010
Age Distribution

Sandy Spring /Ashton Area 20101

Estimate

Montgomery County 2010

Percent

Estimate

Percent

0-4 years

275

4.7%

63,809

6.7%

5-19 years

1,377

23.5%

187,117

19.5%

20-34 years

534

9.1%

182,574

19.0%

35-44 years

666

11.4%

141,623

14.8%

45-64 years

2,022

34.6%

267,203

27.8%

975

16.7%

117,412

12.2%

5,849

0.6%

959,738

65 years and older

Total Population (% of County)

1 The Sandy Spring/Ashton area is defined by the boundary of 2010 U.S. Census tract 13.16.

Source: 2007-2011 American Community

Survey 5-year estimate, U.S. Census
Bureau; Research and Special Projects,
Montgomery County Planning Department,
M-NCPPC.

Sandy Spring Rural Village Map

Sandy Spring Rural Village Plan October 2014

11

History

The Sandy Spring Store (19th/early

20th century view) Source: The Sandy
Spring Museum

Sherwood School (demolished)

Source: The Sandy Spring Museum

Old Volunteer Fire Station

Source: The Sandy Spring Museum
12

Planning Board Draft

The development patterns and architecture of the

Sandy Spring community provide the context
and resources for the revitalization of the Sandy
Spring Rural Village. Among the many sources
used to compile this section are: Annals of Sandy
Spring: Volumes I -VI (1863 to 1962) by various
authors; A History of Sandy Spring (unpublished
manuscript 2014) by Rip G. Rice, Leonard Becraft
and Delmas Woods; Olney Maryland: Local Building
Traditions History and Analysis (2006) by Miche
Booz Architect, Inc.; Montgomery County Heritage
Area Management Plan (2002); Places from the Past
(2011) by Clare Lise Kelly; and Sandy Spring Legacy
(1999) by Thomas Y. Canby and Elie S. Rogers.
Development Patterns
The Sandy Spring community is one of the oldest
settlements in Montgomery County dating from the
early 1700s. The village evolved in the early 19th
century from this 18th-century farming settlement
that grew around a Quaker meeting house,
named for the nearby spring. Though small and
predominantly agricultural, the village developed
commercial, institutional and civic enterprises of
widespread importance. The village developed along
a main 18th- and 19th-century road (MD 108) and
maintained its linear development patterns until the
second half of the 20th century, when curvilinear
suburban streets were introduced.
In the early 1700s, land to the west of the Patuxent
River in Sandy Spring was densely forested and

largely uninhabited. Deborah Snowden Brooke and

her husband James Brooke became Sandy Springs
first settlers when in 1728, they moved into Charley
Forrest, a new frame dwelling off todays Brooke
Road, that overlooked the site of the future village.
The Brookes and relatives formally established the
Sandy Spring Meeting in 1753. Two successive
meeting houses were built on Meeting House
Road. By the 1770s, Quakers and others had begun
moving to the area. These early settlers, aided by
their slaves, engaged in tobacco farming, milling
and other agricultural endeavors.
In the 1800s, significant changes occurred that
led to the emergence of the village. Free black
communities grew north on Brooke Road and west
on Norwood Road after Quakers freed their slaves
in the early 1800s, decades earlier than the rest of
the county. In 1817, a large brick meeting house
replaced the frame meeting house on Meeting
House Road; a post office opened in nearby
Harewood, a farm residence on Meeting House
Road; and the Sandy Spring Store opened on MD
108, near its junction with Meeting House Road. A
blacksmith opened near the store in 1819.
To the east on MD 108, the steam-operated
Sherwood grain mill opened in the 1830s on the site
of todays hardware store. The Sandy Spring Library
Company was formed in 1842 and was located in
a room at the Sandy Spring Store, moving in 1883
to a room in the new Sherwood Academy (site of
todays Sherwood High School). In 1887, the library
moved again to a building across the street from

Plan Framework
the Sandy Spring Store. During that time, the post
office moved to the Sandy Spring Store. To provide
a venue for lectures, the Lyceum, now called the
Community House, was erected next to the meeting
house. By 1879, Brooke Road provided a northerly
extension of the old Meeting House Road.
From the mid-1800s, the village became home
to local institutions of regional or countywide
importance. In 1848, concerned residents organized
the countys first fire insurance company, eventually
known as Montgomery Mutual Insurance
Company, which moved in 1857 to a building
at the southwest corner of MD 108 and Meeting
House Road, opposite from the Sandy Spring Store.
The replacement building from 1904 still stands.
Another institution was born in 1868, when local
farmers formed the Savings Institution of Sandy
Spring Road, now the Sandy Spring National Bank,
the countys oldest bank. First occupying a room at
the fire insurance building, the bank moved to its
own brick headquarters in 1895.
By the early 1900s, the basic form of the village
had been established. The village stretched in a
linear fashion along MD 108, Meeting House Road
and Brooke Road. Non-residential and residential
uses were located side-by-side. The village had
no secondary streets or street grid, and farmland
reached up to MD 108, the main road through the
village. Houses were built close to MD 108 on the
south side. Additional stores were built along the
northeast corner of MD 108 and Brooke Road.

Sandy Spring Post Office and Vicinity (1879 G. M. Hopkins Atlas): The map shows the
formation of the linear commercial development pattern along MD 108, centered around the
important intersection with Brooke Road.

The first apartments in the area were units added

above the Sandy Spring Store by owner Herbert
Adams in 1935. A fire house, built at the southeast
corner of MD 108 and Meeting House Road in
1930 and expanded in 1950, was converted to retail
uses when a new firehouse opened on Brooke Road
in 2001. Sandy Spring residents in 1981 formed the
Sandy Spring Museum, now located at the eastern
end of the village.
Sandy Spring Rural Village Plan October 2014

13

In recent decades, suburban subdivisions came

to parts of Sandy Spring. These include the
neighborhood off Skymeadow Way, developed by
the Montgomery County Housing Opportunities
Commission in 1984, and two developments along
Auburn Village Drive built between 2005 and 2007.

Sandy Spring Meeting House: The

Meeting House was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
on September 22, 1972. The Meeting
House is a Georgian/Federal style
building. Typical of Quaker meeting
houses, the building is simple in its
rectangular design with two front
entrances.

Watercolor of the original portion of

the Lyceum: Built by the community,
the Lyceum reflects the Quaker
commitment to education and continues
to be a center of social and intellectual
activity in Sandy Spring. The Lyceum,
or Community House, is a single-story
building in the Greek Revival style. The
original portion of the building had a
front gable with an entry porch. (Source:
Miche Booz Architect)
14

Planning Board Draft

Notable Architecture
A portion of the Sandy Spring Rural Village is
located in the Sandy Spring Historic District. This
district comprises public buildings that reflect the
spiritual and financial core of the community. These
buildings are the Sandy Spring Meeting House
(1817), Lyceum (1859), Sandy Spring National
Bank (1895) and Montgomery Mutual Insurance
Company (1904). Additionally, the newer 1977
former Montgomery Mutual Insurance Company
building is also located in the district. The district
is mostly characterized by simple design and brick
construction.

Other notable older buildings in the Sandy Spring

Rural Village, but outside of the historic district,
are the Holly Cottage (1903) at 913 Olney Sandy
Spring Road, Kirk House (1924) at 1001 Olney
Sandy Spring Road, former fire station (1930, 1950)
at 816 Olney Sandy Spring Road, Frank Leishear
House (1870) at 708 Olney Sandy Spring Road,
Elmhurst (late 1800s) at 416 Olney Sandy Spring
Road. Notable newer buildings include the Sandy
Spring Museum, Christophers Hardware Store and
Nichols Office Building.
These buildings represent a wide range of
architectural styles, including Georgian, Federal,
Greek Revival, Colonial Revival, Queen Anne and
Craftsman styles, and add great visual interest to
the Sandy Spring Rural Village. Some identifying
features of the architectural styles are as follows:
Georgian - symmetrical, five-bay facades, sidegabled roofs and paired chimneys.
Federal - simple box building forms similar to
the Georgian style. Some notable features of
the Federal style are side gable or low-hipped
roof areas, and rounded fanlights over doors
and windows. Windows are also arranged in a
symmetrical, five-bay patterns.
Greek Revival - front-oriented gables, porches
with square columns, entry from the porches,
doors with transoms and narrow side lights, and
small attic windows.
Colonial Revival - buildings with symmetrical
faades, centered doors with decorative

Plan Framework
pediments and aligned windows. Roof areas are
gabled or hipped.
Queen Anne - asymmetrical facades using
varied wall planes and bay windows, towers and
porches; complex intersecting or gabled roofs;
and use of multiple wall materials and textures.
Craftsman - low pitched, front or side gabled
roof areas, generous overhanging eaves, full
or partial porches, and earth-toned colors in
building facades.

Frank Leishear House (1870)

Sandy Spring National Bank

(foreground) and Montgomery Mutual
Insurance Company (background):
Both buildings are examples of Colonial
Revival architecture. The bank is onestory high and three bays wide with a
center gabled roof hidden behind the
front faade. The insurance building
is a two-story, three-bay by two-bay
brick structure with a low bracketed,
overhanging hipped roof with a
pronounced, bracketed cornice. There is
a large, single-bay hipped dormer within
the roof along the front of the building.

Kirk House: The former residence

immediately west of the Holly Cottage
is an example of a Colonial Revival
building with a Dutch influence. It has
five bays with a gambrel roof and
projecting dormer windows.

Holly Cottage: The former residence is

a two-story, Queen Anne-style building
with a hipped roof and a cross gable.
There is a small, double-rounded
window in the gabled end of the roof.
1977 Montgomery Mutual Insurance Building: The
building has many elements of a Georgian house, but
on a much larger scale. Grand features include the
pediment over the front door, cupola in the center, four
large chimneys and dormers. A wing was added in 1991.

Sandy Spring Rural Village Plan October 2014

15

Outreach Approach and Process

In February 2014, a four-day planning workshop

was held in the community at the Sandy
Spring Museum. The workshop was an intense
collaborative process open to all interested
community members, property owners, business
owners, local civic associations and government
agencies. Stakeholders were able to express their
views regarding the issues that affect Sandy Spring.

Safe connections to schools, museums, fire

station, stores, post office and places of worship.
Streets, open spaces, buildings and wayfinding
signage that reflect the areas historic character.
Streets with appropriate pedestrian-scaled
lighting, signage, landscaping and streetscape
elements.
Contextual building types of one- to threestories.
Retail, service and restaurants in the village
center.
Vibrant streetscape with areas for sidewalks and
seating.
A variety of housing types for all ages and
incomes.

Through consensus, the community developed a

concept for the Sandy Spring Rural Village. This
draft plan is the direct result of the workshop.

Workshop participants discussed a plan to

implement the communitys vision. The Plan
includes:

Sandy Spring is a unique community with a small

focused planning area and an active engaged group
of residents and business owners. Maximizing their
roles in the Plan was a key goal of the process.

Vision, Characteristics and Implementation

The four-day workshop identified the vision,
unique characteristics of the community and an
implementation strategy for enhancing Sandy
Spring as a great community. The workshop
established an agreed upon vision for the Plan: An
historic rural village that serves as a focal point of
community life. The characteristics identified by
workshop participants included:
February 2014 Community Workshop

16

Planning Board Draft

A rural, walkable village.

