Burtonsville Market Study

and
Consumer Shopping Survey

Final Report Summary

Prepared for Montgomery County
Department of Housing & Community Affairs

Burtonsville

Department of Housing & Community Affairs

Montgomery County, Maryland
100 Maryland Avenue, 4th Floor
Rockville, Maryland 20850
Phone: 240-777-3600 Potomac Incorporated
www.montgomerycountymd.gov
October 2007
 Based on Interviews and Consumer Shopping Survey
Beautification • Outdoor fountain “where people can congre-
• Beautify, modernize, streetscape, and green gate” - incorporate with Master Plan’s ‘Public
Square’ family gathering place.
Burtonsville’s central core with an overall plan
– predominant role for local government – • Consider a community center for children and
including ‘facelift’ or new facades along MD for adult education and senior citizens’ activi-
198. ties.
• Foster synergy between the revitalizing Bur- ♦Indoor sports, bingo, arts and crafts
tonsville Shopping Center and MD 198 shops classes.
and restaurants.
♦Teen club.
More Food Market Choices
Attractive signage
• Giant at Burtonsville Crossing a mainstay.
• Along US 29 and MD 198.
• Consumers express need for more food store
choices. • Park and Ride (behind Burtonsville Crossing).

Retain the Amish Market • Unite the community.

• Amish Market is integral to Burtonsville com- Web Site

munity identity– bridging early days as farming • Create excitement online about amenities and
center to present suburban lifestyle evolving changes.
as a village center.
Branding Campaign
• County asked to work with residents and busi-
• Signage and web site anchor cohesive cam-
ness community to find suitable location for
paign to uplift downtown image.
Amish Market in Burtonsville area.
• Enlist local media to feature best of historic
Park, Playgrounds for Sports, Health, Relaxa-
and new Burtonsville.
tion
• Exercise and fitness activities – bowling, • Use ‘Burtonsville’ name with amenities.
hiker-biker paths, gym, swimming, games,
horseback riding, fishing and miniature golf.
• Tennis, soccer, football, basketball.
Align Community, Culture, Arts
• Consider declaring Burtonsville a “renovation
district” – gateway to Montgomery from How-
ard, Prince George’s counties and Baltimore.
• Community leaders would like County to be a
partner in a multi-cultural center for theater,
dance hall, arts studio, quality crafts and an-
tique shows to enrich community life; serve as
museum to preserve Burtonsville’s history.
• Feature live music, including jazz.
Figure 1 Map

-2- -11-
 Community Recommendations — Burtonsville Market Study The elements of the combined study, in the
and Consumer Shopping Survey order of completion in 2007, are:
Physical Space Connect Burtonsville through Walkable
• Detailed interviews with local community
Streets, Bikeways, Local Transit, and Acces-
• Create village square or center with focal The Montgomery County Department of Hous- members and business owners that un-
sible Roads
point like a fountain and ‘homey feel’ where covered insightful recommendations about
ing and Community Affairs (DHCA), in conjunc-
local folks can gather, see neighbors, have • Pedestrian improvements and sidewalks . possible changes and improvements to the
fun, shop, eat at restaurants and cafes, and tion with the Department of Economic Develop- commercial core.
• Sidewalks must be walkable – no more than ment (DED), undertook a three-pronged market
learn new things.
400 feet in length. No super blocks! • A neighborhood phone survey among 500
research study with Potomac Incorporated of
Parking Possibilities residents living within three miles of the
• Requiring cross streets will give more front- Bethesda to determine what the residents and
• More shops and restaurants will require age “like a village” to build on. business owners envision for Burtonsville, to
US 29 and MD 198 intersection that exam-
additional parking. ined current shopping habits and behavior
• Shade trees and other landscaping should examine the impact of US 29 and MD 198
• “Parking is the constraint on development – enhance the walking experience. as well as preferences for future retail and
transportation changes, and to assess future
It affects the types of businesses that are service opportunities.
Traffic Improvements retail directions and opportunities for Burtons-
attracted.”
ville. Once a rural community, then a suburban
• Adjust traffic light timing along US 29 and • A market evaluation examining retail con-
• County suggested to explore suitable park- crossroads, Burtonsville has the potential to
MD 198 for safer entry and egress. ditions, trends, market demand, a prime
ing arrangements to accommodate custom- become a vibrant village center through public/
ers’ access to stores from the front instead • Install light between two existing lights along trade area with pertinent demographics
private investment and enterprise.
of the rear of the property. MD 198 west of US 29. and both public service and retail needs
• Concept for consideration: Assign business • Slow down traffic on MD 198. important for the next planning stage.
or property owners credit for parking, calcu-
• Incorporate a center lane along MD 198 to
lating how many spaces will be lost during
make left and right turns.
redevelopment.
• Set up lanes and trails – “Cycle Avenues” –
Environmental Protection
for bicyclists.
• Address stormwater drainage issues.
• If feasible to fund, the County could link
• Improve flood plain on MD 198; other storm- Park and Ride lot behind Burtonsville Cross-
water issues in commercial area. ing to shopping district with free shuttle like
• To protect air quality, consider installing Bethesda Trolley or Downtown Silver Spring
roundabouts or circles at certain traffic lights Van Go.
to cut down on idling of truck, bus, auto en- Development Process
gines.
• Streamline and simplify at County level.
• Enforce existing environmental ordinances,
• Enable and encourage incentives at County
including recycling by businesses. NOTE:
level and by M/NCPPC – including green
Montgomery County is expected to legislate
tape incentives.
energy efficiency and conservation meas-
ures; put Burtonsville in forefront. • Provide tools for businesses and property
owners to improve buildings.
More Restaurants
• “More and better restaurants” – more • Provide financial compensation or assis-
stores/service is desired in Burtonsville. tance for impact during construction.

