Debate rages on about Ten Mile Creek development

WASHINGTON – It’s way too big.

It’s way too small.

The way a proposed housing development is seen depends on the side the seer is on. And the latest plans draft for the Ten Mile Creek area near Clarksburg, Md., has been slashed as the Montgomery County Planning Board reduced the suggested number of homes for the development.

“You’re cutting out all this housing that was planned to be there to support a viable town center,” says Gus Bauman, attorney for Pulte Homes, which planned on building 1,000 homes in the area. The planning board draft allowed just 215.

“I do not know how they would ever build a viable town center.”

But the Save Ten Mile Creek coalition, which represents civic and environmental groups, is protesting. The group says the proposed development, which includes Pulte Homes and an outlet mall, would degrade the environmentally fragile Ten Mile Creek, which also helps feed the emergency drinking water supply for Montgomery County.

The planning board will review the draft and in September will forward recommendations to the Montgomery County Council.

WTOP’s Kate Ryan contributed to this report. Follow @KateRyanWTOP and @WTOP on Twitter.

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