Question About Sprawl/Developement Along 270/70-Monty to Hagerstown

[Hudlander]

Also, are my thoughts on NOVA vs. Monty correct?
-That the real difference in why FFX is so much more populated than the larger Monty is mainly due to location/not policy of more job centers (Pentagon/Tysons/Reston Herndon/Dulles vs. Bethesada/270 tech).

IF Dulles were in Burke or never built, would West FFX/East Loudoun be like Upper Monty?
Conversely, if Dulles were in Gaithersburg/Germantown would Upper Monty=current West FFX/E Loudoun?

[dkf747]

The reason is probably more economic. MD has high taxes and is less business friendly.

I'm not sure about your conclusion about Frederick and Hagerstown. Natives there would be offended. Frederick is a nice town and has some things going for it apart from DC. However, yes, some of the development there is partly due to Montgomery's policies. It's also economic, though. It's just too expensive to live in Montgomery. Same thing in Fairfax, which is why Prince William and Loudoun are more built up. The airport is not the main reason. At least not in my view.

[westsideboy]

Originally Posted by Hudlander

So basically, my theory was correct that while Monty does a great job of "preserving" the ruralness of Upper Monty....all this does is just make it so Fredneck/Hagerstown are more developed and sprawled?

So pretty much, in theory, it would have been better if Monty developed the entire county, that way Fredneck/Hagerstown would be rural?

I really hate "checkerboards" because, it's not really that rural when you have sprawl on either side.
It'd be better to condense it all to one side.

Well........I don't know. What is better? Having some counties be purely urban in land use, and some purely rural? Or having every county find the right mix of urban, suburban, and rural that fits the needs and wants of their community.

I mean, if Montgomery County wants to keep a chunk of their own county as farm rural/low density exurb, who am I to say they need to develop it into another Rockville?

I know I hate that attitude when it is applied to my homeplace. We would kill for just a smidge of the growth and development that is taking place in the downstate counties to our east. Allegany County is about 75% forest.....we could afford to lose some trees and gain some residents.

I have heard many people, including lots on this site, take the mentality that Western Maryland needs to be some sort of undeveloped "preserve" while they build up and acquire development $$ and higher income residents in their own counties.

[slowlane3]

Originally Posted by westsideboy

The Ag. Preserve in upper Montgomery pushes development north to Urbana.
So, planning has resulted in development being pushed further out.

It's the same situation in Fairfax vs. Loudoun County. Along Route 7, the Dranesville and Great Falls areas (Fairfax County) are very low-density - despite being near to the 100,000 workers at Tysons Corner -----while IMMEDIATELY as you cross into Loudoun County, you suddenly hit solid, continuous developement (Sterling, Ashburn, Brambleton)........ And compare rural, protected Clifton (Fairfax County) with urban Manassas (Prince William).

[Hudlander]

Originally Posted by slowlane3

It's the same situation in Fairfax vs. Loudoun County. Along Route 7, the Dranesville and Great Falls areas (Fairfax County) are very low-density - despite being near to the 100,000 workers at Tysons Corner -----while IMMEDIATELY as you cross into Loudoun County, you suddenly hit solid, continuous developement (Sterling, Ashburn, Brambleton)........ And compare rural, protected Clifton (Fairfax County) with urban Manassas (Prince William).

And the result is, everybody suffers.

When you have a "patch" of rural area (like upper Monty) surrounded by sprawl on both sides, it really takes away the rural character (traffic/light pollution).
This is why I'd prefer more infill condensed development.

I still don't get why Western Frederick County on I-70 is more developed than eastern Frederick County on I-270/I-70.

[westsideboy]

Originally Posted by Hudlander

And the result is, everybody suffers.

When you have a "patch" of rural area (like upper Monty) surrounded by sprawl on both sides, it really takes away the rural character (traffic/light pollution).
This is why I'd prefer more infill condensed development.

I still don't get why Western Frederick County on I-70 is more developed than eastern Frederick County on I-270/I-70.

I am not sure that is completely true. Along I-270, Urbana is pretty built up now, and if the Monrovia Town Center ever comes to fruition, it will be even more built up. The development stops abruptly when you hit the battlefield, then it begins again around Frederick City. I will agree about I-70, it is more rural along that road in the Eastern part of the county.

As for Middletown, you have to remember there was already an existing substrate of population and infrastructure there. If you have ever been to Braddock Heights, you can see old historic mansions. This plus the flatter terrain in the valley, and its natural beauty and appeal make it an attractive place to live, period.

[DistrictSonic]

As a general rule. Closer to the city = more density. Density != Sprawl. Sprawl is generally considered development lacking density and is auto dependent. It is a problem further away from the urban core, not closer to it. This is something many do not understand. This is why exurbs in general are more characterized by sprawl than urbanized suburbs adjacent to the city. Why, higher density development with better transit access and walkable communities is not considered sprawl. What is considered sprawl is auto-dependent exurbs. Sprawl is not downtown Silver Spring or Bethesda.

[santafe400]

Montgomery Counties situation is certainly not unique. See P.G., Anne Arundel, and Baltimore Co., all these large jurisdictions follow a similar pattern of peripheral low density/rural development surrounded by higher density/ suburban sprawl type of development. Even Frederick Co. is vastly rural and scenic north of MD 26. I'm not seeing where I-70 is any less "sprawly" east of Frederick as the OP suggests. Also, I think Frederick Co. really screwed up big time by putting that massive housing project adjacent to old town New Market. That development really screws up the serenity and quaintness of the nearby town.