• Vital ingredient for a vibrant center where • Compensate landlords to reduce tenants’
rent during construction. Figure 2—Burtonsville Shopping Area
people can gather.
• Include variety of eating establishments: • Modify entrances and exits so that busi-
upscale, family, ethnic, cafes. nesses are not cut off.
-10- -3-
 road and to better integrate its design in terms
Study findings are condensed in this booklet, Burtonsville Shopping Center (currently 49,400 neighborhoods and perpetuates Burtonsville as of and place-making while considering alterna-
which offers a summarized market evaluation sf, with plans to expand to 150,000 sf) features a the principal and historic place at an accessible tives.
and community recommendations based on Dutch Country Farmers Market (open Thursday crossroads designation. At the same time, the
through Saturday), a CVS Pharmacy, a US Post Burtonsville community will benefit from the ex- There is still room for limited retail expansion in
responses to both the interviews and to the Burtonsville. The challenge will be to get more
Office and smaller retailers (County liquor store, panding regional shopping opportunities within
consumer shopping survey. shoe repair shop, ice cream/donut store). The a reasonable distance. These regional shopping from less in terms of tenants that pay higher
one vacant space, formerly occupied by a bank, centers may be a traffic magnet requiring al- rents, goods and services that the community
Research and Data indicates overall occupancy of 90-95%. The de- tered and/or increased traffic handling consid- wants, and stores that make the area stand out
T h e M a r k e t Ar e a veloper is not recruiting tenants, however, as erations at levels higher than could be accom- in a market area with a growing variety of com-
1.The Market Area: The primary market area plans proceed for redevelopment. While the modated on Burtonsville’s local roads. petitive locations. In this situation the “retail vil-
(“PMA”) is the area within a ten-minute drive Dutch Market will not be part of the new center it lage” may be a better model than the “town
from Burtonsville. Because of the high-speed There are some specific tools that the County can center.”
is expected to include a major grocery store. use although most work best when there is agree-
Route 29 corridor this ten-minute drive reaches
north, just past Route 32, and south to Paint Burtonsville Crossing (129,700 sf) has a Giant ment on a central concept for the area:
Branch Park. It extends west to New Hamp- supermarket anchor and a range of neighbor-
• Shared parking: where there is market demand,
shire Avenue and east to I-95. Some busi- hood retailers (hair salon, mail center, liquor
nothing supports retail development and en-
nesses have smaller PMAs and some larger store, bank, dry cleaners, video rental. For ex-
hancement better than parking.
but this is the area from which most busi- ample, rents in this center (going forward) are in
nesses in Burtonsville derive 60-80% of their the range of $32-35 (plus $6 common area main- • Development of a central public space: Place-
trade. The restaurants have larger PMAs but tenance charge) and occupancy is approximately making is essential to foster the unique identity
the gas station has a smaller one, for example. 95%. of Burtonsville surrounded by established,
The map on the front cover shows the PMA in The neighborhood shopping area along Route emerging and larger mixed-use projects, such
relation to distances from the Route 29/Route 198 west of Route 29 is an assortment of small as Konterra, Laurel, Maple Lawn, Columbia,
198 intersection. businesses in Pike Center, Old Columbia Center, and Orchard Center.
the Shops at Burtonsville and free-standing • Streetscaping.
2. Population: The 10-minute drive includes stores, many of them residences converted to • Landscaping.
a 2007 population of 77,500, which grew at a commercial use, along the south side of Route
rate of 7.9% from 2000-2007 and is projected 198. These include: • Storm water drainage improvements.
to grow by 4.4% from 2007-2012. Median • A variety of restaurants, both sit-down (Cuba • Pedestrian and bikeway improvements.
household income in 2007 is estimated at de Ayer, Seibel’s, Old Hickory Grill, Maiwand • Signage – including directional and promotional.
$80,792. Kabob, Chapalas) and fast-food/delivery/
take-out (Domino’s, Papa Johns, Jerry’s
• Design assistance and coordination.
Average drive time to work is 39 minutes. Pizza and Subs, Subway, Chicken Basket, • Financial support for targeted businesses to
Homeowners make up 72.9% of households; Hunan Manor). stay and grow.
79% of dwelling units are single-family (half the Park and Planning staff is working on a “simplified
• Auto-related: car rental, auto service, gaso-
total are detached units). development procedure” for Burtonsville’s small
line/convenience.
property owners so that they won’t have to go
3. The Burtonsville Commercial District: • Personal services: beauty salon, dry clean- through the expensive and complex subdivision
Burtonsville’s commercial district comprises ers, nail care. process (although the procedure will probably have
two shopping centers and a neighborhood a property size limit of c. ½ acre, thereby excluding
• Hardware, furnishings, decorations (bedding,
shopping area along Old Columbia Pike the one owner who has assembled a group of prop-
carpeting).
(Route 198). The total retail square footage is erties).
approximately 320,000, putting the commercial • Specialty food market.
It is clear that the ring road with its limited street
area taken as a whole into the range of a • Liquor store. parking will not in itself divert shoppers and resi-
“super community center” (250,000 sf and dents from driving on Route 198 nor is it a phase in
higher, according to the Urban Land Institute, a larger program that will “allow Burtonsville to tran-
Dollars and Cents of Shopping Centers, 2004). sition into a town center.” However, plans for the
ring road seem to be moving forward. There is a
need to evaluate the impact and cost-benefit of this
-4- -9-
• The redesign of Route 29 capped Burtons-
communities.” (Source: Prospectus page I-8)