Civic spaces for gathering, socializing, eating
and contemplation.

Mixed-use development using the Commercial

Residential Neighborhood (CRN) Zone. This
zone is consistent with the uses and vision
expressed in the Sandy Spring/Ashton Rural
Village (SSA) Overlay Zone.
Capital Improvements Program for greater
pedestrian and street safety, connectivity and
signage.

Plan Framework

Rural Village Precedents

To gain a better understanding of the components
of a great rural village, planners analyzed and
studied several Mid-Atlantic villages and towns
as precedent models for Sandy Spring. The
village precedents included Sharpsburg and St.
Michaels, Maryland; Allentown, New Jersey;
Little Washington and The Plains, Virginia; and
Centerville, Delaware. Buildings, public spaces, and
street character were analyzed in these places (see
Appendix). The precedents shared the following
themes:

St. Michaels, MD (three photographs):

Defined building edges with varying
heights create visual interest and
activate the narrow sidewalks of South
Talbot Street. Randomly spaced trees
provide shade and crosswalks provide
safe pedestrian connections.

A main street with two lanes of traffic and onstreet parking.

One- to three-story, mixed-use buildings
offering ground-floor retail with active
commercial storefronts.
Well-defined street edges with buildings placed
close to the street and parking located to the
side or rear.
Sidewalks with random street trees and bike
lanes.
Small and large civic spaces.
Roads lined with homes, historic buildings,
scattered views of fields and woodlands, fences
and hedgerows that create strong rural village
entries.
These ideas are incorporated into the
recommendations for the Sandy Spring Rural
Village Plan.
Sandy Spring Rural Village Plan October 2014

17

Auburn Village

PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS
Sandy Spring Rural Village Concept

The recently built Auburn Village

neighborhood

Existing business on MD 108

Example of specialty retail

18

Planning Board Draft

The growth of neighborhoods in the Sandy

Spring/Ashton area has created a market for more
businesses, specialty shops and restaurants. Based
on the growth in households and income, the
Sandy Spring market can be characterized as a welleducated, affluent community that offers increasing
market potential for services and goods. Many
residents go elsewhere for their service and retail
needs, but they are willing to shop locally if the
opportunity is made available.
The strong market potential provides opportunities
for new businesses, specialty shops and restaurants
in the Sandy Spring Rural Village. The existing
land use and zoning have prevented redevelopment
to date because of the limited range of land uses
permitted, outdated development standards and
excessive parking requirements. As a result, property
owners and residents have been concerned about the
economic viability of the commercial properties at
the intersection of MD 108 and Brooke Road.
The retail market analysis, completed by the
Montgomery Planning Departments Research and
Special Projects Division, identified the amount and
type of retail space that the Sandy Spring Study Area
could support. The study reviewed retail supply
and demand, competition from nearby areas and
examined the demographic trends and patterns to

help identify retail opportunities. This analysis was

based on existing retail conditions, including retail
currently in the development pipeline. The retail
market analysis found there is a market for both
convenience goods and shoppers goods in the Plan
area.
Olney Sandy Spring Road (MD 108) will become
the main street through the Sandy Spring Rural
Village. The village is envisioned as a pedestrianoriented place with local retail businesses, new infill
housing and services, commercial redevelopment
with shared parking opportunities, and wellconnected open spaces for gathering, socializing and
contemplation. The village will have three distinct
neighborhoods. The Plan includes planning and
land use, buildings, connections, open spaces and
specific property recommendations for the following
three neighborhoods:
Village Core Neighborhood
Residential Neighborhood
Cultural Neighborhood
Where applicable, the specific property
recommendations lists the zoning for a property
prior to October 30, 2014; then lists the zoning for
the property after October 30, 2014, in parenthesis;
and finally lists the proposed zoning for the
property.

Plan Recommendations

500 ft

Sandy Spring Rural Village Concept

Sandy Spring Rural Village Plan October 2014

19

Village Core Neighborhood Recommendations

Ground-Floor Retail Uses with

Commercial/Residential Above

Planning and Land Use

This Plan specifically targets the intersection of
Brooke Road and Olney Sandy Spring Road (MD
108) as the heart of the village for improvements
to streetscape, open spaces, connections, traffic
operation, and proposals for under-utilized
buildings. The Village Core is envisioned as the
vibrant, walkable center for community life in
Sandy Spring, along both sides of MD 108.
Planning and land use recommendations include:

Open Space for Community

Gathering

Village Core Neighborhood

20

Planning Board Draft

500 ft

Provide a mix of residential and commercial uses

with a floor area ratio (FAR) consistent with the
SSA Overlay Zone.
Provide a village green and open spaces for
gathering.
Extend the Village Core to the north and east to
Skymeadow Way.
Reinforce the edges of the Plan area with
medium density residential uses.
Increase heights in the Village Core and taper
building heights from the Village Core to the
Plan boundaries.
Provide opportunities for shared parking.

Plan Recommendations
Encourage various housing opportunities,
including townhouses and residential over retail/
office.
Provide for business expansion, infill and
revitalization opportunities.
Buildings
Throughout the planning process, the community
expressed the importance of developing a historic
main street character for the Village Core
Neighborhood. This character is established, in
part, by how buildings are located along the street.
The south side of the Village Core along MD 108
has a well-defined street edge with buildings placed
close to the street and parking located to the side or

rear of buildings. The north side is significantly less

defined. Buildings are mostly situated behind a row
of perpendicular parking within the right-of-way.
As evident in many older, traditional main streets
found throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, building
placement is critical to achieving the character of
a place. A build-to-area, which is an area where
building facades are located, should be established
immediately outside of the 80-foot right-of-way
of MD 108 to allow some flexibility in building
location, while creating a defined building edge. The
variations in the build-to-area along MD 108 will
create a vibrant streetscape with areas for sidewalk
cafs and seating.

Chestnut Hill, PA: Slight variations in

building placement create visual interest
along Germantown Avenue.

Conceptual Aerial View of the Village

Core: New buildings in the Village Core
should be placed close to the street in
order to activate MD 108.

Sandy Spring Rural Village Plan October 2014

21

Buildings should fit seamlessly into the quality

and character of the historic context, such as the
Nichols building, Christophers Hardware Store and
proposed Olive Branch Community Church. There
should be opportunities for distinctive architectural
elements, such as front porches, stoops, bay
windows, dormer windows and awnings. Pitched
roofs are encouraged.
Mashpee, MA: A signature building
marks an important street corner.

A signature building with architectural

embellishment is encouraged for the northeast
corner of the intersection of Brooke and Olney
Sandy Spring Roads. This landmark should be
identifiable to both pedestrians and motorists, and
serve as the center of the Village Core.
The Plan recommends that mixed-use buildings
in the core area be one-to-three stories in height
with active commercial fronts at the ground level.
Side and rear elevations should be articulated in
a manner that does not create long blank walls.
Secondary entrances are encouraged in these
locations. Building recommendations include:

Lansdowne, VA: The rear facade of

the building (above) has a secondary
entrance that is articulated similarly to
the front facade (center photograph).
22

Planning Board Draft

Provide for buildings with one to three stories,

compatible with the Sandy Spring Historic
District and other buildings facing MD 108.
New and renovated commercial buildings
should face streets with active fronts that define
a street edge on the north side of MD 108.
Provide variations in the build-to-area along
MD 108 to help create a vibrant streetscape
with areas for sidewalk, seating and street trees.

Provide a signature building at the northeast

corner of the intersection of Brooke Road and
MD 108.
Provide active commercial fronts at the ground
level.
Articulate elevations so buildings do not have
long blank walls.
Create parking areas that are to the rear or side
of buildings.
Create well-landscaped parking areas that have
the potential to become completely shaded,
particularly within the Patuxent River watershed
north of MD 108.
Provide pedestrian-scaled lighting and signage
that is consistent with the areas character.
Connections
Improving pedestrian and bicycle connections and
providing for multiple modes of transportation are
important in making the Village Core a vibrant, safe
and functional area. Sidewalks and off-road shareduse paths along county and state roadways need to
meet the requirements stated in the Americans with
Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) for compliance.
The connections on the south side of Olney Sandy
Spring Road (MD 108) are well-defined. A sidewalk
runs the full length of the Village Core. In front
of the old fire station, which is now a bakery and
florist, the sidewalk area provides caf space. On
the north side of Brooke Road, the eight-foot wide
shared use path on Fire Department property has
been extended to the north on the northeast side

Plan Recommendations

Conceptual Streetscape Perspective

of the Village Core Looking West:
The north side of the Village Core (right
side of image) will have a wide sidewalk
to accommodate pedestrians and
bicyclists. Additional crosswalks provide
safe connections across MD 108.

of Brooke Road past the Orchards Subdivision

all the way up to Meadowsweet Drive (outside
the Plan boundary area). This Plan recommends
a connection to this shared use path as well as a
sidewalk on the western side of Brooke Road.
This Plan recommends that the north side of
MD 108 have a wide sidewalk to accommodate
pedestrians/bicyclists and provide ample space for
seating areas and street trees in front of revitalized
properties. The proposed shared use path should
turn the corner on MD 108 and connect with the
existing path on Brooke Road. Parallel parking and
a dedicated planting strip for landscape and trees

along MD 108 should provide a needed buffer for

pedestrians and bike riders. Enhanced crosswalks
should be provided at appropriate locations to
promote pedestrian movement across MD 108.
Coordinated pedestrian-scaled street lighting and
signage should unify the area and give it a unique
character and charm. Connection recommendations
include:
Enhance Olney Sandy Spring Road (MD 108)
with sidewalks, landscape, street trees and onstreet parking and narrow travel lanes.
Provide for multiple modes of transportation,
including a shared use path for bikes and
pedestrians.
Sandy Spring Rural Village Plan October 2014

23

The Kentlands, Gaithersburg, MD: A

small pocket park adjacent to several
houses provides shade and a place for
passive recreation.

Conceptual Aerial View of MD 108

Looking East: A small green on the
south side of MD 108 adjacent to
future residential uses may serve as a
transition from the rural western entry of
Sandy Spring to the Village Core.

24

Planning Board Draft

Enhance crosswalks to improve visibility and

safety across MD 108.
Extend the existing shared use path on Brooke
Road on the northeast side between MD
108 and the Sandy Spring Volunteer Fire
Department.
Provide sidewalks on the east side of Brooke
Road extending from the existing sidewalk at
Meadowsweet Drive (outside the boundary area)
south to MD 108.
Coordinate design of lighting and signage.
Open Space
Open spaces in the Village Core will come in a
variety of forms. New development along the south

side of MD 108 should be set back to provide a

transition from the rural entry to the Village Core.
Additionally, the 1998 Plan identified the area
around the intersection of Brooke and Olney-Sandy
Spring Roads as a potential location for a central
village green adjacent to the new fire station. The
fire station was built in 2001 on Brooke Road, but a
community green space was never built.
During numerous meetings for this planning
effort, the community reaffirmed the need and
importance of an open space. A civic space of
to acre is recommended to be incorporated into
redevelopment along the north side of MD 108.
Buildings should be sited along the eastern edge of

Plan Recommendations
the green and should have ground-floor entrances
and windows that face onto and activate the public
space. Open space recommendations include:
Provide a minimum of acre village green
on the north side of Olney Sandy Spring
Road (MD 108) in the Village Core with a
combination of landscape, hardscape and ample
space for large shade trees with areas for seating.
Provide a wide retail sidewalk along the building
frontage with pedestrian-scaled lighting and

street furnishings.
Provide a small green space that will serve as a
transition from the western rural entry to the
Village Core.
Specific Property Recommendations
1. Parcels P318, P333, and P330 on the North
Side of MD 108 (west of Brooke Road) from
C-2 (CRT 1.5: C 0.75, R 0.75, H 35/SSA
Overlay Zone) to CRN 0.75: C 0.25, R 0.75,
H 45 (See adjacent sidebar).

