MoCo Without Ag Reserve (Frederick, Potomac: homes, tech job, centers)

[odieluck]

How far out do you think Montgomery County would sprawl along the Potomac if the agricultural reserve were never established? Would all of MoCo have been urbanized without it? What other impacts would this have had?

[bufflove]

Originally Posted by odieluck

Would all of MoCo have been urbanized without it?

Urbanized? No. But largely developed w/SFH sprawl like you see on the VA side of the river (Ashburn, Leesburg, etc.).

[ion475]

Would definitely see development all around Poolesville. Not urbanized but probably will look similar to North Potomac.

Maybe we may even got a bridge across Potomac between Poolesville area and Sterling.

[Turnerbro]

Originally Posted by bufflove

Urbanized? No. But largely developed w/SFH sprawl like you see on the VA side of the river (Ashburn, Leesburg, etc.).

I'm not sure Poolesville would have become like Ashburn. Part of the reason Ashburn/Leesburg became what it is is because it's close to Dulles, has direct freeway access to D.C/Tysons, and was near a lot of developing tech job centers. Poolesville doesn't have any of that. Without the Ag Reserve there might be slightly more development in Western Moco but nowhere near the Loudoun County Boom. The residents in that area seem to for the most part want to keep it semi-rural, and most of them are against a bridge going to Loudoun County, and Definetely against metro which Ashburn now has.

[bufflove]

Originally Posted by Turnerbro

I'm not sure Poolesville would have become like Ashburn. Part of the reason Ashburn/Leesburg became what it is is because it's close to Dulles, has direct freeway access to D.C/Tysons, and was near a lot of developing tech job centers. Poolesville doesn't have any of that. Without the Ag Reserve there might be slightly more development in Western Moco but nowhere near the Loudoun County Boom. The residents in that area seem to for the most part want to keep it semi-rural, and most of them are against a bridge going to Loudoun County, and Definetely against metro which Ashburn now has.

Development pushed up against the Ag, then jumped over it to Frederick and Howard, so I'm not sure why you think the hole in the donut wouldn't also be filled if developers had a chance. An Urbana or Maple Lawn would be plopped on that Ag farmland tomorrow if it was allowed.

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by bufflove

Development pushed up against the Ag, then jumped over it to Frederick and Howard, so I'm not sure why you think the hole in the donut wouldn't also be filled if developers had a chance. An Urbana or Maple Lawn would be plopped on that Ag farmland tomorrow if it was allowed.

Tomorrow? By midnight tonight.

[Turnerbro]

Originally Posted by bufflove

Development pushed up against the Ag, then jumped over it to Frederick and Howard, so I'm not sure why you think the hole in the donut wouldn't also be filled if developers had a chance. An Urbana or Maple Lawn would be plopped on that Ag farmland tomorrow if it was allowed.

Tough to say. It still gives me Davidsonville vibes. Even despite the AG, seems like people in western MOCO want to keep it semi rural.

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by Turnerbro

Tough to say. It still gives me Davidsonville vibes. Even despite the AG, seems like people in western MOCO want to keep it semi rural.

Some of that has also been mandated by the State over the last several decades starting with Shafer's Maryland 2020 through Glendenning's Smart Growth to O' Malley's PlanMD.

About ten or fifteen years ago each County had to tier its land related to sewer and water (W/S) availability. Tier 1was where W/S was already available. Tier 2 was where central W/S was planned in the County's W/S plan. Tier 3 was where development on well and septic was allowed but there are minimum lot size requirements for individual well and septic and any development over, if I remember, fifteen units had to have a development W/S system installed to then be turned over to the County. Tier 4 was basically permanent non-developable reserve-woodlands, wetlands (both permanent and seasonal) steep slopes and agricultural.

[westsideboy]

Originally Posted by Turnerbro

Tough to say. It still gives me Davidsonville vibes. Even despite the AG, seems like people in western MOCO want to keep it semi rural.

No doubt, just like a developer would offer some farmers money they couldn't refuse and start the core of Urbana 2.0.......or really woulda shoulda version 1.0.........the Ag. zone is why Urbana exists as another poster has pointed out.

You don't have to go far outside the Urbana core to find multi-acre lots mixed with farmland, but those places are mostly pre-Urbana homes that popped up in the 1990s. I am sure Poolesville would keep places like this if the Ag. Reserve was dissolved tomorrow, the lot size would still be attractive and people would pay for the space.