Life Science Center Monitoring Program
The Great Seneca Science Corridor Master Plan creates a vision of growth for the county’s largest concentration of technology companies. The plan describes a live-work community that fosters bioscience innovations within an attractive, sustainable mixed-use neighborhood.
To achieve the plan’s vision, development must be centered around the Corridor Cities Transitway (CCT), a public transit line running from the Shady Grove Metro Station to Clarksburg. The plan’s staging requirements are intended to ensure that development of the Life Sciences Center is coordinated with the building of the necessary infrastructure and an adequate transportation system. Learn more in the Great Seneca Science Corridor Implementation Guidelines(500 kb).
The staging plan coordinates development approvals with the timing of infrastructure. Certain requirements must be satisfied for Stages 1-4 to be opened for new development approvals, as follows:
Stage 1
- Approve and adopt a Sectional Map Amendment that sets new zoning in place
- Fund, begin operation of Greater Shady Grove Transportation Management District
- Designate LSC Central, West, Belward and North districts as Road Coad Urban Area
- Include the Rickman Property in the R&D Policy Area
- Develop Monitoring Program
- Establish an Implementation Advisory Committee
- Attempt to secure outside funding for a Health Impact Assessment
- Determine a baseline figure for Non-Auto Driver Mode Share (NADMS)
All Stage 1 requirements have been met. All available commercial capacity available in Stage 1 has been allocated; therefore Stage 1 is currently closed for new commercial development applications. Stage 1 remains open to residential development applications.
Commercial development applications will still be accepted for developments with previously approved density (i.e. “pipeline” capacity).
Stage 2
- Fund CCT construction from Shady Grove Metro to Metropolitan Grove
- Fund relocation of the Public Safety Training Academy
- Fund LSC Loop Trail
- Attain an 18 percent NADMS
Stage 3
- CCT under construction from Shady Grove Metro to Metropolitan Grove; 50% of funds spent
- Fund in the CIP any transportation improvements identified in the biennial monitoring review
- Construct and open at least one public street across LSC West and Belward
- Attain a 23 percent NADMS
Stage 4
- CCT is operating between Shady Grove Metro Station and Clarksburg
- Fund in the CIP any transportation improvements identified in the biennial monitoring review
- Attain a 28 percent NADMS
To ensure that staging is properly timed and adequate infrastructure is being provided, the GSSC Plan requires the creation of a biennial monitoring program to track development and staging triggers at each stage of the plan. An Implementation Advisory Committee comprising property owners, residents, and other stakeholders will monitor development plans, staging, and the County Capital Improvements Program, and will report to the Planning Board and County Council.
The Life Science Monitoring System assesses the pace and quality of plan implementation. This program includes periodic assessment of the following:
- Development Approvals
- Commercial to Residential Conversions
- Traffic Performance
- Non-Auto Driver Mode Share (NADMS)
- Capital Improvement Project
- Public Facilities and Amenities
- Subdivision Staging Policy
1. Development Approvals
The plan’s staging requirements allow an additional 400,000 square feet of commercial development and 2,500 new dwelling units in Stage 1. Health Care services are not applied to the capacity of Stage 1.
Stage 2 allows for an additional 2.3 million square feet of commercial development and 2,000 new dwelling units. Health Care services are applied to the capacity of Stage 2.
Stage 3 allows for an additional 2.3 million square feet of commercial development and 1,200 new dwelling units.
Stage 4 allows for an additional 1.8 million square feet of commercial development and no new dwelling units.
Commercial development
Available capacity for Stage One: 400,000Square feet
11.1 million
Residential development
Available capacity for Stage One: 2,500Units
5,800
Pipeline
Applications
| Plan No. | Plan Name | Existing SF | Approved/Unbuilt | Current Approval | Additional SF Requested | Total SF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11996110A | JHU Belward Campus** | 390000 | 1410000 | 1800000 | 0 | *1410000 |
| 120110160 | Shady Grove Adventist Hospital** | 523480 | 103430 | 626910 | 506946 | 1133856 |
| * 390000SF on approximately 30 acres of land conveyed to county; ** Exempt from the requirements of stage 1 |
||||||
2. Commercial to Residential Conversion
The owner of a property approved for commercial development may re-subdivide and convert to residential development. This conversion will be exempt from staging, as long as the change does not increase vehicle trips.