SSA Overlay Zone

The existing Sandy Spring/Ashton
Rural Village (SSA) Overlay Zone
limits the density on all commercial
properties in the Plan area to a
maximum of 0.75 FAR instead
of the 1.5 FAR allowed in the
existing C-2 and CRT Zones. This
Plan recommends CRN 0.75 to
be consistent with the densities
identified in the SSA Overlay Zone.
The SSA Overlay Zone also limits
building heights to 24 feet (up to 30
feet with Planning Board approval).
The Sandy Spring Rural Village
Plan provides for heights of 35 to
45 feet to allow one- to three-story
buildings. More information on the
SSA Overlay Zone can be found in
the Implementation Chapter of this
report.

Village Core Neighborhood

Properties Map

Sandy Spring Rural Village Plan October 2014

25

Adaptive reuse of the former 1903

Holly Cottage as a commercial
building

The western entry into the Plan area is lined with

two houses, the Kirk House circa 1924 and Holly
Cottage dated 1903 (which are now occupied by
commercial), and the Sandy Spring Store and Post
Office building with apartments above. The two
frame houses are National Register eligible and
add vernacular architectural interest to the Village
Core Neighborhood. These individually-owned
commercial properties are located to the west of
Brooke Road. Access to these properties is located
on MD 108 with limited access from driveways
on Brooke Road. The proposed CRN Zone is
recommended to ensure uses with ample transitions
to the adjacent residential properties. Buildings in
the Brooke Road right-of-way should be removed.
New buildings should face the street and be between
one and three stories in height. The perpendicular
parking area that is located in the right-of-way
should be replaced with a pedestrian-oriented
streetscape that includes a tree-lined planting strip,
pedestrian-scaled lighting and shared pedestrian/
bike path. The Plan recommends:
Consider adaptive reuse as part of additional
development.
Provide an ADA-compliant, shared use path
along the north side of MD 108.
Support redevelopment that provides safe
vehicular, pedestrian and bicycle connections.
Support special tree plantings along the western
edge of the plan area that has the potential to
become landmark/large shade trees that define
the transition from the village core to rural
farmland.

26

Planning Board Draft

2. North Side of MD 108 east of Brooke Road

a. Commercial parcels along MD 108 from
C-2 (CRT 1.5: C 0.75, R 0.75, H 35/SSA
Overlay Zone), to CRN 0.75: C 0.75, R
0.50, H 45
b. Commercially zoned portion of split
zoned Parcel P260 (with single-family
detached unit facing Brooke Road from
C-2 (CRT 1.5/SSA Overlay Zone) to CRN
0.75: C 0.75, R 0.50, H 45
c. Parcel P282, Parcel P281 and the
residentially zoned portion of Parcel
P260, from R-60 to CRN 0.50: C 0.25, R
0.5, H 40
d. Four single-family properties west of
Skymeadow Way from R-60 to CRN 0.50:
C 0.25, R 0.5, H 40
The properties on the north side of MD 108
between Brooke Road and Skymeadow Way offer
One Property Redevelops

Plan Recommendations
infill and redevelopment potential. The Plan
recommends extending the mix of uses north and
east of the existing commercial area. This area
should be revitalized with new local-serving, mixeduse development that has ground-floor retail/office
uses with residential/office above. These properties
can be individually redeveloped or combined for
full assemblage. Once platted, four property owners
can combine and provide a mixed-use project on
approximately five acres. The existing perpendicular
parking area in the right-of-way should be
relocated to the side and rear of the new buildings.
Redevelopment should provide safe vehicular,
pedestrian and bicycle connections, and extensive
tree planting to provide canopy cover over roads and
parking areas.
The CRN Zone is recommended to provide the
uses, especially neighborhood-serving retail and
residential for the village. The Plan recommends:
Three Properties Redevelop

Design a mixed-use village center with new

buildings facing MD 108.
Provide street-activating uses along MD 108.
Provide one- to three-story buildings with
building heights up to 45 feet but tapering
down to 40 feet at the rear, adjacent to the
existing townhomes.
Provide a pedestrian-oriented streetscape that
includes a tree-lined planting strip, shared
pedestrian/bike path, pedestrian-scaled lighting
and seating area.
Provide an extensive mature tree canopy for
parking lot areas and surrounding property
edges.
Provide a central village green near the
intersection of Brooke Road and MD 108 with
new retail and other commercial or residential
uses facing onto it.
Encourage sharing driveways with adjacent uses
All Properties Redevelop

The examples below illustrate three

concepts for potential development on
the 5-acre site, but are not intended
to limit ideas for layout and design
consistent with the principles in the Plan.
Concept for the North Side of MD
108 East of Brooke Road Properties:
Street-activating retail of one to three
stories faces MD 108 and the civic
green. A civic green with a combination
of landscaping and hardscape between
the fire station and the new development
serves as a gathering space for the
community. Parking is located on the
side or rear of buildings. Shared parking
is encouraged between the properties.
Access to the parking is from Brooke
Road and MD 108.
One Property Redevelops: The
western property redevelops with two
mixed-use buildings that have groundfloor commercial uses and office or
residential uses above.
Three Properties Redevelop: The
existing, one-story commercial building
in the middle of the site remains. A
new mixed-use building is located at
the northwest corner of MD 108 and
Skymeadow Way. New residential
development faces Skymeadow Way.
All Properties Redevelop: The entire
site redevelops with mixed-use and
residential development. A third access
point to parking is provided from
Skymeadow Way.

Sandy Spring Rural Village Plan October 2014

27

to maximize space available for the village green.

Locate parking to the side and rear of buildings
and encourage shared parking between parcels.
Encourage parallel on-street parking on the
north side of MD 108.
3. South Side of MD 108: Stabler 1848 LLC
Parcels P383 and P426 from C-2 (CRT 1.5,
C 0.75, R 0.75, H 35/SSA Overlay Zone),
C-1 (CRT 1.0, C 0.75, R 0.5, H 35/SSA
Overlay Zone), and O-M (EOF 1.0, H 35/
SSA Overlay Zone) to CRN 0.75: C 0.25, R
0.75, H 45.
This vacant site has an existing approval for a threestory, 40,800 square foot office/school building
with 296 parking spaces. This Plan recommends
the parcels be rezoned to accommodate a residential
development of up to 24 townhomes. CRN
zoning with sufficient residential floor area ratio
(FAR) and a modest amount of commercial FAR
is recommended on this property to ensure a
residential project with ample transitions to adjacent
residential properties west and south of the site. The
Plan recommends:

Single-Family Attached Homes

28

Planning Board Draft

Support single-family, attached homes up to 45

feet in height.
Provide a setback on MD 108 compatible with
the existing townhouses to create a transition.
Provide an overall tree canopy goal of 40
percent.
Support special tree plantings at the western
edge of the plan area along MD 108.

4. Historic District Properties and Parcels P368

and P369 (Old Fire Station and parking lot)
from C-2 (CRT 1.5, C 0.75, R 0.75, H 35/
SSA Overlay Zone), C-1 (CRT 1.0, C 0.75,
R 0.5, H 35/SSA Overlay Zone), and O-M
(EOF 1.0, H 35/SSA Overlay Zone) to CRN
0.75: C 0.75, R 0.25, H 45.
Individually owned commercial properties are
located on the south side of MD 108 in the Sandy
Spring Historic District (#28/11) and adjacent
to the District. The historic designations allow
certain protections for the 1904 fire insurance
building, 1895 Sandy Spring Bank building,
and 1977 Montgomery Mutual building, while
accommodating reasonable changes. The properties
in the Historic District within the Plan area are
recommended for CRN Zoning with limitations on
commercial uses and an opportunity for residential.
Adaptive reuse does not preclude new development
or restrict the allowable density of development, but
assures that the high standards of sensitive design
will be extended to the construction of other new
buildings on the site. The Plan recommends:
Adaptive reuse of the buildings to residential
and small-scale commercial uses.
Provide street-activating uses, such as retail and
small office uses along MD 108.
Provide access to commercial and residential
properties from a driveway off MD 108 and
Meeting House Road.
Maintain existing 40 percent canopy cover.
Encourage shared parking.

Plan Recommendations

Residential Neighborhood Recommendations

Planning and Land Use
The residential neighborhood contains a stable
housing stock of single-family dwellings and
townhomes. Opportunities for additional infill
housing should be permitted and encouraged.
The right-of-way in front of the new and existing
housing should have sidewalks to increase
connectivity along Olney Sandy Spring Road (MD
108). This Plan proposes a modest expansion to an
additional 20 homes to preserve the attractive rural

500 ft

edge adjacent to the Village Core. These new homes

will provide housing for all ages and incomes.
Planning and land use recommendations include:
Support single-family detached and attached
residential development.
Protect the single-family residential edge along
Olney Sandy Spring Road (MD 108).
Provide infill housing opportunities for all ages
and income levels.

Residential Neighborhood

Sandy Spring Rural Village Plan October 2014

29

Buildings
The residences along Olney Sandy Spring Road
(MD 108) should continue to be located farther
back from the right-of-way than the buildings in
the Village Core Neighborhood. Along the side
streets beginning at Skymeadow Way, residences are
located closer to the street.
This Plan envisions that any new residential units
built within the neighborhood will meet the street
in a manner similar to the existing buildings. The
height of new residential buildings will be between
one and three stories to match the heights of
existing homes. Building recommendations include:
Housing in the Sandy Spring
Meadows subdivision

Site any new residential buildings in this area to

be compatible with existing buildings.
Design new housing to be between one and
three stories to match the heights of existing
homes.
Connections
Within the Residential Neighborhood, the south
side of Olney Sandy Spring Road (MD 108) has a
four- to five-foot wide sidewalk behind a planting
strip. The Sandy Spring Meadow subdivision along
the side streets has some sidewalks contiguous to the
street. The north side of MD 108 has an open road
section with no sidewalk or bike facilities.
This Plan recommends a shared use (pedestrian/
bike) path connecting to the sidewalks in the Village
Core Neighborhood. The street should have a curb
and the shared use path should be buffered from

30

Planning Board Draft

the roadway by a protected planting strip. Street

trees should be clearly spaced along both sides of the
roadway to provide a defined edge and shading for
pedestrians. Connection recommendations include:
Provide for a shared use path on the north side
of Olney Sandy Spring Road (MD 108) to
connect to the Village Core.
Provide a planting strip of trees between
the shared use path and the road to buffer
pedestrians and cyclists.
Provide a constant spacing of street trees along
both sides of the roadway to provide shading.
Open Space
The public open spaces within the existing
Residential Neighborhood include the front yard
setbacks and the streetscape along MD 108. A tot
lot and open play areas serve as the open spaces in
the Sandy Spring Meadow neighborhood. The open
space recommendation is:
Provide compatibility with the setbacks of
existing and proposed residences along Olney
Sandy Spring Road (MD 108).
Specific Property Recommendations
1. Residential properties: North Side of MD
108 Retain R-60 and R-200 Zones, with the
exception of Parcel P338, recommended for
rezoning from R-200 to R-60
All but five units in the Sandy Spring Meadows
subdivision are owned and operated by the Housing

Plan Recommendations
Opportunities Commission. This subdivision
consists of 61 residential units (30 single-family
detached and 31 attached units). Six R-200 Zoned
single-family detached homes exist along MD 108.
The Plan recommends protecting the singlefamily residential edge along MD 108. An ADAcompliant shared use path is recommended with
trees along the roadway to provide shading for
pedestrians. The Plan recommends:
Protect the single-family residential edge along
MD 108.
Provide housing for all ages and income levels.

