Town Council Wants Charrette for Konterra

The Kensington Town Council voted to beef up its resolution on whether to allow greater height for the proposed Konterra project at a meeting Monday, ruling that the developer can only reach 75 feet if it holds a public charrette and presents an acceptable design.

The 6.2-acre Konterra property is proposed for a 60-foot maximum under the current draft of the sector plan, but the town council and a county committee have , granting it only if the developer provides public amenities and submits a design residents like.

Monday's vote was designed as a message of intent to the County Council, which will discuss the plan during a Tuesday worksession in Rockville.

The resolution, which passed 3-1, asks the county to require Konterra to hold a public design charrette before the Planning Board votes on any aspect of the project. Furthermore, the town wants to enter into a covenant with Konterra, stipulating that the town council will not support a 75-foot maximum unless the charrette is held and paid for by the developer.

Caleb Gould, vice president of Konterra, said the company is amenable to the charrette idea and wants to ensure it has the community buy-in for any potential project before spending money on construction.

While the resolution was a compromise among members of the town council, Councilmember Lydia Sullivan, who voted against it, said 75 feet is too high for that part of town, charrette or no charrette. The Konterra property is east of the train station along Metropolitan Avenue, away from the town's proposed high-density core on Connecticut Avenue, and a 75-foot structure would be incompatible with the surrounding neighborhood, she said.

Councilmember Mackie Barch said Konterra's investment in Kensington is vital to kick-start revitalization, and the town should listen to all proposals before ruling anything out.

Councilmember Sean McMullen said that while he's not sure 75 feet is necessary for the project, there's no harm in hearing Konterra out. If Kensington doesn't like the design put forth in the charrette, the council can vote against it, McMullen said, and the Planning Board would need a supermajority to overrule the town's will.

In order to "explore" greater height, however, the Planning Department will have to zone the area for a 75-foot maximum, County Council Analyst Marlene Michaelson said. From there, it would be up to the town to draft specific language guiding the Planning Board on whether to allow Konterra to build the maximum.

There will be no public comment at Tuesday's County Council worksession, and councilmembers are expected to take a straw vote on the sector plan and the Konterra zoning before the issue goes up for final debate next month, Michaelson said. The meeting starts at 1:40 p.m. in the council's .