Project: Glenmont Parking Structure
Description
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and Montgomery County plan to expand the parking capacity at the WMATA Glenmont Metrorail Station. Plans call for the construction of an additional multi-level parking structure with space for approximately 1,000 vehicles on the west side of Georgia Avenue, between Layhill Road and Glenallan Avenue. Providing additional parking at this station located at one end of the Red Line is one of Montgomery County’s highest transportation priorities.
Current Activity (as of December 12, 2007)
WMATA held a public hearing on the project on April 26, 2006 to afford interested parties an opportunity to provide input. Twenty individuals and/or representatives of various organizations spoke at the hearing. A particular focus of the project at that time involved reaching a decision of whether the new facility was to be placed on the east or west side of Georgia Avenue. On April 27, 2006, the Planning Board voted to endorse the staff’s recommendation to locate the structure on the east side of Georgia Avenue. Read the staff report.
On May 2, 2006, the Council Transportation and Environment Committee voted in support of locating the structure on the west side of Georgia Avenue, a decision later endorsed by the full Council. Read the Council staff report.
The WMATA staff issued its public Hearing Staff Report on July 21, 2006. The staff report included a recommendation to locate the parking structure on the west side of Georgia Avenue. The WMATA staff recommendation did not involve a decision about the co-location of the fire station. The WMATA Board of Directors approved the WMATA staff recommendation at the Board’s meeting on September 21, 2006.
Planning Items
Aside from the parking structure location, other issues examined included the potential relocation of Kensington Fire Station # 18 to a site adjacent to the new parking structure if the structure is placed on the west side of Georgia Avenue, master plan conformance, coordination with the planned Georgia Avenue Busway, traffic / bus circulation, and environmental impact mitigation, among other items. The project plans are available on the WMATA web site at http://www.wmata.com/about/expansion/glenmont.cfm. Subsequent efforts have focused on the exterior design of the garage and how that might be improved.
Upcoming Schedule
A design and build contract would be issued under a schedule that currently calls for completion of the project 24 months after contract award. Department of Public Works & Transportation staff have indicated that they would like to have a contractor on-board by the spring of 2008. The project is subject to the Mandatory Referral process and therefore would be reviewed by the Planning Board.
M-NCPPC Staff Contacts
Khalid Afzal, Community-Based Planning
301-495-4650
Khalid.Afzal@mncppc-mc.org
Tom Autrey, Transportation Planning
301-495-4533
Thomas.Autrey@mncppc-mc.org
Date of last update: June 16, 2008