Provide R-60 for Parcel P338 to allow for a

transition from the Village Core to the singlefamily residential along MD 108
Develop at R-60 and R-200 densities.
Provide infill opportunities for additional
residences through the subdivision process.
Maintain the northern forested edge of trees.
2. Residential properties: South Side of MD 108
Retain R-200 Zone
Four older homes, dating from the mid- to late
1800s to the 1940s, line the south side of Olney
Sandy Spring Road (MD 108). These homes

Residential Neighborhood
Properties Map

Sandy Spring Rural Village Plan October 2014

31

add vernacular architectural interest to the

neighborhood. The Plan recommends protecting
the single-family residential edge along MD 108 at
R-200 densities. The Plan recommendation is:
Protect the single-family edge along MD 108.
Provide additional street trees along the edge.

Cultural Neighborhood Recommendations

Planning and Land Use
The Cultural Neighborhood is a part of the
continuation of the rural edge described in the

Cultural Neighborhood
32

Planning Board Draft

500 ft

1998 Plan. This neighborhood, which includes the

Sandy Spring Museum, Olive Branch Community
Church Rectory and Christophers Hardware Store,
has cultural and institutional uses. The museum
has an open space in front used on occasions for
community events. Plans for the new Olive Branch
Community Church have been approved.
The Plan recommends that uses in this
neighborhood be maintained and enhanced. The
Sandy Spring Museum will offer demonstrations of
historic trades that will bring additional visitors to
the area and the Olive Branch Church will have a

Plan Recommendations
new place of worship. To accommodate the influx
of people and improve connectivity within this area,
the Plan recommends extending the existing shared
use path on the north side of MD 108.
This Plan recommends preserving the attractive
rural edge of the Cultural Neighborhood. This rural
entry was identified in the 1998 Plan and continues
to be an important aspect of the areas character.
Planning and land use recommendations for the
Cultural Neighborhood include:
Maintain the rural neighborhood concept to
maintain the rural entries.
Support residential, retail, office and cultural
and religious institutions at an FAR of 0.5 and
maximum heights of 40 feet.
Encourage tree planting along Bentley Road.
Encourage the use of the Museums open space
along MD 108.
Provide pedestrian connections to institutions.
Provide opportunities for shared parking.
Buildings
The existing buildings in the Cultural
Neighborhood have a less defined build-to-area than
the Residential Neighborhood. Buildings are set
back at varying distances from the right-of-way to
further emphasize the rural edge.
New development in this area should be allowed
to have varying setbacks. New buildings should
be between one and three stories in height. The
building recommendations are:

Replicate the idea of the rural edge with varying

building setbacks from the right-of-way and
large front yard trees that have the potential to
arch over the road, creating a tree-lined gateway.
Design new buildings at one to three stories in
height.
Connections
The north side of Olney Sandy Spring Road (MD
108) has a shared use path approximately seven
to eight feet in width in front of the Sandy Spring
Museum. It does not continue in front of the
existing gas station. This shared use path should be
extended to complete the connectivity along the
north side of MD 108 within the boundary area.
The connection recommendation is:
Extend the existing shared use (pedestrian/
bike) path in front of the museum to complete
the connectivity along the north side of Olney
Sandy Spring Road (MD 108).
Open Space
The primary open space in the Cultural
Neighborhood is the green in front of the Sandy
Spring Museum. This green is the site of a number
of cultural activities, including the Strawberry
Festival held annually in June. The open space
recommendation is:
Support open space activities on the green in
front of the Sandy Spring Museum.

Sandy Spring Rural Village Plan October 2014

33

Specific Property Recommendations

1. Commercial property, west of Bentley Road:
from C-2 (CRT 1.5/SSA Overlay Zone) to
CRN 0.50: C 0.50, R 0.50, H 40

Existing gas station west of Bentley

Road

Cultural Neighborhood
Properties Map
34

Planning Board Draft

This site currently serves as a gas station with a

large awning, a convenience store and a threestory building with office above and a garage in
the rear. The site has access from MD 108 and
Bentley Road. This Plan recommends the site to be
rezoned to CRN 0.50 to accommodate a mixed-use
development with ample transitions to adjacent

residential and cultural properties along Bentley

Road. The Plan recommends:
Support residential, retail and office uses in this
location.
Design new buildings at one to three stories
in height with an FAR of 0.5 and a maximum
height of 40 feet.
Extend the existing shared use (pedestrian/bike)
path in front of the museum to complete the
connectivity along the north side of MD 108
within the boundary area.

Plan Recommendations
Provide front yard shade trees.
Provide additional street trees.

3. Olive Branch Community Church property:

Retain RE-1.

2. Sandy Spring Museum Property, east of

Bentley Road: Retain RC

Originally known as the Lansdale property, this

three-acre site consists of a two-story, late 19th
century dwelling once called Elmhurst that now
houses the rectory and administrative office for
the Olive Branch Church. With access from MD
108, the site has an approval for an 8,074 squarefoot church and associated parking lot. The church
will hold a capacity of 220 people with a central
surface parking lot that provides 55 on-site standard
parking spaces and one motorcycle space.

The Sandy Spring Museum opened its doors on

Bentley Road in 1997 on land donated by the
Bentley Family, whose ancestors moved to Sandy
Spring in the late 1700s. The museum, located on
seven acres, was completed with a library and a
collections storage facility in 2007. The museum
serves as a place where the community can develop
meaningful connections to history by exploring
local, cultural arts.
The Plan recommends the site remain in the RC
Zone to protect sensitive areas and surrounding
agricultural uses. The property is adjacent to low
density neighbors (RC, RNC, RE-1 and RE-2) with
large setbacks and wooded areas. The site is defined
as the eastern edge of the rural entry into the Plan
area. A house is also located on the site. This house
has access off of MD 108. The Plan recommends:
Support low-density cluster development
toward the front of the property to preserve
environmentally sensitive areas in the north.
Support the cultural institution and its large,
protected forested areas.
Allow artisan and living history demonstrations
at the Sandy Spring Museum as a limited use
(see Implementation Chapter).

The proposed church will be oriented perpendicular

to MD 108 to maximize the amount of space
needed for the on-site parking, to protect the
existing forest along the eastern boundary and
to preserve the existing landscape buffer along
the western and southern boundaries. The Plan
recommends:
Support the religious institution with on-site
parking.
Protect the eastern forested edge of the site and
large individual trees.
Preserve the existing landscape buffer along the
western and southern boundaries.
Provide safe vehicular, pedestrian and bicycle
connections.

Sandy Spring Museum

Olive Branch Rectory (Elmhurst)

Rendering of future Olive Branch

Community Church

Sandy Spring Rural Village Plan October 2014

35

4. Christophers Hardware and Nichols Office

Building property: from C-2 (CRT 1.5/SSA
Overlay Zone) to CRN 0.50, C 0.50, R 0.50,
H 40.

Christophers Hardware

Nichols Office Building

This site currently contains a hardware store, a

parking lot, and a two-story office building with
access to MD 108. This Plan recommends the
site be rezoned to CRN 0.50 to accommodate a
mixed-use development with appropriate setback
transitions to adjacent residential properties along
Auburn Village Drive. The Plan recommends:
Support residential, retail and office in this
location.
Design new buildings at one to three stories in
height with traditional architectural fenestration
and an FAR of 0.5 and maximum heights of 40
feet.
Site new residential buildings to meet the street
with screened parking at the side and/or rear.
Provide tree planting along MD 108 and in
parking areas.
Preserve the existing landscape buffers along the
eastern and southern boundaries.

Area-Wide Recommendations
Historic Preservation
The Sandy Spring Rural Village Plan area contains
resources that were designated on the Montgomery
County Master Plan for Historic Preservation,
found eligible for listing on the National Register of
Historic Places, or both. Designation on the Master
36

Planning Board Draft

Plan of Historic Preservation confers certain benefits

and protections, including tax credits for qualified
exterior maintenance and repair projects.
In 1988, the Sandy Spring Historic District
was designated on the Master Plan for Historic
Preservation. A portion of the Sandy Spring Historic
District (28/11) is within the Plan area. It includes
the 1895 Sandy Spring Bank building, 1904 fire
insurance building, 1977 Montgomery Mutual
Insurance building and a part of Meeting House
Road. This Plan confirms the current designation of
the Sandy Spring Historic District within the Plan
area. The 1904 fire insurance building was found
eligible in 2011 as an individual site for listing on
the National Register of Historic Places.
In 2011, two other buildings within the Plan area,
the 1903 Holly Cottage at 913 Olney Sandy Spring
Road and the circa 1924 Kirk House at 1001 Olney
Sandy Spring Road, were also found eligible for
listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
In addition, many properties outside of the Plan
area were designated on the Master Plan for Historic
Preservation and/or found eligible for listing on the
National Register of Historic Places. Two properties,
the Sandy Spring Meeting House and Clifton were
listed on the National Register of Historic Places in
1972 The Plan recommends:
Retain the Sandy Spring Historic District
(28/11).

Plan Recommendations
Heritage Montgomery
Sandy Spring is located within the Underground
Railroad and Quaker Cluster of the Montgomery
County Heritage Area, per the Montgomery
County Heritage Area Management Plan, which
recommends revitalization of Sandy Spring. As a
certified Maryland Heritage Area, Sandy Spring
may therefore qualify for grants for interpretive
signage and promotion through Heritage
Montgomery, which administers the Montgomery
County Heritage Area. This Plan recommends
that interpretive signage and wayfinding be
installed in the Sandy Spring Rural Village Plan
area to highlight Sandy Springs heritage. The Plan
recommends:

Support the implementation of the

Montgomery County Heritage Area
Management Plan (2002).
Provide wayfinding, pedestrian linkages,
sidewalk, landscape, parking, traffic calming
measures and interpretive signage in the
Certified Heritage Area of the Underground
Railroad and Quaker Cluster.
Environment
This Plan addresses water quality and forest
protection issues. The Plan, as well as the 1998
Plan, pays particular attention to protecting
the existing high quality of the Patuxent River
Watershed. It recommends mixed-use development

Historic 1904 fire insurance building

with toll gate (Source: Sandy Spring
Legacy, Thomas Y. Canby and Elie S.
Rogers, Sandy Spring Museum, 1999)

Historic Context Map

Sandy Spring Rural Village Plan October 2014

37

concentrated in the village center, and low-density

residential development near the watershed.
The sensitive environmental resources that surround
the Sandy Spring Rural Village are critical to
maintaining the quality of the Patuxent River
Watershed. The Functional Master Plan for the
Patuxent River Watershed recommends containing
development in commercial areas in a logical and
well-planned manner.
Greenville, SC: Mature trees provide
shade and help to limit the amount of
impervious surface in the parking lot.

