Lakeforest is on the Ballot this November

The next 4 years will go a long way towards shaping the future of the Lakeforest Mall site. Even now, the public record is open for comments about the proposed new Master Plan for the Mall properties.

We need a voice on the City Council that understands the impact that the Mall does have on the surrounding communities, and how any future development proposals will affect those who already live nearby. A voice from someone who actually lives near the Mall, and can ask the right questions once development plans are submitted to the city.

We all agree Lakeforest needs redevelopment. The challenge has always been that there are five separate owners of the properties that make up the Lakeforest site, and there are reciprocal easements on each of the properties that require all five to agree to a redevelopment plan.

The proposed Master Plan calls for mixed use development with 35% allotted to public space and up to 1,600 residential units. I chair the Olde Towne Advisory Committee, which hosted one of the public focus groups conducted by city staff. I was pleased to see many of the recommendations from our group reflected in the proposed Master Plan. But a Master Plan is only a guide. The real work comes once a development proposal comes in.

We need to make sure the city takes a holistic approach to redevelopment, and understands the dominoes that will fall as a reimagined Lakeforest takes shape.

What does redeveloping Lakeforest do to the surrounding infrastructure, particularly roads, transit and schools? Anyone who has driven 355 during rush hour pre-pandemic knows how badly it backs up at Montgomery Village Ave, as well as Summitt Ave. through Olde Towne. What improvements will be made when an additional 1,600 units bring several thousand more people to the area, combined with the potential of an additional 2,000 units as part of Montgomery Village’s redevelopment? And how does that affect our already overcrowded elementary schools in the city? And how does the proposal affect the legacy business districts like Olde Towne, the Kentlands and even Crown?

These are the kinds of questions that will need to be asked. These decisions cannot be made in a vacuum. And this is the kind of insight a voice that lives near Lakeforest can bring to the process. Someone who is a problem solver, who brings people together and can build consensus. Governing is all about managing competing interests. We need a voice that can ensure that all voices are heard during the process.

Jim McNulty is a candidate for Gaithersburg City Council. He serves as the Chair of the Olde Towne Advisory Committee, and is the former president of the Saybrooke Homeowners Association, a community of 478 homes on the east side of Gaithersburg.