ville’s commercial growth and suggests
greater potential for specialized/destination The traffic analysis in this 2002 Prospectus
retail combined with neighborhood shopping. indicates that ring road traffic will be approxi-
Burtonsville can accommodate restaurants mately 10% of Route 198 traffic (estimated for
and specialty stores that do not require a mall year 2025, Average Annual Daily Traffic
location. [AADT] on 198 is projected at 37,700 vehicles;
for the ring road, AADT in the same year is
• In this situation the County - to the extent that estimated at only 3,800). (Source: Prospec-
there is space - should promote Burtonsville to tus, Appendix A-5)
small businesses that do not require mall des-
tinations, including: The use of the term “Town Center” or “town
♦ More and better restaurants. center” has been a confusing piece in the pub-
lic discussions in Burtonsville. Some have
♦ Salons, health spas and services. been talking about a retail place while others
♦ Furnishings, decorations. are discussing a public or cultural center. These centers are nearly full (occupancy is
approximately 90-95%). Rents are in the range
♦ Specialty personal supplies and services. Residents interviewed in the consumer phone
survey express their “need for more and better of $15-25 per square foot (gross) depending on
♦ Gifts, novelties. stores.” The responses of business leaders size, location and date of lease.
The pressures for improvements to Route 198 (March 7, 2007) reflect confusion on this point. 4. Competitive Locations: The competitive
are strong and increasing as traffic on 198 in Bur- It is important that someone explain the con- area includes (See Figure 1):
tonsville and Spencerville has grown significantly. cept of the Town Center and develop consen-
sus on what the term means and in what ways • Briggs-Chaney Market Place: 192,000 sf
State planning for Route 198 is closely related to anchored by Safeway and Ross Dress for
it could apply. This would lead to a discussion
the County’s planning for the proposed Less.
of what is possible in Burtonsville given con-
“Burtonsville access road” (also called the “ring
road”). If the County builds the ring road first,
straints on land and public investment. • Orchard Center, Cherry Hill Road: 425,000
then the State will probably want to eliminate ac- • The “retail” Town Center concept (in the style sf including Super Fresh and Target.
cess points to commercial properties from Route of Bowie, for example) is not viable. It would • Cherry Tree Crossing, Scaggsville: c.
198. The alternative, without the ring road, is to have required an area planning approach with 40,000 sf, a two-level center.
redesign Route 198 as something more like a coordination between redevelopment of Bur-
“main street” appearance than a primary state tonsville Shopping Center and commercial • Bloom Supermarket and retail center,
route. There are many examples of high-traffic areas to the west, new patterns of circulation North Laurel: c. 70,000 sf.
roads that function for better or worse as “main (streets, sidewalks, bikeways) and a district • Maple Lawn, Scaggsville: currently 40,000
streets” and there is increasing experience in parking approach possibly including a parking sf to grow to 180,000 sf and to include Har-
Maryland and around the nation in ways to rede- structure. ris-Teeter Supermarket. The project is a
velop in these situations. “town center” that will include 1,340 hous-
• There is still the potential to have a public
ing units and 1.6 million square feet of non-
• It is not clear from the traffic figures how the place/town center (with some of the compo-
retail commercial space. Projected build
proposed ring road will address the issues nents of a Reston-style town center, aside
from the density): out is 10-12 years. The retail mix includes
and improve the situation. two large restaurants, quick service food
The Burtonsville Road Prospectus (2002 ♦ Improvements in landscaping, circulation, and a coffee shop.
pedestrian safety.
study by DPWT) states:
♦ Location of community facilities. • Konterra, Laurel, is a new regional town
“Travel demand forecasts indicate that in the center now under construction three miles
♦ Meeting and/or performance space.
future, under the “no-build” conditions, traffic southeast of Burtonsville. The develop-
volumes on Md. 198 will increase by more A smart recommendation is to classify this ment program for Konterra East includes:
than 50% of the current volumes, which area, for future planning and redevelopment, retail (1.5 million square feet), office (3.8
could be somewhat alleviated by the Bur- as its own distinctive “retail village,” and avoid
tonsville Access Road…The provision of this broader and unrealistic terms as a Town Cen-
road would ultimately allow Burtonsville to ter. A retail village concept fits comfortably
transition into a town center and satisfy the with the community planning notion of shop-
-8- ping that is convenient for nearby -5-
needs of the residential and business
 With respect to Burtonsville’s commercial area,
Exhibit 1 the sales gap is a positive factor although it is
Traffic Counts, Selected Locations, Burtonsville Area, Maryland difficult to translate the opportunity into changes
2001-2006 in the commercial district.
Average Annual Daily Traffic
Change
• The market area is downsizing quickly as a
Location 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2001-2006 result of new retail developments to the
Route 29 north and east. Existing stores will face
South of 198 much stronger competition.
Burtonsville
Fairland
51,532
54,231
52,050
54,775
53,075
57,575
53,525
57,475
52,950
52,375
51,375
55,575
0.3%
-2.4%
• The new alignment of Route 29 and
changes in the circulation pattern limit future
Route 29A 14,350 - - - - - -
retail growth for Burtonsville.
• There is no undeveloped land in the Bur-
Route 198 tonsville commercial area with appropriate
East of Route 29 42,620 38,675 41,425 40,950 40,475 46,900 -9.1% zoning for additional commercial develop-
Betw een Rte 29 and 29A 38,291 - - - - - - ment.
West of Route 29
Burtonsville 32,251 32,575 28,325 28,050 27,675 30,025 7.4% • The Amish Market is a regional destination