Orlando, FL: Landscaped islands

in a parking lot provide an area for
stormwater collection.

Most of the existing development in the Sandy

Spring Rural Village was built before there were
County requirements for stormwater management.
New development should limit impervious surfaces
and be subject to current stormwater management
regulations, both of which are intended to provide
protection for the watershed.
Approximately 16 percent of the Plan area is
forested. Other areas of forest in the Sandy
Spring Rural Village Plan area will be removed
as part of approved development projects. In
addition to forested areas, large trees in the Plan
area provide a canopy cover of approximately 47
percent. Unshaded roads and parking lots make up
approximately 24 percent of the Plan area. Future
redevelopment should provide shade trees, limit
imperiousness, expand and protect the forests,
and meet the current environmental site design
standards. The Plan recommends:
Protect and enhance the water quality of the
Patuxent River Watershed with low density

38

Planning Board Draft

edges outside of the village core.

Limit imperviousness as much as possible.
Protect and expand the forested edges.
Plant trees along the perimeter and interior of
parking lots to provide maximum shade and
stormwater management enhancement.
Designate the Plan area as part of the Shades of
Green program.

Transportation
This Plan reinforces the 1998 Plans transportation
objectives to maintain the rural character of the
existing roadways while meeting the requirements
stated in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
for compliance.
The underlying C-2, C-1 and O-M Zones allowed a
floor area ratio (FAR) of 1.5. With the Sandy Spring
Overlay Zone, the 1998 Plan reduced the overall
FAR in these zones to 0.75. The overall commercial
square footage provided in the 1998 Plan, even with
the overlay zone, was not achievable over the life
of the plan due to parking requirements, floor plan
constraints and market realities. This Plan retains
the total 0.75 FAR and allows for commercial and
residential uses.
The development potential in the Sandy Spring
Rural Village will not exceed the acceptable
congestion levels at the areas intersections. The
recommended highway and local street system
will provide sufficient capacity. The table on the
following page compares the development potential

Plan Recommendations
for the current Sandy Spring Rural Village Plan
and 1998 Master Plan with what exists today.
The recommended land uses and transportation
infrastructure are in balance.
Capacity
The Plan proposes a small increase of housing units
and a modest decrease of non-residential square
feet. This minor amount of development will have
a limited impact on the transportation system. The
Plan does not propose adding additional through
lanes or additional rights-of-way (ROW) for Olney
Sandy Spring Road (MD 108). The existing ROW
width allows for intersection improvements for
safety and circulation purposes.
Circulation
This Plan recommends that roadway and street
designs should promote pedestrian use with
investment in streetscape elements, including
pedestrian crosswalks and signals (see Proposed
Concept for Olney Sandy Spring Road map on
page 43). Fire trucks and other fire and rescue-

related apparatus from Volunteer Fire Department

Station 4 must maneuver efficiently through the
Plan area. Intersections in the policy areas may
need to be improved to accommodate safe travel for
pedestrians, vehicles and bicycles.
The proposed local streets will provide additional
circulation and off-street parking for the area.
Sidewalks will connect the Village Core to the
residential and cultural areas of Sandy Spring. A
new shared use path will continue the connection
from Sherwood High School through the planning
area. This Plan will support a continued connection
to Sherwood Elementary School to link the two
schools to the proposed regional trail.
Street and Highway Classifications
The local streets, sidewalks, bikeways and trails
will create a connected street system that reduces
automobile dependence on the state road.
Rustic Roads program, established by the County,
preserves historic and scenic roadways that reflect
the agricultural character and rural origins of the
County.

Development Potential

Residential Units
Nonresidential Square Feet
Nonresidential Square Feet Converted to Jobs

Existing Development

1998 Master Plan

Maximum Potential

2014-15 Plan Maximum

Potential

78 units

98 units

150 units

147,100 square feet

253,400 square feet

231,300 square feet

420 jobs

725 jobs

660 jobs

Zoning maximum on all development may be reduced to accommodate parking requirements in the zone.

Sandy Spring Rural Village Plan October 2014

39

Olney Sandy Spring Road (MD 108)

This road is a two-lane arterial road with an 80-foot
ROW. In the Village Core Neighborhood, the ROW
will contain the following elements:
One travel lane in each direction (see Bicycle
Classifications Table to determine lane width).
One center turn lane or on-street parking on the
north side.
An eight-foot shared use path on the north side
(The shared use path continues through the
Residential and Cultural Neighborhoods).
A minimum six-foot sidewalk on both sides.
A landscaped amenity panel on both sides with

adequate soil volumes to allow maximum tree

maturity.
These streetscape elements are subject to State
Highway Administration (SHA) approval.
Brooke Road
From MD 108 to 200 feet north of Station Drive,
this section will be a two-lane primary residential,
closed section road with a 70-foot right-of-way.
Brooke Road is designated as a shared roadway
for bicycle and vehicular use. There is an existing
eight-foot wide shared-use path parallel to Brooke

Road Classifications
Master Plan
Streets

From

Olney-Sandy
Spring Road
(MD 108)

100 feet east

of Norwood
Road

500 feet east of

Bentley Road

A-92

80

2 lanes

30

Modified
2004.25

Brooke Road

MD 108

200 feet north of

Station Drive

P-2

70

2 lanes

35

Modified
2003.10

Skymeadow
Way

MD 108

Proposed Internal
Connector

B-26

60

2 lanes

25

Modified
2005.01

Bentley Road

MD 108

0.47 mile north of

MD 108

R-64

70

2 lanes

25

N/A

Meeting
House Road

MD 108

About 0.40 mile

south of MD 108

E-14

80

2 lanes

25

N/A

To

Master Plan of
Minimum
Design
Through Travel Target
1
2
Highways Number Right-of-Way (ft)
Lanes
Speed (mph) Standard3

These are the number of planned through travel lanes for each segment, not including lanes for turning, parking,
acceleration, deceleration, and other purposes auxiliary to though travel.

Target speed listed reflects the ultimate target speed upon build out at which people should drive.

See MCDOT Context Sensitive Road Design Standards: www.montgomerycountymd.gov/dot-dte/common/standards.

40

Planning Board Draft

Plan Recommendations

Sidewalk
(accommodates Planting
Strip and Seating Area)
Build
to Area

Travel Lanes
(with Left Turn
Lane)
80 R.O.W.

Sidewalk
(with Shared Use Path
and Seating Area)
Build
to Area

Proposed Street Section for MD 108

(Modified 2004.25)

Roadway Classifications Map

Sandy Spring Rural Village Plan October 2014

41

Existing Olney Sandy Spring Road (MD 108)

Village Core Neighborhood

Residential Neighborhood

Cultural Neighborhood

No sidewalks on north side of MD

108
No bike infrastructure
Lack of crosswalks
No street character

Incomplete shared-use path on the north

side of MD 108
No street character

No sidewalks on the north side of MD 108

Limited crosswalks for pedestrians
No bicycle infrastructure
Conflicts with perpendicular parking along the north
side of MD 108
Turning conflicts for emergency vehicles going east and
west on MD 108
Open section road with undefined access points
No street character

42

Planning Board Draft

Plan Recommendations

Proposed Concept for Olney Sandy Spring Road (MD 108)

Village Core Neighborhood

Residential Neighborhood

Cultural Neighborhood

Remove pull-in parking on the north side of MD 108.

Add minimum eight-foot shared-use path on north
side MD 108.
Provide four-way crosswalks at the intersection of
Brooke Road, Meeting House Road and MD 108.
Identify access points along the north side of the
Village Core with permanent driveways.
Provide clearly spaced street trees and appropriate
pedestrian-scaled street lighting.

Provide a minimum eight-foot

shared-use path on the north
side to connect pedestrians and
bicyclists to schools, religious
institutions, and museum.
Evaluate a crosswalk at Skymeadow
Way.
Provide clearly spaced street trees
and appropriate pedestrian-scaled
street lighting.

Continue the eight-foot shared-use path

on the north side of MD 108.
Provide clearly spaced street trees and
appropriate pedestrian-scaled street
lighting.

Sandy Spring Rural Village Plan October 2014

43

Rustic Roads Criteria

The Rustic Roads program preserves

Road on the Volunteer Fire Department property.

A shared-use path is recommended for the eastern
side of Brooke Road from MD 108 to the existing
facility on the Volunteer Fire Department site.

historic and scenic roadways that reflect

the agricultural character and rural origins
of the County. The criteria established for
rustic roads by County Code, Chapter 49,
Article 8, includes the following:
1. Is located in an area where natural,
agricultural or historic features are
predominant, and where master
planned land use goals and zoning are
compatible with a rural/rustic character;
2. Is a narrow road intended for
predominantly local use;

Skymeadow Way
From MD 108 to a new local road, this section will
be a two-lane business district street with a 60-foot
right-of-way and on-street parking on the west
side of the road. Sidewalk location can be flexible
to allow the retention of mature trees. The rightof-way width is the minimum used in the business
street classification and should be considered the
maximum width for this road except for pedestrian
or safety improvements. The remaining portion of
Skymeadow Way will remain unclassified.

3. Is a low volume road with traffic volumes

that do not detract significantly from the
rustic character of the road;
4. a. Has outstanding natural features

Bentley Road
This Plan recommends changing Bentley Road from
a Country Road to a Rustic Road.

along its borders, such as native

vegetation, stands of trees, stream
valleys;
b. Provides outstanding vistas of farm
fields and rural landscape or
building; or
c. Provides access to historic resources,
follows historic alignments or

Justification: Bentley Road is a narrow road

intended for local use with a traffic volume and
accident history consistent with a rustic designation.
The road has high historic value, outstanding
natural features, including mature trees, a stream
beside the road, and rural views across farm fields.
Bentley Road meets the criteria for a rustic road.

highlights historic landscapes; and

5. The history of vehicle and pedestrian
accidents on the road in its current
configuration does not suggest unsafe
conditions.

44

Planning Board Draft

Significant Features:
Historic roadway alignment
Holly orchard
Mature trees lining the road

Description: Bentley Road is a narrow, two-lane

paved road, 18 feet wide near its beginning at MD
108 and narrowing to 10 feet wide on the northern
leg. The road extends north from Olney Sandy
Spring Road to Bloomfield, the original house on
the road. The road sweeps east around a bend,
passing the Oakleigh and Cloverly properties, then
sharply turns north again, parallel to a small stream
to its northern terminus. There are no shoulders,
centerlines or edge markings on the road.
Evaluation
History: Bentley Road began as a late 18th-century
farm path leading from MD 108 to Bloomfield
(28/63). The farm path was extended after the
construction of nearby Oakleigh (28/64) in 1882.
Three properties along the road, Bloomfield,
Oakleigh and Cloverly (28/65), a nearby farm built
from 1849 to 1852, have been designated on the
Montgomery County Master Plan for Historic
Preservation and are eligible for the National
Register of Historic Places (M: 28-11-10).
The properties and road are notable for their
associations with the Bentley family, prominent
Quakers and citizens. Bloomfield is said to have
been a stop on the Underground Railroad. The
discovery of two quartz arrowheads by a resident
in the 1970s indicates the possibility of a nearby
Native American site.
Driving Experience: Bentley Road begins at MD
108. A gas station sits close to the road on the west

Plan Recommendations
side, and the Sandy Spring Museum sits behind
groups of trees to the east. Passing the museum, the
road is enclosed by forest on both sides, framing
a view of Bloomfield. The road makes a sweeping
turn right as it passes Bloomfield, and climbs.
Passing Oakleigh, located on a rise on the west, long
views across fields can be glimpsed from the house,
and a mature holly orchard, planted in the 1950s, is
seen to the east.
On the east side of the road, Cloverly and its barn
can be glimpsed through the trees edging the road.
The road descends toward a small stream, turning
abruptly left before reaching it. As the road turns,
the pavement narrows as it passes into a tunnel
of trees. A culvert crosses under the road as it
continues north alongside the stream. The views
across the wooded stream valley dominate on the
east as the road ends in a private driveway.

