Little Seneca Creek at Risk
PLEASE READ AND SHARE: The Clarksburg Sector Plan master plan update is underway. It is potentially very damaging to the Little Seneca Creek watershed. Although it is outdated by modern environmental standards, it is being strongly pushed by Clarksburg developers, county council member Balcomb, Chamber of Commerce, etc.
The plan includes a ca. 1996 proposed highway "Observation Drive Extended," extending Little Seneca Parkway to I-270, and building a new interchange. The highway plan is 4 lanes wide with transitway in the median with 500+ft bridges over the streams and wetlands.
Deby Sarabia recently walked two areas, 1) between Little Seneca Pkwy and Old Baltimore Road- it is nearly all wetland and small streams, and 2) Waters Discovery Lane to Little Seneca Creek which is Montgomery Parks' Little Seneca Greenway forest. The study area includes 44 acres of forest and 322 specimen trees including high quality timber such as hickory and white oak, so it is certainly of great environmental value but also of logging interest.
Please attend one of the hikes sponsored in this area, and /or contact the planning team, and/or your Council members and ask them to trash the Observation Drive/Little Seneca Parkway highway plan because it is too destructive. Plus at $115M, EXPENSIVE!
Clarksburg Gateway Sector Plan - Montgomery Planning
https://montgomeryplanning.org/.../clarksburg-gateway.../
M-NCPPC: Search Result Page (montgomeryplanning.org)
MCDOT Division of Transportation Engineering - Projects