New Community at Parklands Gaithersburg (Rockville: low income, apartments, rental)

[johnnysolim]

Hi,

We was wondering if anybody has opinions about the new community being develop at Parklands - Gaithersburg, it's by Clopper Road and Watkins Mill Road. The residential area is being built by NV Homes and a new town center called "Watkins Mill Town Center" will also be built in the near future. A new interstate exit is also in the pipeline.

We're a young couple, who's planning to have a kid soon so safety is a must and good school cluster is also a consideration. The area is also beside the MARC train, so we were wondering how noisy the train gets. The town center will be built right beside the rail tracks, so it might block the sound of the incoming train.

Any opinions on the Area Safety, the School Ranking and living close to MARC Train will be much appreciated.

Thank you very much.

[johnnysolim]

anybody heard of this area?

been also doing some reading, apparently, Watkins Mill Town Center and the new Interchange has been delayed for a number of years...not really a good sign.

[btsilver]

I heard about the Watkins Mill Town Center and all the development going on there. I heard it going to take several years to get everything up and running. I drove over there by West Watkins mill road and the road wasnt finished yet. Its supposed to connect with watkins mill on the other side of 355. I'm hoping it will be nice once its finally finished.

[johnnysolim]

Yes, they are still building W Watkins Mill Road extension which goes all the way into the development. Hopefully they start building the interchange soon. If everything goes according to plan i think it's gonna be a beautiful area.

[amythlin]

We're also considering that community. Looks like the new town center won't be happening until 3~5 years later. The train doesn't seem bad, we were at the construction site one time and the train went by, it was pretty quiet. The schools are Brown Station elem, Lakelands middle, and Quince Orchard high. I heard that Quince Orchard is pretty good, I'd be concerned about the elementary school though.......Another concern is how close the neighborhood is to Lakeforest Mall...........

[dkf747]

Originally Posted by amythlin

.....Another concern is how close the neighborhood is to Lakeforest Mall...........

It's not that close. I wouldn't worry about that at all.

[johnnysolim]

Originally Posted by amythlin

We're also considering that community. Looks like the new town center won't be happening until 3~5 years later. The train doesn't seem bad, we were at the construction site one time and the train went by, it was pretty quiet. The schools are Brown Station elem, Lakelands middle, and Quince Orchard high. I heard that Quince Orchard is pretty good, I'd be concerned about the elementary school though.......Another concern is how close the neighborhood is to Lakeforest Mall...........

We dropped by a few days ago and just so happen a train went by. It wasn't so bad, but you could hear the train whistle all over the construction site.

Yes, I've heard the same thing about Quince Orchard HS. It's a pretty good school, but the elementary however is not. That's a major concern for us too. Alternative is private school, which will cost an arm and a leg. Not sure if you can send your kid to a different elementary school though.

On a brighter note, a police district recently move at the corner of watkins mills and clopper so that's huge point for safety.

[GatorPentax]

I'm interested in purchasing in that community as well, it appears safe and the train is not going to be an issue. I've also heard from the developer that the towncenter wont be complete for another 4-5 years, but once complete it looks to be quite a nice place.

The rep i was speaking to mentioned that the towncenter was rated as a Commercial Grade-A (not sure what that meant either). The rep said that it means only high class/quality stores will be allowed in the community. (think Morton's seafood and not Olive Garden). A theater will also be built there. Their idea was to make a small city type atmosphere inside a residential community.

It will eventually get its own i270 access...exit 12...not sure if thats a good or bad idea yet. I like the convenience but im not sure i want all the traffic and noise associated with it.

I saw the community plan and it looks to have trees wrapped around the residential area to shield it from I270 and the surrounding area. It looks nice and serene in the picture but then again, it could just be a tool to sell.

I dont' know much about the schools in the area, but i am also interested as well.

The immediate area around the Parklands leaves much to be desired. Seems like low income housing, rental apartments, and cheap-ish strip malls. hopefully this new community will turn the area around.

[johnnysolim]

actually it seems like the town center will take upto 15 years. check this out:

Future of Casey tracts hinges on I-270 plans

and it will hinge on the development of the interstate.

you can check out stats about the schools here: Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, MD

personally, the only thing that's holding me back is the school and the immediate area. this can potentially affect the resale value of your property. also, the price keeps going up almost every 3 weeks, it will eventually come to a point/price where other older communities becomes more attractive

[dkf747]

An interchange there is awfully close to the one at 124.