Bentley Road

Traffic: The 2002 Average Daily Traffic volume

for Bentley Road was 940 trips. Three lots for new
single-family dwellings were approved along the
road.

Holly Orchard

Bentley Road Map

Sweeping bend at Bloomfield

Sandy Spring Rural Village Plan October 2014

45

Exceptional Rustic Roads

Criteria

Meeting House Road

This Plan recommends changing Meeting House
Road from Rustic Road to an Exceptional Rustic
Road.

The criteria established for exceptional

rustic roads by County Code, Chapter
49, Article 8, includes the following:
1. Qualifies as a rustic road;
2. Contributes significantly to the
natural, agricultural or historic
characteristics of the County;
3. Has unusual features found on few
other roads in the County; and
4. Would be more negatively affected
by improvements or modifications
to the physical characteristics of the

Justification: Meeting House Road is one of the

oldest roads in the County. It is a narrow road
intended for local use with a traffic volume and
accident history consistent with a rustic designation.
The road has outstanding historic value, natural
features and farm views. The unusual features
include narrow pavement, mature trees and the
historic Meeting House. The character of the
road would be negatively affected by making
improvements to it. Meeting House Road meets the
criteria for an Exceptional Rustic Road.

road than would most other roads in

the Rustic Roads program.

Sandy Spring Meeting House

46

Planning Board Draft

Significant Features
Historic roadway alignment/narrow pavement
Relationship of the Sandy Spring Meeting
House to the road and the views of the building
The mature trees lining the road
Description: Meeting House Road intersects with
MD 108 at Brooke Road. Near that intersection,
the road has 20 feet of asphalt pavement, curbs and
gutters. As the road passes the Montgomery Mutual
Building, the curbs end and the pavement narrows
to 12 feet. The road continues within easements
through the Sandy Spring Meeting House property
and south to the Harewood site. The road ends at
the Northwest Branch Stream Valley Park. There
are no shoulders, centerlines or edge markings on
any part of the road. In addition to the Exceptional

Rustic Road designation, the section of Meeting

House Road from MD 108 to the south Meeting
property line is located within the Sandy Spring
Historic District. The inclusion of this portion
of the road within the district is also intended to
preserve the rural character of the road including its
width, design and landscaping.
Evaluation
History: Meeting House Road originated as a path
to the Sandy Spring shortly after the village was first
settled in 1728. By the mid 1740s, it had become
a route to Quaker meetings held near the spring.
The Sandy Spring Meeting House was formally
established in 1753 and in 1770, James Brooke
conveyed land for a meeting house that already
stood on the property. The deed specified that the
Quaker congregation and others were to have free
access to the land and buildings, in order to use,
build upon and repair them for worship.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the road
became rural Sandy Springs cultural, spiritual and
institutional artery, as schools, farms, replacement
brick meeting house, early post office, lecture hall,
fire insurance company and bank were established
along it. There are several historic resources along
the road. The Sandy Spring Historic District
(28/11), including a portion of the road, has been
designated on the Montgomery County Master Plan
for Historic Preservation, as have two historic sites,
Harewood (28/35) and The Sandy Spring (28/36),
all in 1988. Harewood, Auburn, the Lyceum,
cemetery and 1904 fire insurance building were

Plan Recommendations
found in 2011 to be eligible as individual sites for
the National Register of Historic Places (M: 28-118). The Sandy Spring Meeting House was listed on
the National Register in 1972.
Driving Experience: The entry onto Meeting House
Road at MD 108 is closely flanked by the 1904 fire
insurance building and 1930 fire station. Passing
those and the Montgomery Mutual Building, the
pavement narrows and the road enters the Sandy
Spring Meeting property; the historic Community
House and cemetery are on the east, with a former
County champion tulip-poplar in the cemetery
visible from the road. The Meeting House sits
on the edge of the pavement, facing the road. A
wooded parking loop is on the west. Continuing
south, the narrow pavement is bordered by mature
trees beyond the Meeting House and through the
Auburn property. In addition to the Auburn house,
a notable brick barn is on the left, and a long
view across a field appears on the right. Beyond a
second barn, trees enclose the road, the driveway
to Harewood forks to the right and the road turns
left and climbs, becoming an unpaved driveway as
it enters the Northwest Branch Stream Valley Park.
The driveway emerges on the edge of a field at the
crest of a hill, offering panoramic views. The paved
portion narrows to a rocky track as it curves right
and descends down a long slope under a narrow
canopy of trees leading to The Sandy Spring.
Traffic: The 2014 Average Daily Traffic volume for
Meeting House Road is 800 trips.

Meeting House Road

Former County Champion Tulip Poplar

Meeting House Road Map

Sandy Spring Rural Village Plan October 2014

47

Bikeways/ Sidewalks/ Transit

This Plan recommends enhancing mobility for
pedestrians and bicyclists by providing a network
that links open spaces, parks, village core and
other community destinations within the regional
network.
The Countywide Bikeways Functional Master
Plan (CBFMP) recommends a shared-use bike
path along MD 108. The path exists on the Sandy
Spring Museum property. This Plan supports the
recommendation for a eight-foot wide shared-use

Bicycle Classifications Map

48

Planning Board Draft

path on the north side of MD 108 connecting the

elementary school to the high school. The existing
sidewalk on the south side of MD 108 will remain.
This Plan confirms the proposed shared road bicycle
route on Brooke Road, which will allow vehicles
and bicycles to use the road together without extra
pavement. There is an existing eight-foot wide
shared-use path on the Volunteer Fire Department
property which is recommended to connect to
MD 108 and residences to the north. Sidewalks
are recommended on the west side of Brooke Road

Plan Recommendations
connecting residences outside of the planning area
to Olney Sandy Spring Road (MD 108).
The planning area is served by the Z2 Metrobus.
This route connects the Silver Spring Metro Station
to Olney at MD 97 and MD 108. The bus travels
along Colesville Road to New Hampshire Avenue,
continuing west on MD 108 to Norwood Road.
There are several bus stops located within this Plan.
This Plan supports the continuation of Metrobus
service within the planning area and any sidewalk,
bicycle and road improvements that need to be
made to accommodate bus service.
Trail Connections
This Plan strongly supports the 1998 Master
Plan goal of providing land uses that offer ample
opportunities for social interaction and promote a
strong sense of community (page 8, 1998 Plan).
Parks, open spaces and Rural Legacy/Rachel
Carson/Underground Railroad Trail provide
connections that build on the communitys strong
sense of identity as a rural area and its heritage.

The regional trail system includes the Northwest

Branch and Rural Legacy Trails. The Northwest
Branch Trail provides a connection between the
Northwest Branch stream valley park to the south
and the Hawlings River stream valley park to the
north. The Rural Legacy Trail connects Woodlawn
Manor Park to Sherwood High School at MD
108 (through Auburn Village Neighborhood) and
continues to the Sandy Spring Museum.
The Plan recommends that this trail also extend
from Meeting House Road to MD 108, on existing
pavement, to Brooke Road and eventually tie in
with the existing Northwest Branch Trail near the
Hawlings River and Rachel Carson Park. The Plan
recommends the following:
Provide Rural Legacy/Rachel Carson/
Underground Railroad Trail extension on
Meeting House Road to MD 108, on existing
pavement, to Brooke Road.
Maintain Rural Legacy Trail from Woodlawn
Manor Park to Sherwood High School through
Auburn Village Neighborhood.

Examples of shared-use paths

Bicycle Classifications
Route

Name

Location

DB-49

Olney Sandy Spring Road

(MD 108) Ashton

Western to eastern plan

boundary

PB-68

Brooke Road

Olney Sandy Spring Road

(MC 108) to northern plan
boundary

Bikeway Location
Dual Bikeway: Signed
Shared Roadway and
Shared-Use Path
Signed Shared Roadway

Status
Proposed (Shared-use
path exists only on the
museum property)
Proposed

Sandy Spring Rural Village Plan October 2014

49

Parks and Open Space Concepts

The Plan recommends a mix of small and large
open spaces connected by a system of sidewalks,
building setbacks, shared-use paths and trails.

Proposed Village Green Concept:

An open space located south of the fire
station.

Proposed Townhouse Setback

Ross Boddy Community Recreation

Center on Brooke Road
50

Planning Board Draft

The Plan recommends a village green in the Village

Core adjacent to the wooded southern portion
of the Volunteer Fire Station site. In the Village
Core, the proposed Village Green adjacent to the
new fire station will provide a place for both social
interaction and individual contemplation. This
space will be developed as a part of revitalization
along the north side of MD 108. It may have a
combination of landscape, hardscape and shade
trees, and provide areas for seating. Buildings may
be located along the eastern edge of the green, and
they will have ground-floor openings that engage
the public space. Large gatherings may occur here
when Rural Legacy/Rachel Carson/Underground
Railroad Trail users spill out onto the Village Green.
The Meeting House grounds also serve as gathering
space for events associated with the Meeting House.
Smaller, informal spaces in the Village Core
are also recommended in the Plan. At the
western Plan boundary, residential open space
(townhouse setbacks) on both sides of MD 108
are recommended with shade trees and benches to
provide residential setbacks similar to those that
already exist on the north side of MD 108.
For the Residential Neighborhood, the Plan
recommends public use space along MD 108 that
includes sidewalks, bike lanes, street trees and a

landscaped panel. In the Cultural Neighborhood,

the Plan confirms the open space on the museum
site to be used for community-wide events, such as
the Strawberry Festival and farmers market. The
Plan recommends the following:
Create a village green (1/4 to 1/2 acre in size)
in the Village Core in conjunction with the
existing fire station open space on Brooke Road
to serve as a focal point for the Rural Legacy
Trail as it reaches the village center.
Provide small gathering spaces or setbacks with
shade trees and benches for new residential
development on the western boundary of the
Village Core along MD 108.
Retain existing open space at the museum and
Sandy Spring Meeting House.
Provide sidewalks and a shared use path to serve
as open space and to connect the open spaces.
Community Facilities
Recreation
Recreation facilities are adequate to serve the areas
needs. The greater Sandy Spring area is served
by several recreation facilities. Some are located
nearby but outside the Plan area. These include
the Ross Boddy Community Recreation Center,
Olney Manor Recreation Park and Swim Center,
Ednor Local Park and Manor Oak Park. The Ross
Boddy Community Recreation Center is located off
Brooke Road. This facility also serves the Ashton,
Brookeville and Olney areas. The facility offers a
variety of activities, classes and programs for people