Spencerville 25,421 25,675 19,625 19,450 19,175 18,025 41.0% and has become integral
Source: Maryland Dept. of Transportation, State Highw ay Administration; Thomas Point Associates, Inc. to the cultural, business
and community image of
• million sf), residential (4,500 dwelling • Traffic volumes have been steady on Route Burtonsville. If the Amish
Figure 3 Market is lost, that may
units) and hotel (600 rooms). Konterra 29 in recent years. The slight difference in Locations of Traffic Counts, 2006,
West is an additional 253 acres, zoned C- traffic in Fairland, south of Burtonsville, and Burtonsville Area weaken Burtonsville as
R-C (“upscale commercial retail center,” Burtonsville suggests that most traffic origi- a regional destination
according to the web site). nates to the north. This is not surprising although some of the
Retail Sales and Opportunities
since Columbia, north of Burtonsville, is a businesses, particularly
In summary there is now roughly 0.8-1.0 mil- A key fact about the Burtonsville PMA is that there is the restaurants, still have a regional clien-
major regional population center.
lion square feet (msf) of retail space in the significant “outflow” of retail sales, meaning that tele.
PMA and an additional 1.5-2.0 msf under con- • Route 198 is an important east-west road. shoppers are going elsewhere to purchase needed
struction, planned or approved. While just a four-lane local road in Burtons- Summary and Recommendations
goods and services.
5. Traffic: Large volumes of traffic support ville west of Route 29, it carried over 62% of Burtonsville is a good location in a strong but
the traffic volume of Route 29. It is more The data show a significant retail opportunity for
businesses in Burtonsville. Exhibit 1 provides rapidly changing market area. In the past the
heavily traveled east of Route 29 than west: additional sales amounting to $802 million. This po-
estimates of average annual daily traffic for market area has been a ten-minute drive but it
2006 vehicle counts were 32% greater on tential ($802 million) reflects demand across all re-
locations in the Burtonsville area. The figures is starting to contract in the north, east and
the east side of Route 29 than on the west. tail categories except automotive and hardware.
allow for comparison among stations and by south as a result of new commercial develop-
However, the fastest growing segment of the The figures do not take into account the new activity
year, from 2001-2006 ment. Large developments on the horizon will
local road system has been on Route 198 at Maple Lawn and the Bloom-anchored center in
bring changes to the commercial environment.
Based on the traffic counts from Exhibit 1, we west of Burtonsville. The stretch of Route North Laurel. The $802 million represents the differ-
The leading problems associated with the com-
note the following: 198 Spencerville grew by over 7,000 vehi- ence between actual sales and estimated demand
mercial environment in Burtonsville are a lack of
cles, or 41%, from 2001-2006. based on household expenditure patterns in the
• Route 29 is the most heavily traveled road area. The figure indicates demand for roughly 1.8-
space and a wave of competition.
in the immediate area of Burtonsville, (For • The realignment of Route 29 has had little 2.0 million square feet of additional retail space in • The constraints on bringing in new retail
perspective, the most heavily traveled road impact on traffic on Route 198. Counts west this market area (at sales per square foot of $400- development are apparent. There is limited
in the Washington-Baltimore region, the of Route 29, in the heart of Burtonsville, 450). development capacity due to constraints on
Capitol Beltway [I-495] near New Hamp- were higher in 2006 than in 2001 (by 7.4%); land, circulation, zoning, stormwater man-
shire Avenue had an AADT in 2006 of while counts declined slightly from 2005 to • Most of this retail gap will be filled by new and
agement and public opposition. The County
200,430 vehicles, nearly four times the 2006, they increased over the longer period. proposed development, particularly the retail
lacks site control and there are no new/
traffic on Route 29). component of the Konterra project (1.5 million
proposed projects suitable for public–private
sf).
partnerships.
-6- -7-
 With respect to Burtonsville’s commercial area,
Exhibit 1 the sales gap is a positive factor although it is
Traffic Counts, Selected Locations, Burtonsville Area, Maryland difficult to translate the opportunity into changes
2001-2006 in the commercial district.
Average Annual Daily Traffic
Change
• The market area is downsizing quickly as a
Location 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2001-2006 result of new retail developments to the
Route 29 north and east. Existing stores will face
South of 198 much stronger competition.
Burtonsville
Fairland
51,532
54,231
52,050
54,775
53,075
57,575
53,525
57,475
52,950
52,375
51,375
55,575
0.3%
-2.4%
• The new alignment of Route 29 and
changes in the circulation pattern limit future
Route 29A 14,350 - - - - - -
retail growth for Burtonsville.
• There is no undeveloped land in the Bur-
Route 198 tonsville commercial area with appropriate
East of Route 29 42,620 38,675 41,425 40,950 40,475 46,900 -9.1% zoning for additional commercial develop-
Betw een Rte 29 and 29A 38,291 - - - - - - ment.
West of Route 29
Burtonsville 32,251 32,575 28,325 28,050 27,675 30,025 7.4% • The Amish Market is a regional destination
Spencerville 25,421 25,675 19,625 19,450 19,175 18,025 41.0% and has become integral
Source: Maryland Dept. of Transportation, State Highw ay Administration; Thomas Point Associates, Inc. to the cultural, business
and community image of
• million sf), residential (4,500 dwelling • Traffic volumes have been steady on Route Burtonsville. If the Amish
Figure 3 Market is lost, that may
units) and hotel (600 rooms). Konterra 29 in recent years. The slight difference in Locations of Traffic Counts, 2006,
West is an additional 253 acres, zoned C- traffic in Fairland, south of Burtonsville, and Burtonsville Area weaken Burtonsville as
