Community Workshops

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

• Two community workshops were held to gather community input for this plan. The first workshop, held on June 2, 2005, focused on Parks, Open Spaces, Trails and the Green Infrastructure Plan. The second workshop, held on October 6, 2005, focused on public facilities, which includes libraries, schools, police and fire facilities, historic preservation, and transportation.
  
  The charrette process for the Subregion I Plan began in September 2006. A charrette is an open process that includes all interested parties. It consists of workshops held on consecutive days to allow a series of short feedback loops. This process is intended to produce consensus and a feasible plan.
  
  
  
• Konterra Realty LLC sponsored the first planning and design charrette on the Konterra area, which was held on January 25 and January 26, 2006, at 6100 Frost Place, Laurel. The public charrette took place from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on both days. The general public was invited to participate and develop design alternatives for the Konterra town center and its vicinity, including the land in the M-X-T, C-R-C, and R-R Zones.  The Konterra charrette team held two more workshops on February 15 and 24, 2006, to present the charrette results and to develop more detailed design elements and guidelines.
  
  
  
• M-NCPPC sponsored a five-day planning and design charrette for the US 1 corridor on September 13-16 and 19, 2006. The five-day charrette will lead to a development concept and implementation strategy. The development concept will identify potential activity centers along the corridor and determine if any of these activity centers meet the 2002 General Plan description of a Developing Tier corridor node (a mix of less intense residential and nonresidential uses that are community-oriented in scope and located within one-quarter mile of major intersections or major transit stops along the corridor). The implementation strategy recommended development/redevelopment phasing, implementation tools and techniques, and form-based zoning guidelines and standards.
  
  
  
• In addition to the US 1 corridor charrette, M-NCPPC sponsored a series of community planning workshops in October and November 2006 to evaluate and analyze all existing residential communities within the Subregion 1 area.
  
  

Interviews with major landowners, developers, public officials, and civic association leaders were conducted on specific land use and zoning issues as part of the public participation process.