Plan Recommendations

Regional Connections Map

Sandy Spring Rural Village Plan October 2014

51

History of Fire Protection in

Sandy Spring
The predominately agricultural
community of Sandy Spring
lost many structures and crops
to fire, having no means to
control it. Neighbors would
rally to each others aid during
such emergencies, and while
this demonstrated the ability of
neighbors helping neighbors and
pulling the community together, it
also illustrated the increasing need
for organized fire protection.
Excerpt from the Sandy
Spring Volunteer Fire
Department website

Former Fire Station 4: The old

station has been adaptively reused as
commercial space with cafe seating in
front.
52

Planning Board Draft

of all ages, with many activities designed especially

for youth and families. Outdoor facilities include a
baseball field, two sand volleyball courts, a tennis
court and full length outdoor basketball courts. The
grounds can be rented for family picnics and other
outdoor events.
In addition, there are outdoor recreation facilities
within the greater Sandy Spring/Ashton area at
Sherwood Elementary and Sherwood High Schools.
These facilities are available to residents after school
hours. Along with the schools, there are several
ballfields in the area. Other parks with recreation in
the general area include Greenwood Local Park in
Olney and Cloverly Local Park.
Police
The Sandy Spring area is served by the Wheaton/
Glenmont District 4 police station. The facility is
located at the intersection of Randolph Road and
Georgia Avenue. Additional facilities are not needed
or being recommended to serve the area.
Fire and Rescue
Fire prevention has long been a Sandy Spring
hallmark. Chartered in 1925, the fire station covers
the following areas: Sandy Spring, Olney, Ashton,
Brookeville and Ednor. Fire and Rescue services
are currently provided from a new station located
on the seven acres of land at 17900 Brooke Road.
Opened in 2001, the building has three drivethrough-bays, spacious offices and living, dormitory
and meeting areas. Station 4 also includes the
Oakroom Ballroom that can be rented for civic

functions. The existing fire station is sufficient

to serve the build-out of Sandy Spring based on
current and future population projections.
Library Facility
Sandy Spring is served by the Olney Branch Library
located on Olney Laytonsville Road (MD 108).
The recently renovated and expanded library
opened to the public in March 2014 and adequately
serves the areas needs. Exterior features include
improved handicapped accessibility and a repaved
parking area. The facilitys interior features include
a larger childrens room, a separate teen area with
seating, new group study and tutor rooms, and a
program room in the childrens area. Also included
with the renovation is a new 100-seat meeting
room for the community to use. The library has
a bridge overlooking a landscaped bio-retention
pond for stormwater management and several other
pedestrian walkways and public use areas.
Public Schools
The Plan area is served by Sherwood Elementary
School, Farquhar Middle School and Sherwood
High School. This Plan accommodates 150 new
residential units that could generate up to 24
elementary school students (grades K-5), 13 middle
school students (grades 6-8) and 18 high school
students (grades 9-12). A revitalized/expanded
Farquhar Middle School is scheduled to open in
August 2016. All schools in the Sherwood cluster
are currently within capacity and will adequately
serve the area in the future.

IMPLEMENTATION
The Plan supports the preservation of the historic
rural village character of Sandy Spring while
creating a mixed-use village center that serves as a
focal point for community life. In support of the
goal, the following land use and zoning changes are
recommended:
Retain R-200 and the majority of the R-60
Zoning.
Retain the RE-1, RE-2, and RC Zoning.
Propose a Zoning Text Amendment for Cultural
Institutions in the RC Zone.
Rezone a small amount of the R-60 and all
C-2,C-1, and O-M to the CRN Zone.
Remove the SSA Overlay Zone from Sandy
Spring.

Zoning
Retain R-200 and the Majority of the R-60 Zoning
This Plan recommends retaining these existing
residential zones to keep the residential character
along MD 108. These zones create a strong housing
presence in the Sandy Spring Rural Village. The
Plan recommends:
Cluster development to preserve
environmentally sensitive areas.
Provide infill housing for all ages and incomes.
Front houses onto MD 108.

The Sandy Spring Museum

Retain RE-1, RE-2, and RC Zoning
This Plan recommends retaining the large lot
residential and agricultural zones found along the
eastern portion of the Sandy Spring Rural Village
area in order to protect the rural character and
forest conservation area. These zones create a strong
low-density edge to the village core, limit expansion
of the commercial areas and reduce the negative
environmental impacts on the Patuxent River
Watershed. The Plan recommends:
Low-density development.
Cluster development to preserve
environmentally sensitive areas.
Zoning Text Amendment for Cultural Institutions in the
RC Zone
A primary purpose of the RC Zone is to protect
sensitive areas and agricultural uses. The Sandy
Spring Museum, located in the R-C Zone, preserves
approximately half of its seven-acre site in forest
conservation. The property is adjacent to low
density neighbors (RC, RNC, RE-1 and RE-2) with
large setbacks and wooded areas. The site is defined
as the eastern edge of the rural entry into the Plan
area.
The Museum is identified as a Cultural Institution
in the Zoning Ordinance. According to the

The Sandy Spring Museum is a

place where people can develop
meaningful connections by exploring
community history through the
visual, literary and performing
arts. The museum began when a
group of residents noticed that the
communitys history was being sold
off with every passing of a longtime resident. The organization was
incorporated in 1981 by volunteers
who set up shop in the basement of
the Sandy Spring Bank. For many
years, they operated out of the
bank, exhibiting artifacts in handmade cases and hosting many
lectures on local history.
(Source: Museum website www.
sandyspringmuseum.org)

Exhibit at the Sandy Spring Museum

Sandy Spring Rural Village Plan October 2014

53

Ordinance, Cultural Institutions are uses where

works of art or other objects are kept and displayed,
or where books, periodicals and other materials
are offered for reading, viewing, listening, study or
reference, but not typically offered for sale.

Sandy Spring Museum: Desires to

have living demonstrations on site such
as working blacksmiths.

Existing Zoning Map Prior to

October 30, 2014
54

Planning Board Draft

The Sandy Spring Museum desires to allow

artisan manufacturing and production and sale
of goods that are not permitted under current
zoning. The Zoning Ordinance defines artisan
manufacturing and production as: the manufacture
and production of commercial goods by a manual

worker or crafts person, such as jewelry, metalwork,

cabinetry, stained glass, textiles, ceramics or
handmade food products. Artisan manufacturing
and production do not include any activity that
causes noise, odor or vibration to be detectable on a
neighboring property.
The sale of merchandise, on site production of
arts and crafts, and living history demonstrations
occur in other zones in the County. Allowed in the
County Inn Zone, blacksmiths can operate and sell
merchandise. Ancillary buildings like barns and

Implementation
houses are often located in the Country Inn Zone.
The museum site includes a brick house and a
barn on their property. It is desired to hold the
demonstrations in the barn located on the museum
property. Equally desirable would be to sell the
artists merchandise on the property.
The house can permit up to five unrelated people
living on site, an artist studio with up to five
unrelated people living in the house, bed and
breakfast, rural antique shop, home occupation (low
impact) and guest house. The museum would like

to utilize its entire site. A text amendment would

clarify the sale of such demonstrations and artist
manufactured items on a museum property located
in the RC Zone.
The County boasts other museums such as Glen
Echo Park, Button Farm and Mooseum that sell
artists goods and other on-site crafts. Allowing
artisan and other living history demonstrations
at the Sandy Spring Museum as a limited use will
provide insight into the agricultural past of the
community.

Proposed Zoning Map

Sandy Spring Rural Village Plan October 2014

55

This Plan recommends a zoning text amendment

to permit Cultural Institutions and their ancillary
buildings (barns and house) to allow artisan
manufacturing and production in the RC Zone as a
limited use.

O-M and R-60 Zones in the Village Core with the

CRN Zone with a FAR between 0.25 and 0.75 In
addition, C-2 zoning along Bentley Road and to the
east of Auburn Village Drive will be replaced with
the CRN Zone.

CRN Zone
This Plan proposes to replace the commercial zoning
and a small amount of residential zoning in the
Village Core with the CRN Zone along both sides
of Olney Sandy Spring Road (MD 108), along the
east side of Brooke Road. The CRN Zone permits
a mix of residential and non-residential uses at
varying densities and heights. The zone:

Why the CRN Zone?

Recently developed for areas of the County like
Sandy Spring where there are smaller properties,
lower densities and more challenging economic
conditions, the Commercial/Residential
Neighborhood Zone (CRN) identifies a total floor
area ratio (FAR), residential FAR, non-residential
FAR and maximum heights for each property. The
CRN Zone has consistent land uses and densities
with the SSA Overlay Zone. The maximum total,
non-residential and residential densities, and
maximum height for any property is shown on the
zoning map. The CRN Zone is designed to:

Targets opportunities for redevelopment of

single-use areas with a mix of uses.
Reduces dependence on the automobile by
encouraging development that integrates a
combination of housing types, mobility options,
commercial services and public facilities and
amenities.
Allows a mix of uses, a variety of densities and
building heights appropriate to a rural context.
Ensures compatible relationships with adjoining
neighborhoods.
Allows an appropriate balance of employment
and housing opportunities.
In the Village Core, the CRN Zone will allow
additional uses and provide more flexible
development standards. Specifically, the Plan
recommends replacing the existing C-2, C-1,
56

Planning Board Draft

Provide greater flexibility to respond to current

market conditions.
Provide more certainty about density and
building height.
Provide a mix of commercial uses and housing
opportunities.
Support infill and adaptive reuse of buildings.
Provide neighborhood protections.
Allow development at a scale of a village.
The CRN Zone will provide a mix of uses,
including housing, in the revitalized commercial
properties on the north side of MD 108. The CRN

Implementation
Zone will also help to establish street-oriented retail,
public gathering spaces and a variety of building
heights along MD 108.

Provide design flexibility.

Continue the land uses and patterns that
characterize rural settlements.

Removal of the Overlay Zone

The 1998 Sandy Spring-Ashton Master Plan created
the SSA Overlay Zone. The adopted Overlay Zone
was tailored to the specific needs of Sandy Spring/
Ashton without affecting the other rural places in
the County. The purpose of the Overlay Zone is to:

This Plan recommends the removal of the SSA

Overlay Zone within the Plan area as the CRN
Zone provides the mix of uses needed to establish
a successful village center, while achieving the
purposes of the overlay zone. The following table
below provides a comparison of the SSA Overlay
Zone to the CRN Zone. The Overlay Zone will
remain on the areas outside this Plan area, including
Ashton.

Address zoning issues related to enhancing rural

village character.

Comparison of the Sandy Spring/Ashton Overlay Zone with the CRN Zone
Overlay
Zone

CRN
Zone

1. Flexibility to create better design with site plan review

Yes

Yes1

2. Flexibility in siting to allow parking in conjunction with commercial uses to

float between certain adjacent properties to the most desirable locations
on the site if the master plan so recommends

Yes

Yes

24-30 feet

45 feet maximum

Yes

Yes

3. Height limit consistent with the Sandy Spring Historic District and an
appropriate FAR limit for the size and scale of the village center
4. Exclusion of new auto-oriented or typically large-scale uses that are
inconsistent with traditional rural development patterns with flexibility to
ensure the continuation of existing uses through grandfathering

1
Site plan review for buildings over 10,000 square feet and height greater than or equal to 40 feet.

Sandy Spring Rural Village Plan October 2014

57

Design Checklist

10
Build
to Area

80 R.O.W.

MD 108 Build-to-Area

Garrett Park, MD: Adaptive reuse of an

existing building into a retail use.