R-C (“upscale commercial retail center,” Burtonsville suggests that most traffic origi- a regional destination
according to the web site). nates to the north. This is not surprising although some of the
Retail Sales and Opportunities
since Columbia, north of Burtonsville, is a businesses, particularly
In summary there is now roughly 0.8-1.0 mil- A key fact about the Burtonsville PMA is that there is the restaurants, still have a regional clien-
major regional population center.
lion square feet (msf) of retail space in the significant “outflow” of retail sales, meaning that tele.
PMA and an additional 1.5-2.0 msf under con- • Route 198 is an important east-west road. shoppers are going elsewhere to purchase needed
struction, planned or approved. While just a four-lane local road in Burtons- Summary and Recommendations
goods and services.
5. Traffic: Large volumes of traffic support ville west of Route 29, it carried over 62% of Burtonsville is a good location in a strong but
the traffic volume of Route 29. It is more The data show a significant retail opportunity for
businesses in Burtonsville. Exhibit 1 provides rapidly changing market area. In the past the
heavily traveled east of Route 29 than west: additional sales amounting to $802 million. This po-
estimates of average annual daily traffic for market area has been a ten-minute drive but it
2006 vehicle counts were 32% greater on tential ($802 million) reflects demand across all re-
locations in the Burtonsville area. The figures is starting to contract in the north, east and
the east side of Route 29 than on the west. tail categories except automotive and hardware.
allow for comparison among stations and by south as a result of new commercial develop-
However, the fastest growing segment of the The figures do not take into account the new activity
year, from 2001-2006 ment. Large developments on the horizon will
local road system has been on Route 198 at Maple Lawn and the Bloom-anchored center in
bring changes to the commercial environment.
Based on the traffic counts from Exhibit 1, we west of Burtonsville. The stretch of Route North Laurel. The $802 million represents the differ-
The leading problems associated with the com-
note the following: 198 Spencerville grew by over 7,000 vehi- ence between actual sales and estimated demand
mercial environment in Burtonsville are a lack of
cles, or 41%, from 2001-2006. based on household expenditure patterns in the
• Route 29 is the most heavily traveled road area. The figure indicates demand for roughly 1.8-
space and a wave of competition.
in the immediate area of Burtonsville, (For • The realignment of Route 29 has had little 2.0 million square feet of additional retail space in • The constraints on bringing in new retail
perspective, the most heavily traveled road impact on traffic on Route 198. Counts west this market area (at sales per square foot of $400- development are apparent. There is limited
in the Washington-Baltimore region, the of Route 29, in the heart of Burtonsville, 450). development capacity due to constraints on
Capitol Beltway [I-495] near New Hamp- were higher in 2006 than in 2001 (by 7.4%); land, circulation, zoning, stormwater man-
shire Avenue had an AADT in 2006 of while counts declined slightly from 2005 to • Most of this retail gap will be filled by new and
agement and public opposition. The County
200,430 vehicles, nearly four times the 2006, they increased over the longer period. proposed development, particularly the retail
lacks site control and there are no new/
traffic on Route 29). component of the Konterra project (1.5 million
proposed projects suitable for public–private
sf).
partnerships.
-6- -7-
• The redesign of Route 29 capped Burtons-
communities.” (Source: Prospectus page I-8)
ville’s commercial growth and suggests
greater potential for specialized/destination The traffic analysis in this 2002 Prospectus
retail combined with neighborhood shopping. indicates that ring road traffic will be approxi-
Burtonsville can accommodate restaurants mately 10% of Route 198 traffic (estimated for
and specialty stores that do not require a mall year 2025, Average Annual Daily Traffic
location. [AADT] on 198 is projected at 37,700 vehicles;
for the ring road, AADT in the same year is
• In this situation the County - to the extent that estimated at only 3,800). (Source: Prospec-
there is space - should promote Burtonsville to tus, Appendix A-5)
small businesses that do not require mall des-
tinations, including: The use of the term “Town Center” or “town
♦ More and better restaurants. center” has been a confusing piece in the pub-
lic discussions in Burtonsville. Some have
♦ Salons, health spas and services. been talking about a retail place while others
♦ Furnishings, decorations. are discussing a public or cultural center. These centers are nearly full (occupancy is
approximately 90-95%). Rents are in the range
♦ Specialty personal supplies and services. Residents interviewed in the consumer phone
survey express their “need for more and better of $15-25 per square foot (gross) depending on
♦ Gifts, novelties. stores.” The responses of business leaders size, location and date of lease.
The pressures for improvements to Route 198 (March 7, 2007) reflect confusion on this point. 4. Competitive Locations: The competitive
are strong and increasing as traffic on 198 in Bur- It is important that someone explain the con- area includes (See Figure 1):
tonsville and Spencerville has grown significantly. cept of the Town Center and develop consen-
sus on what the term means and in what ways • Briggs-Chaney Market Place: 192,000 sf
State planning for Route 198 is closely related to anchored by Safeway and Ross Dress for
it could apply. This would lead to a discussion
the County’s planning for the proposed Less.
of what is possible in Burtonsville given con-
“Burtonsville access road” (also called the “ring
road”). If the County builds the ring road first,
straints on land and public investment. • Orchard Center, Cherry Hill Road: 425,000
then the State will probably want to eliminate ac- • The “retail” Town Center concept (in the style sf including Super Fresh and Target.
