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Clarksburg

Here you will find information on the Master Plan, as well as on specific projects under review by the Planning Department. You will also find out how to let planners, reviewers and Planning Board members know your views as projects move forward.

Clarksburg Stage 4

Clarksburg mapOn July 9, 2009 the Planning Board recommended that the County Council place an amendment for the 1994 Clarksburg Master Plan in the Board’s work program to address water quality concerns and protections required for the environmentally sensitive Ten Mile Creek watershed.

The proposed plan amendment would focus on the Stage 4 implementation area (shown in the darker area of the photo at right), about 10 percent of the Clarksburg Planning Area. Development proposals already approved in the Town Center would not be affected.

A master plan amendment would involve citizens, landowners and interest groups in determining the best way to protect the Ten Mile Creek.

The County Council decided on July 27, 2009, to defer action on any consideration of water and sewer extensions. The Council has since appointed an Ad Hoc Water Quality Working Group composed of agencies, interest groups and citizens to consider all the information available and report to the Council by February 1, 2010. 

The Council will await the completion of the Working Group’s report and the Planning Board’s Semi-Annual report in early Spring 2010 to decide whether or not to include the amendment to the plan in the Planning Board’s work program.

Planning Policies

Clarksburg's growth from a small historic settlement into a new type of community, is guided by the Clarksburg Master Plan (1994). The Master Plan is a point of reference with regard to public policy.

The concept for Clarksburg features a Town Center, which includes the Clarksburg Historic District; a regional transitway (The Corridor Cities Transitway); two new neighborhoods, one east of I-270 and one west of I-270; the continuation of the residential character along MD 355, a greenway network, and employment along the I-270 Corridor.The concept places a strong emphasis on farmland and open space preservation and promotes transit-oriented neighborhoods.The key policies guiding the development of Clarksburg are:

  • Allowing development of a town smaller than a "corridor city".
  • Protecting of natural features such as stream valleys with special protection provided for Ten Mile Creek and Little Seneca Creek.
  • Creating of a multi-purpose greenway system along stream valleys; including the Clarksburg Greenway.
  • Creating a comprehensive transit system that will reduce dependence on the automobile.
  • Providing a street network, which clearly differentiates between highways needed for regional traffic and roads for more local use.
  • Creating a transit-oriented, multi-use Town Center, which is compatible with the scale and character of the Clarksburg Historic District.
  • Clustering development into a series of transit - and pedestrian- oriented neighborhoods.
  • Emphasizing the importance of I-270 as a high-technology corridor for Montgomery County and the region and preserving key site adjacent to I-270 for future employment options.
  • Supporting existing County policies to preserve farmland.
  • Staging development to address fiscal concerns while being responsive to community building and environmental objectives.

Date of last update: July 16, 2009