3. Traffic Performance
FY 2010 Policy Area Mobility Review Trip Mitigation Areas - click for a larger view
Local Area Transportation Review (LATR) is used to determine traffic levels at intersections within the Life Science Center. Intersection congestion is measured using a method called Critical Lane Volume (CLV). CLV is the number of vehicles that can move through an intersection’s conflicting lanes in an hour.
Policy Area Mobility Review (PAMR) reports the average transportation system performance for one of x policy areas in the county. The Life Science Center is within the Research and Development (R&D) Policy Area.
The Critical Lane Volume for this policy area is 1450.
This review is a comparative measurement of two components:
- Relative Arterial Mobility measures congestion on the County’s arterial roadway network by comparing forecasted congested speeds to free-flow speeds on roadways.
- Relative Transit Mobility is based on the relative speed by which trips can be made by transit as opposed to by auto.
The PAMR analysis results of FY2011 found the Research and Development Policy Area to be acceptable with partial mitigation. New developments that exceed the standards set in the Subdivision Staging Policy are responsible for mitigating 35% of trips generated.
4. Non-Auto Driver Mode Share
Non-Auto Driver Mode Share is the percent of work trips via transit (bus or rail), walking, biking, or carpooling during the peak travel periods of a typical weekday. The baseline mode share percentage must be established before Stage 1 begins.
- Before Stage 2 begins, the area must attain 18% mode share
- Before Stage 3 begins, the area must attain 23% mode share
- Before Stage 4 begins, the area must attain 28% mode share
5. Capital Improvement Program
The Capital Improvement Program is the tool through which locally funded public facilities, such as sewers, local roads, schools, libraries, and parks can be scheduled and built, in coordination with and guided by, the Annual Growth Policy and Great Seneca Science Corridor.
| Project Name | Location/Limits | Coordinating agency | Project status | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| cip | Travilah Fire Station 32 | 450504 | NW Corner of Darnestown Rd and Shady Grove Rd | DGS - Behrooz Alemi (240) 777-6123 | Mandatory Referral, Preliminary Forest Conservation Plan, Preliminary Water Quality Plan and Abandonment of the Public Right of Way aprroved 09/16/2010. Final approval of the fcp is contingent upon the successful abandonment of the ROW. On 04/01/2011 application submitted for minor subdivision of plat to abandon ROW. |
| cip | North Potomac Community Recreation Center | 13860 Travilah Road | DGS - Anjali Gulati (240) 777-6061 |
Funding for construction has been postponed until next fiscal year, FY13. Currently, DGS is in the process of reviewing 90% completed construction documents. | |
| cip | PSTA Relocation | 471102 | LSC West: Key West Ave, Grest Seneca Hgwy | DGS | The purchase and master planning for the new PSTA, Multi Agency Service Park, is funded under the PDF No. 470907. The property has been purchased, Mandatory Referral for final site design was approved 01/06/2011. |
| cip | Greater Shady Grove Transportation Management District (TMD) | DOT |
| Unbuilt Roadways | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Street Name | From | To | ROW | Proposed Lanes | Classification | Roadway Type |
| BLACKWELL RD EXTENDED | Broschart Rd | Shady Grove Road | 70 | 4 | B-1 | Business (Planned) |
| ROAD N | Blackwell Rd Extended | Medical Center Drive | 70 | 2 | B-15 | Business (Planned) |
| ROAD F | Road M | Road A | 60 | 2 | B-7 | Business (Planned) |
| ROAD G | Road A | Road K | 70 | 2 | B-8 | Business (Planned) |
| ROAD J | B-8 | B-9 | 60 | 2 | B-11 | Business (Planned) |
| ROAD H | Research Blvd | Shady Grove Rd | 60 | 2 | B-9 | Business (Planned) |
| ROAD D | Blackwell Rd | Decoverly Dr Extended | 70 | 2 | B-5 | Business (Planned) |
| ROAD I | Research Blvd | Blackwell Rd Extended | 70 | 2 | B-10 | Business (Planned) |
| ROAD C | Decoverly Dr Extended | Key West Ave | 70 | 2 | B-4 | Business (Planned) |