Laurel, MD: Retail/office building

along main street that has traditional
architectural elements, such as front
porches and gabled roofs.
58

Planning Board Draft

This Design Checklist is a summary of the Plan

Recommendations that were developed through
extensive community outreach process during the
creation of the Sandy Spring Rural Village Plan.
The checklist does not mandate the exact form and
location of buildings, connections and open space.
The checklist is intended to be a convenient resource
for all stakeholders, including community members,
property owners and reviewers, to help create an
attractive public realm that is compatible with and
enhances the historic character of the Sandy Spring
community. Stakeholders are encouraged to provide
revitalization solutions that exceed the suggestions
established in the checklist. The Design Checklist is
divided into three areas: buildings, connections and
open space.
Buildings
Buildings define the street with appropriate
architectural elements. They provide visual interest
for pedestrians. Any building renovations or new
infill in the Sandy Spring Rural Village should
consider the following:
Adaptive reuse of structures that add historic
character and maintain their historic integrity.
Placing new buildings within the build-to-area
which extends 10 feet behind the ROW along
MD 108 and 20 feet behind streets intersecting
MD 108.

Providing new and renovated mixed-use

buildings that define the street edges and create
active street fronts.
Orienting primary building facades toward
streets (secondary facades are located to the rear
and sides of buildings).
Locating primary entrances to building so that
they face public streets. Ground-floors should
have active fronts that engage the public realm.
Providing entrances to upper story uses along
public streets.
Encouraging architectural styles compatible
with the existing buildings in the Sandy Spring
Rural Village, including the Sandy Spring
Historic District.
Incorporating traditional architectural elements
on buildings, such as porches, stoops, bay
windows, dormer windows and cupolas.
Varying building heights and massing to achieve
visual interest and a distinct building character
(buildings should reflect the scale and character
of existing structures and be between one and
three stories in height).
Providing a signature building with architectural
embellishment to any new development along
the northeast corner of the intersection of
Brooke Road and MD 108.
Providing greater window transparency at the
street level to any new mixed-use buildings.
Providing signage that is an integral part of a
building faade, complements it and does not
obstruct key architectural features.

Implementation
Connections
Great streets have active and vibrant public spaces
and storefronts, accommodate multiple users and
connect to a larger street network. In order to create
a true main street within the Sandy Spring Rural
Village, the follow should be considered:
Eliminating the parking between the ROW and
buildings with revitalization of properties.
Providing continuous sidewalks along both sides
of MD 108.
Ensuring appropriate paving materials for
sidewalks that complement the traditional
architecture of the Sandy Spring Rural Village.
Providing a continuous shared-use path on the
north side of MD 108.
Encouraging a secondary connection on the
north parallel to MD 108.
Providing shade trees in tree boxes in the Village
Core Neighborhood and continuous tree
planting strips in the Residential and Cultural
Neighborhoods.
Encouraging additional crosswalks within the
Sandy Spring Rural Village.
Providing appropriate pedestrian-scaled,
coordinated lighting and wayfinding signage
along the entire stretch of MD 108 within the
Sandy Spring Rural Village Plan.
Allowing for areas with caf seating/street
furniture.

Open Space
Open spaces provide places for community
gatherings. The following should be considered
within the community:
Creating a small gateway open space that serves
a transition from the rural western entry near
the intersection of MD 108 and Norwood Road
to the Sandy Spring Rural Village.
Incorporating a village green space of
approximately 1/4 acres on the north side of
MD 108 with a combination of landscape,
hardscape and ample space for large shade trees
and seating areas.
Providing appropriate paving materials for
sidewalks that complement the traditional
architecture of the Sandy Spring Rural Village.
Supplying appropriate pedestrian-scaled lighting
for the open space.

Front in parking along MD 108

Special paving in front of the Sandy

Spring National Bank

Kentlands, MD: The open space is a vibrant gathering

area with a combination of landscape and hardscape.

Shared-use path in front of the Sandy

Spring Museum

Sandy Spring Rural Village Plan October 2014

59

Revitalization Grants
Sustainable Communities: The
State of Maryland has a Maryland
Sustainable Community program.
Sustainable Communities are
entitled to benefits that can help
revitalize them and protect their
historic character, including
income tax credits under certain
circumstances for qualifying
rehabilitation expenses for historic
and non-historic buildings. Most of
the Sandy Spring Rural Village Plan
area is within a Priority Funding area
(excluding the 1895 bank building
and 1904 fire insurance building),
which is a threshold requirement for
becoming a Sustainable Community.
This Plan recommends extending
the Priority Funding Area to the
entire Plan area.
Montgomery County Heritage
Area: The Sandy Spring Rural
Village Plan is located within the
Underground Railroad and Quaker
Cluster Certified Heritage Area
(CHA) and is eligible for funding
of various heritage tourism and
revitalization activities.

60

Planning Board Draft

Sewer and Water

This Plan confirms the 1998 Master Plan
recommendation of providing community water
and sewer service for properties in the Plan area.
The 1998 Plan recommended that sewer service
for properties within the Patuxent Watershed be
provided by extensions from the existing Northwest
Branch sewerage system, which also includes the
Sandy Spring Meadows and James Creek wastewater
pumping stations. This Plan recommends:
Provide water and sewer to commercial, mixed
commercial residential uses and residential uses
within the Plan area.

Capital Improvements Program

The Capital Improvements Program (CIP) should
implement the following recommendations:
Street and Intersection Improvements
MD 108 Sidewalk, Safety, and Resurfacing
Project (SHA, MCDOT, property owners)
Brooke Road Sidewalk, Shared Use Path and
Safety Improvements (MCDOT, property
owners)
Sidewalks, Signage, and Landscape Improvements
SHA Community Safety and Enhancement
Program (SHA, MCDOT)
Transportation Alternatives Program including
Safe Routes to Schools (SHA, MCDOT)
MCDOT Bikeway Program (MCDOT)

National Recreational Trails Program (SHA)

Maryland Sustainable Community designation
(M-NCPPC)
Priority Funding Area extension (M-NCPPC)
Wayfinding and interpretive signage (Heritage
Montgomery)
Property Owner Participation
Sidewalk, landscape improvements, and traffic
calming measures (SHA, MCDOT, property
owners)
Open Spaces
Open spaces (property owners)
Shades of Green designation (M-NCPPC)
Utilities
Lighting and utility relocation (Pepco, SHA,
MCDOT, property owners)
Sewer and water (WSSC, property owners)
Housing
New market rate housing (property owners,
HOC)
Historic Site Preservation, Rehabilitation, and Restoration
Grants and loans for acquisition, preservation,
development, or restoration (Heritage
Montgomery, private foundations)
Loans from revenue bond proceeds (Heritage
Montgomery)
Heritage Preservation Tax Credit for structures
not already designated locally or in the
National Register of Historic Places (Heritage
Montgomery)

Elected and Appointed Officials

County Council
Craig Rice, President
George Leventhal, Vice-President
Phil Andrews
Roger Berliner
Cherri Branson
Marc Elrich
Nancy Floreen
Nancy Navarro
Hans Riemer
County Executive
Isiah Leggett
The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
Elizabeth M. Hewlett, Chair
Casey Anderson, Vice Chair
Commissioners
Montgomery County Planning Board Prince Georges County Planning Board
Casey Anderson, Chair
Elizabeth M. Hewlett, Chair
Marye Wells-Harley, Vice Chair
Dorothy F. Bailey, Vice Chair
Norman Dreyfuss Manuel R. Geraldo
Natali Fani-Gonzlez John P. Shoaff
Amy Presley A. Shuanise Washington

The Plan Process

Together with relevant policies, plans should be referred to by public

officials and private individuals when making land use decisions.

The Planning Board Draft Plan is the Boards recommended Plan and
reflects their revisions to the Public Hearing Draft Plan. The Regional
District Act requires the Planning Board to transmit a sector plan to the
County Council with copies to the County Executive who must, within
sixty days, prepare and transmit a fiscal impact analysis of the Planning
Board Draft Plan to the County Council. The County Executive may also
forward to the County Council other comments and recommendations.

The Staff Draft Plan is prepared by the Montgomery County Planning

Department for presentation to the Montgomery County Planning
Board. The Planning Board reviews the Staff Draft Plan, makes
preliminary changes as appropriate, and approves the Plan for public
hearing. After the Planning Boards changes are made, the document
becomes the Public Hearing Draft Plan.

After receiving the Executives fiscal impact analysis and comments, the
County Council holds a public hearing to receive public testimony. After
the hearing record is closed, the relevant Council committee holds public
worksessions to review the testimony and makes recommendations to the
County Council. The Council holds its own worksessions, then adopts a
resolution approving the Planning Board Draft Plan, as revised.

The Public Hearing Draft Plan is the formal proposal to amend

an adopted master plan or sector plan. Its recommendations are not
necessarily those of the Planning Board; it is prepared for the purpose of
receiving public testimony. The Planning Board holds a public hearing
and receives testimony, after which it holds public worksessions to review
the testimony and revise the Public Hearing Draft Plan as appropriate.
When the Planning Boards changes are made, the document becomes the
Planning Board Draft Plan.

After Council approval the plan is forwarded to the Maryland-National

Capital Park and Planning Commission for adoption. Once adopted by
the Commission, the plan officially amends the master plans, functional
plans, and sector plans cited in the Commissions adoption resolution.

A plan provides comprehensive recommendations for the use of publicly

and privately owned land. Each plan reflects a vision of the future that
responds to the unique character of the local community within the
context of a countywide perspective.

Acknowledgements
Gwen Wright, Director
Rose Krasnow, Deputy Director
Project Team, Area 3 Division
John Carter, Chief
Kristin OConnor, Lead Planner
Roberto Duke, Urban Design
Rebecca Boone, Principal Administrative Assistant
Fred Boyd, Planner Coordinator
Jonathan Casey, Senior Planner
Michael Garcia, Transportation
Katherine Holt, Transportation *
Katherine Nelson, Environment
Leslie Saville, Senior Planner

Department of Parks, Park Planning
Rachel Newhouse, Park Planner
Historic Preservation Division
Sandra Youla, Senior Planner
Research and Special Projects Division
Richard Liu, Master Planner
Pam Zorich, Planner Coordinator

Legal
Christina Sorrento, Associate General Counsel
Management Services Division
Deborah Dietsch, Editor
Sam Dixon, Senior Graphic Designer
Brian Kent, CAD/GIS Support Specialist
Bridget Schwiesow, Communications Manager
Special Thanks To:
Sandy Spring Civic Association
Sandy Spring Museum
Sandy Spring Friends School
Sandy Spring Meeting House Staff
Miche Booz, Architect
Residents, property owners and business owners that
attended meetings, participated in the workshop and
assisted with drafting the Sandy Spring Rural Village
Plan
*Former Employee

PLANNING BOARD DRAFT

Sandy Spring Rural Village Plan

Prepared by the Montgomery County Planning Department

October 2014

montgomeryplanning.org/sandyspring