cess points to commercial properties from Route of Bowie, for example) is not viable. It would • Cherry Tree Crossing, Scaggsville: c.
198. The alternative, without the ring road, is to have required an area planning approach with 40,000 sf, a two-level center.
redesign Route 198 as something more like a coordination between redevelopment of Bur-
“main street” appearance than a primary state tonsville Shopping Center and commercial • Bloom Supermarket and retail center,
route. There are many examples of high-traffic areas to the west, new patterns of circulation North Laurel: c. 70,000 sf.
roads that function for better or worse as “main (streets, sidewalks, bikeways) and a district • Maple Lawn, Scaggsville: currently 40,000
streets” and there is increasing experience in parking approach possibly including a parking sf to grow to 180,000 sf and to include Har-
Maryland and around the nation in ways to rede- structure. ris-Teeter Supermarket. The project is a
velop in these situations. “town center” that will include 1,340 hous-
• There is still the potential to have a public
ing units and 1.6 million square feet of non-
• It is not clear from the traffic figures how the place/town center (with some of the compo-
retail commercial space. Projected build
proposed ring road will address the issues nents of a Reston-style town center, aside
from the density): out is 10-12 years. The retail mix includes
and improve the situation. two large restaurants, quick service food
The Burtonsville Road Prospectus (2002 ♦ Improvements in landscaping, circulation, and a coffee shop.
pedestrian safety.
study by DPWT) states:
♦ Location of community facilities. • Konterra, Laurel, is a new regional town
“Travel demand forecasts indicate that in the center now under construction three miles
♦ Meeting and/or performance space.
future, under the “no-build” conditions, traffic southeast of Burtonsville. The develop-
volumes on Md. 198 will increase by more A smart recommendation is to classify this ment program for Konterra East includes:
than 50% of the current volumes, which area, for future planning and redevelopment, retail (1.5 million square feet), office (3.8
could be somewhat alleviated by the Bur- as its own distinctive “retail village,” and avoid
tonsville Access Road…The provision of this broader and unrealistic terms as a Town Cen-
road would ultimately allow Burtonsville to ter. A retail village concept fits comfortably
transition into a town center and satisfy the with the community planning notion of shop-
-8- ping that is convenient for nearby -5-
needs of the residential and business
 road and to better integrate its design in terms
Study findings are condensed in this booklet, Burtonsville Shopping Center (currently 49,400 neighborhoods and perpetuates Burtonsville as of and place-making while considering alterna-
which offers a summarized market evaluation sf, with plans to expand to 150,000 sf) features a the principal and historic place at an accessible tives.
and community recommendations based on Dutch Country Farmers Market (open Thursday crossroads designation. At the same time, the
through Saturday), a CVS Pharmacy, a US Post Burtonsville community will benefit from the ex- There is still room for limited retail expansion in
responses to both the interviews and to the Burtonsville. The challenge will be to get more
Office and smaller retailers (County liquor store, panding regional shopping opportunities within
consumer shopping survey. shoe repair shop, ice cream/donut store). The a reasonable distance. These regional shopping from less in terms of tenants that pay higher
one vacant space, formerly occupied by a bank, centers may be a traffic magnet requiring al- rents, goods and services that the community
Research and Data indicates overall occupancy of 90-95%. The de- tered and/or increased traffic handling consid- wants, and stores that make the area stand out
T h e M a r k e t Ar e a veloper is not recruiting tenants, however, as erations at levels higher than could be accom- in a market area with a growing variety of com-
1.The Market Area: The primary market area plans proceed for redevelopment. While the modated on Burtonsville’s local roads. petitive locations. In this situation the “retail vil-
(“PMA”) is the area within a ten-minute drive Dutch Market will not be part of the new center it lage” may be a better model than the “town
from Burtonsville. Because of the high-speed There are some specific tools that the County can center.”
is expected to include a major grocery store. use although most work best when there is agree-
Route 29 corridor this ten-minute drive reaches
north, just past Route 32, and south to Paint Burtonsville Crossing (129,700 sf) has a Giant ment on a central concept for the area:
Branch Park. It extends west to New Hamp- supermarket anchor and a range of neighbor-
• Shared parking: where there is market demand,
shire Avenue and east to I-95. Some busi- hood retailers (hair salon, mail center, liquor
nothing supports retail development and en-
nesses have smaller PMAs and some larger store, bank, dry cleaners, video rental. For ex-
hancement better than parking.
but this is the area from which most busi- ample, rents in this center (going forward) are in
nesses in Burtonsville derive 60-80% of their the range of $32-35 (plus $6 common area main- • Development of a central public space: Place-
trade. The restaurants have larger PMAs but tenance charge) and occupancy is approximately making is essential to foster the unique identity
the gas station has a smaller one, for example. 95%. of Burtonsville surrounded by established,
The map on the front cover shows the PMA in The neighborhood shopping area along Route emerging and larger mixed-use projects, such
relation to distances from the Route 29/Route 198 west of Route 29 is an assortment of small as Konterra, Laurel, Maple Lawn, Columbia,
198 intersection. businesses in Pike Center, Old Columbia Center, and Orchard Center.
the Shops at Burtonsville and free-standing • Streetscaping.
2. Population: The 10-minute drive includes stores, many of them residences converted to • Landscaping.
