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Advisory committee forges ahead on Town Center concept

Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2006

Jim Smith of the new Olney Town Center Advisory Committee told members of the Greater Olney Civic Association during last week’s GOCA meeting that the committee is now in the strategy phase of its mission.

He said the updated Olney Master Plan set the vision and goal for Olney’s Town Center area, and that the committee will continue to develop an illustrative concept of the town commons and proposed civic center.

While the intersection of Georgia Avenue and Route 108 always has been considered Olney’s unofficial center of town, there never has been a formal site, such as a civic center or ‘‘town hall,” to formally give the community a focal point.

He new advisory committee recently began meeting with county officials to come up with ideas for what that could include.

A Web site, www.olneytowncenter.org, is expected to be up and running very soon.

Update on developmentat Owens Road

Bill Roberts of Miller & Smith gave an overview of the development planned for the 4-acre property at the intersection of Georgia Avenue and Owens Road.

Current plans call for 18 townhouses, with access roads from Georgia Avenue and Owens Road. Roberts stressed the plan was very preliminary.

Many residents from the Manor Oaks attended the meeting and expressed their concerns over the plans, specifically the problems associated with additional traffic.

GOCA concerned over parking at senior complex

GOCA representatives recently met with Jeff Kirby, developer of the Willow Manor senior apartment building on Georgia Avenue, north of Route 108, to express concern over the on-street parking and the glare from the building’s lighting.

Dave Eskenazi, GOCA Transportation Committee chairman, reported that Kirby agreed to check with his architect on possible alternatives. They also have contacted the State Highway Administration about safety concerns associated with the parking issues.

Junior Achievement available to Olney students

Laura Patterson of Junior Achievement, an organization dedicated to educating students about entrepreneurship, work readiness and financial literacy through hands-on programs, told GOCA members that the program was recently introduced in third-grade classrooms in all Olney-area elementary schools.

Junior Achievement officials are seeking volunteers to visit classrooms and share their life experiences in order for the students to apply what they learn in school to real life. For more information, contact her at 202-777-4471 or lpatterson@janca.org.