Site plan OK’d for phase one of Piedmont Crossing

Toll Brothers Inc., a Horsham, Pa.-based homebuilder, proposes to develop the entire site in three phases, starting with the primary entrance into the site from Amity Drive on the east and ending with the last phase to the south that will eventually connect with Shady Grove Road and Crabbs Branch Way. The preliminary plan for the project was approved in December 2004 for 184 residential lots.

The first phase of the plan will place the 61 housing units on about 35-acres of the site, which includes both single-family detached homes and townhouses, according to the staff report.

Piedmont Crossing has been the subject of contentious discussion for many years and issues concerning traffic, density, compatibility with nearby neighborhoods, environmental impacts and the dedication or reservation of a future elementary school site arose during the preliminary plan review. Montgomery County Public Schools has decided not to locate the school there.

While the first phase of the site plan was approved, there are several conditions, some of which were amended during a Planning Board hearing Thursday.

In a telephone interview on Friday, Robert A. Kronenberg, supervisor of Park and Planning’s development review division, said the conditions include a requirement that Toll Brothers start a $150,000 escrow account should the wells of 15 adjacent property owners in Washington Grove fail.

Toll Brothers would be charged with monitoring well water for at least one year after the last unit of the first phase is built.

Kronenberg said another condition that Washington Grove and Bounding Bend Court residents be given input on planting materials for a landscape buffer adjacent to Ridge Road.

Some Washington Grove residents attended the hearing to express their concerns over density and compatibility.

Mayor John Compton said the town was concerned with two ‘‘major incompatibilities” along the property adjacent to Washington Grove: the ‘‘wall of houses” proposed along Ridge Road and the ‘‘incompatible density, lot size and structures to be placed on the field.”

‘‘The reason given for increasing the lot density on the developable property revolves around land required by the [State Highway Administration] for the [Intercounty Connector], a factor arising after approval of the preliminary plan,” Compton said.

He said there were 12 units that could not be built because of the land acquired by SHA. Toll Brothers moved nine of the units onto the remaining developable property in the first phase, which increased the density from what was proposed on the preliminary plan, he added.

Toll Brothers did not respond to repeated calls by The Gazette’s press time.

Washington Grove has taken Toll Brothers to court to protect 12 acres of land on the property expected to be designated open space.