a 2007 population of 77,500, which grew at a commercial use, along the south side of Route
rate of 7.9% from 2000-2007 and is projected 198. These include: • Storm water drainage improvements.
to grow by 4.4% from 2007-2012. Median • A variety of restaurants, both sit-down (Cuba • Pedestrian and bikeway improvements.
household income in 2007 is estimated at de Ayer, Seibel’s, Old Hickory Grill, Maiwand • Signage – including directional and promotional.
$80,792. Kabob, Chapalas) and fast-food/delivery/
take-out (Domino’s, Papa Johns, Jerry’s
• Design assistance and coordination.
Average drive time to work is 39 minutes. Pizza and Subs, Subway, Chicken Basket, • Financial support for targeted businesses to
Homeowners make up 72.9% of households; Hunan Manor). stay and grow.
79% of dwelling units are single-family (half the Park and Planning staff is working on a “simplified
• Auto-related: car rental, auto service, gaso-
total are detached units). development procedure” for Burtonsville’s small
line/convenience.
property owners so that they won’t have to go
3. The Burtonsville Commercial District: • Personal services: beauty salon, dry clean- through the expensive and complex subdivision
Burtonsville’s commercial district comprises ers, nail care. process (although the procedure will probably have
two shopping centers and a neighborhood a property size limit of c. ½ acre, thereby excluding
• Hardware, furnishings, decorations (bedding,
shopping area along Old Columbia Pike the one owner who has assembled a group of prop-
carpeting).
(Route 198). The total retail square footage is erties).
approximately 320,000, putting the commercial • Specialty food market.
It is clear that the ring road with its limited street
area taken as a whole into the range of a • Liquor store. parking will not in itself divert shoppers and resi-
“super community center” (250,000 sf and dents from driving on Route 198 nor is it a phase in
higher, according to the Urban Land Institute, a larger program that will “allow Burtonsville to tran-
Dollars and Cents of Shopping Centers, 2004). sition into a town center.” However, plans for the
ring road seem to be moving forward. There is a
need to evaluate the impact and cost-benefit of this
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 Community Recommendations — Burtonsville Market Study The elements of the combined study, in the
and Consumer Shopping Survey order of completion in 2007, are:
Physical Space Connect Burtonsville through Walkable
• Detailed interviews with local community
Streets, Bikeways, Local Transit, and Acces-
• Create village square or center with focal The Montgomery County Department of Hous- members and business owners that un-
sible Roads
point like a fountain and ‘homey feel’ where covered insightful recommendations about
ing and Community Affairs (DHCA), in conjunc-
local folks can gather, see neighbors, have • Pedestrian improvements and sidewalks . possible changes and improvements to the
fun, shop, eat at restaurants and cafes, and tion with the Department of Economic Develop- commercial core.
• Sidewalks must be walkable – no more than ment (DED), undertook a three-pronged market
learn new things.
400 feet in length. No super blocks! • A neighborhood phone survey among 500
research study with Potomac Incorporated of
Parking Possibilities residents living within three miles of the
• Requiring cross streets will give more front- Bethesda to determine what the residents and
• More shops and restaurants will require age “like a village” to build on. business owners envision for Burtonsville, to
US 29 and MD 198 intersection that exam-
additional parking. ined current shopping habits and behavior
• Shade trees and other landscaping should examine the impact of US 29 and MD 198
• “Parking is the constraint on development – enhance the walking experience. as well as preferences for future retail and
transportation changes, and to assess future
It affects the types of businesses that are service opportunities.
Traffic Improvements retail directions and opportunities for Burtons-
attracted.”
ville. Once a rural community, then a suburban
• Adjust traffic light timing along US 29 and • A market evaluation examining retail con-
• County suggested to explore suitable park- crossroads, Burtonsville has the potential to
MD 198 for safer entry and egress. ditions, trends, market demand, a prime
ing arrangements to accommodate custom- become a vibrant village center through public/
ers’ access to stores from the front instead • Install light between two existing lights along trade area with pertinent demographics
private investment and enterprise.
of the rear of the property. MD 198 west of US 29. and both public service and retail needs
• Concept for consideration: Assign business • Slow down traffic on MD 198. important for the next planning stage.
or property owners credit for parking, calcu-
• Incorporate a center lane along MD 198 to
lating how many spaces will be lost during
make left and right turns.
redevelopment.
• Set up lanes and trails – “Cycle Avenues” –
Environmental Protection
for bicyclists.
• Address stormwater drainage issues.
• If feasible to fund, the County could link
• Improve flood plain on MD 198; other storm- Park and Ride lot behind Burtonsville Cross-
water issues in commercial area. ing to shopping district with free shuttle like
• To protect air quality, consider installing Bethesda Trolley or Downtown Silver Spring
roundabouts or circles at certain traffic lights Van Go.
to cut down on idling of truck, bus, auto en- Development Process
gines.
• Streamline and simplify at County level.
• Enforce existing environmental ordinances,
• Enable and encourage incentives at County
including recycling by businesses. NOTE:
level and by M/NCPPC – including green
Montgomery County is expected to legislate
tape incentives.
energy efficiency and conservation meas-
ures; put Burtonsville in forefront. • Provide tools for businesses and property
owners to improve buildings.
More Restaurants
• “More and better restaurants” – more • Provide financial compensation or assis-
stores/service is desired in Burtonsville. tance for impact during construction.