| ROAD M | Blackwell Rd | B-7 | 60 | 2 | B-14 | Business (Planned) |
| ROAD L | Road K | Medical Center Dr | 60 | 2 | B-13 | Business (Planned) |
| ROAD E | Blackwell Rd | Key West Ave | 70 | 2 | B-6 | Business (Planned) |
| ROAD A | Omega Dr | Decoverly Dr Extended | 60 | 2 | B-2 | Business (Planned) |
| ROAD G | Road J | Road K | 70 | 2 | B-8 | Business (Planned) |
| ROAD K | Broschart Rd | Medical Center Dr | 70 | 2 | B-12 | Business (Planned) |
| ROAD F | Road M | Blackwell Rd | 60 | 2 | B-7 | Business (Planned) |
| Interchanges | ||||||
| Name | ||||||
| Shady Grove Rd & Key West Ave | Interchange | |||||
| Key West Ave & Great Seneca Hwy | Interchange | |||||
| Sam Eig Hwy & Great Seneca Hwy | Interchange | |||||
| Transit Stations | ||||||
| Name | Line | |||||
| Belward Station | CCT | |||||
| PSTA | CCT | |||||
| Shady Grove Life Sciences | CCT | |||||
| DANAC | CCT | |||||
| Transitway | ||||||
| Name | From | To | ROW | Line | ||
| Corridor Cities | Great Seneca Hwy | Fields Rd | 50-70 | CCT | ||
6. Public Facilities and Amenities
The monitoring program will track attributes of development projects that provide an appropriate environment or to satisfy public needs. Facilities and amenities may include, but are not limited to:
- green area or open space which exceeds the minimum required, with appropriate landscaping and pedestrian circulation;
- streetscaping that includes elements such as plantings, special pavers, bus shelters, benches, and decorative lighting;
- public space designed for performances, events, vending, or recreation;
- new or improved pedestrian walkways, tunnels or bridges;
- features that improve pedestrian access to transit stations;
- dedicated spaces open to the public such as museums, art galleries, cultural arts , community rooms, recreation areas;
- day care for children or senior adults and persons with disabilities; and
- public art.
| Project Name | Location/Limits | Coordinating agency | Project status | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CCT Funded | Shady Grove Metro- Metropolitan Grove | MSHA/MTA | |||
| CCT Under Construction | Shady Grove Metro- Metropolitan Grove | ||||
| JHU Belward | active recreation/fields and trails and Muddy Branch Trail | M-NCPPC/ Private | |||
| LSC Recreation Loop | |||||
| LSC Central | |||||
| Civic Green | LSC WEST/PSTA | ||||
| Elementary School | LSC WEST/PSTA | ||||
| Park (with school) | LSC WEST/PSTA | ||||
| Traville Local Park | LSC South | ||||
| Local Park | Quince Orchard | ||||
| Medical Center Drive Extended | Great Seneca HWY to Key West Avenue | DOT/SHA | |||
| Decoverly Drive Extended | Johns Hopkins Drive to Muddy Branch Road | DOT/SHA | |||
| Key West Avenue Widening | Darnestown Road to Shady Grove Road | DOT/SHA | |||
| Sam Eig Highway/Great Seneca Highway | intersection interchange | DOT/SHA | |||
| Shady Grove Road/Key West Avenue | intersection interchange | DOT/SHA | |||
| Great Seneca Highway/Muddy Branch Road | intersection interchange | DOT/SHA |
7. Subdivision Staging Policy – School Capacity
The Growth Policy matches the timing of development with the availability of public services. It ensures that there is enough transportation and school capacity to accommodate new development. The tracking of transportation capacity is covered in 3.0 Traffic Performance and 4.0 Non-Auto Driver Mode Share.
The annual component of the Subdivision Staging Policy is a review of the school capacity test. It reports the program capacity for school clusters throughout the county. If a cluster exceeds a 105-percent program capacity ceiling, residential subdivision within that cluster would be subject to a school facilities payment or a moratorium.
The Life Science Center contains two school clusters: Gaithersburg Cluster and Thomas S. Wootton Cluster.
School clusters - click for a larger view*Green areas are the Gaithersburg Cluster
*Brown areas are the Wootton Cluster
School Test for FY 2012 - click for a larger view*Highlighted rows denote school clusters in LSC
Last updated: October 28, 2011
Montgomery County Planning Department