Help Plan for the Future Along MD108

If one thing is constant, it is change. The Clarksville-River Hill community has seen significant change over the last 30 years. Thirty years ago  Clarksville sat at a much smaller, more rural crossroads. Since then, St. Louis Church and School and Linden Linthicum Church have expanded, there are now three gas stations instead of one, Kendall Hardware has moved from a Quonset hut to its current location, Pizza Hut is no longer the
only restaurant in town, and more than 2,200 homes have been built in the immediate area.

Today, MD 108 is a major thoroughfare  which in 2011 carried approximately 19,990 vehicles per day according to the 2011 Maryland State Highway Administration’s Howard County Traffic Volume Map. The community now has all the pluses and minuses that come with increased residential and commer- cial growth. As new development projects come on line, such as the Clarksville Commons mixed use development across from the River Hill Village Center and the redevelopment of the River Hill Garden Center property, the community will experience even more change. How do we plan for the future and create an environment where people want to live, work, and play?

The Howard County Department of Planning and Zoning is beginning the process to ensure quality development and redevelopment along the commercial corridor in Clarksville for decades to come. This process will include significant community input and will be guided by design professionals both within and outside of County government. The goal is to ensure a livable, walkable, bikable, sustainable community.

Residents are invited to attend a community meeting at Claret Hall on October14 at 7:30 p.m. to learn more about how this project will proceed, how you can participate, and what you can expect along the way. For more information, please contact Bill Mackey at  wmackey@howardcountymd.gov.