• Vital ingredient for a vibrant center where • Compensate landlords to reduce tenants’
rent during construction. Figure 2—Burtonsville Shopping Area
people can gather.
• Include variety of eating establishments: • Modify entrances and exits so that busi-
upscale, family, ethnic, cafes. nesses are not cut off.
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 Based on Interviews and Consumer Shopping Survey
Beautification • Outdoor fountain “where people can congre-
• Beautify, modernize, streetscape, and green gate” - incorporate with Master Plan’s ‘Public
Square’ family gathering place.
Burtonsville’s central core with an overall plan
– predominant role for local government – • Consider a community center for children and
including ‘facelift’ or new facades along MD for adult education and senior citizens’ activi-
198. ties.
• Foster synergy between the revitalizing Bur- ♦Indoor sports, bingo, arts and crafts
tonsville Shopping Center and MD 198 shops classes.
and restaurants.
♦Teen club.
More Food Market Choices
Attractive signage
• Giant at Burtonsville Crossing a mainstay.
• Along US 29 and MD 198.
• Consumers express need for more food store
choices. • Park and Ride (behind Burtonsville Crossing).

Retain the Amish Market • Unite the community.

• Amish Market is integral to Burtonsville com- Web Site

munity identity– bridging early days as farming • Create excitement online about amenities and
center to present suburban lifestyle evolving changes.
as a village center.
Branding Campaign
• County asked to work with residents and busi-
• Signage and web site anchor cohesive cam-
ness community to find suitable location for
paign to uplift downtown image.
Amish Market in Burtonsville area.
• Enlist local media to feature best of historic
Park, Playgrounds for Sports, Health, Relaxa-
and new Burtonsville.
tion
• Exercise and fitness activities – bowling, • Use ‘Burtonsville’ name with amenities.
hiker-biker paths, gym, swimming, games,
horseback riding, fishing and miniature golf.
• Tennis, soccer, football, basketball.
Align Community, Culture, Arts
• Consider declaring Burtonsville a “renovation
district” – gateway to Montgomery from How-
ard, Prince George’s counties and Baltimore.
• Community leaders would like County to be a
partner in a multi-cultural center for theater,
dance hall, arts studio, quality crafts and an-
tique shows to enrich community life; serve as
museum to preserve Burtonsville’s history.
• Feature live music, including jazz.
Figure 1 Map

-2- -11-
 Burtonsville Market Study
and
Consumer Shopping Survey

Final Report Summary

Prepared for Montgomery County
Department of Housing & Community Affairs

Burtonsville

Department of Housing & Community Affairs

Montgomery County, Maryland
100 Maryland Avenue, 4th Floor
Rockville, Maryland 20850
Phone: 240-777-3600 Potomac Incorporated
www.montgomerycountymd.gov
October 2007