Willett Branch in the Westbard Sector

A New Life for the Willett Branch; A New Park for the Westbard Sector

The new Sector plan for Westbard calls for a naturalized Willett Branch creek and a beautiful new park cutting through Westbard like a green ribbon with a walking path, play areas and places for gathering giving the new (and old!) residents a place to stretch their legs and recharge. 

This promises to be a major amenity for the area. The concrete-lined channel creek with walls covered with graffiti and banks littered will be replaced by a natural waterway that supports fish and other aquatic life. The banks will have trees, native plants and shrubs instead of being a dumping ground for shopping carts, tires and appliances and other trash. Residents will be able to walk along the creek and enjoy the beautiful natural environment that a creek provides.

The County Council approved the Plan on May 3, 2016.  The New Sector Plan is HERE.  The Appendix is HERE.

Park to Honor Moses Cemetery, Historic African American Community

Much of the Westbard Sector was plantation land and after the civil war until the area was developed in the 1960s, a thriving African American Community of some thirty or forty households. Along with a Rosenwald School, there was a baseball team, a tavern and several businesses. In 1911, the White’s Tabernacle #39 (Moses) cemetery was created by the Ancient United Order of the Sons and Daughters, Brothers and Sisters of Moses, an African American fraternal society. Burials continued in this site until the 1940s. The history of the River Road African American Community can be found HERE. 

The County’s plans for the new park are to honor this displaced community and the Moses Cemetery with a memorial and signage. The vision for the Park can be found in the Sector Plan (Sections 2.5 and 2.7) and in the Appendix (C.3, C.4, and D.5).

Land for Park to come from dedication and purchase

The Willett Branch Stream Valley Park will be owned and developed by Montgomery Parks. Land for the park will be acquired in ways - 1) outright purchase by Parks and 2) Dedication to Parks when the land is redeveloped.

Land Purchase: Several parcels of land have been purchased for the Park as of 2020.

Land Dedication: As properties along the Willett Branch come up for redevelopment, the landowners are required to dedicate the creek side buffers to Parks for the Willett Branch Stream Valley Park. As of 2020, two parcels have been dedicated - Parcel 177 behind the new Bethesda Self Storage and a small piece of land at the corner of Ridgefield and River Road (the gateway to the new park, by the approved Kensington Senior Center site).

Land Dedication and Development Issues:

When there is redevelopment, Little Falls Watershed Alliance watches and comments on development in the Westbard Sector to make sure that it is done to the strictest environmental standards and that the plans for the new park are not compromised. 

UPDATE: December 17, 2020 - Planning Board approves plans for Kensington Senior center. More about the project HERE. Developer will convey land for Park.

UPDATE: April 23, 2020 - Pre-submission Public Meeting for Westwood II Center development

On Thursday, April 23, Kensington Senior Development LLC publicly presented their plans a Senior Living Community for redeveloping the Westwood II Center, located at the corner of River and Ridgefield Roads. The building which will cover the entire 2.9 acre property. 112 assisted living suites are planned along with the support services needed for the community. The back of the property will abut the Willett Branch and the building is designed to allow the residents to enjoy a view of the new park from patios and balconies located above the first floor. The first floor will primarily be parking garage. There is no plans for access from the rear of the building to the Park.

The stormwater management will be 100% ESD, relying primarily on green roofs. There is also plans for several small bio-retention planters.

Because of the physical distancing restrictions of the pandemic, this meeting was held as a conference call. Slides of the presentation were available by google document for participants to view during the presentation. The document is available in PDF HERE.

Time line for project:

• Pre-submission Meeting: April 23 - completed

• Anticipated Application Submission: May 2020

• Hearing scheduled for December 17, 2020

UPDATE: Regency Center Development Approved by Planning Board - March 14, 2019.  While LFWA feels that the stormwater management plan is lacking (it includes a 87% waiver for treating the road), the plan does include a $500,000 donation to Parks for the new park and dedication of three parcels of land for the new park.  The land will be turned over to the park as the development construction is completed.  Click HERE for more information on the Planning Board decision.  

Regency Center Development - Phase 1 and 2.  The application for 22 acres of new commercial, mixed used residential and town houses was submitted May 2018.  The plan will be resubmitted in September in response to the extensive comments by the Planning staff and other departments.  Information on the development, how you can help and our comments are HERE   

Bethesda Self Storage - With the December 2017 approval of this development, the first Parcel of land is dedicated for Park. Information and our comments are HERE.