County proposes improvements to Dale Drive, Colesville Road crossing

Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2008

County proposes improvements to Dale Drive, Colesville Road crossing

Talk of the Town | Agnes Jasinski

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The Montgomery County Department of Public Works and Transportation has proposed a number of recommendations to improve traffic flow at the intersection of Dale Drive and Colesville Road in Silver Spring, including adding a lane to both the east and west approaches of Dale Drive.

The project is part of a $3.9 million intersection and roadways improvements plan to ease traffic congestion in the Silver Spring Central Business District, according to the DPWT.

The project includes adding: a lane to both eastbound and westbound Dale Drive between Watson Road and Kingsbury Drive; a 5- to 8-foot-wide sidewalk on the north and south sides of Dale Drive from Watson Road to Kingsbury Drive; retaining walls adjacent to St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, 9100 Colesville Road, and Mrs. K’s Toll House Restaurant, 9201 Colesville Road; and improvements to the existing storm-drain system.

The changes to Dale Drive would result in two left-turn lanes and a combination of a through and right-turn lane going east, and one left-turn-only lane, one through lane and one right-turn-only lane going west. Traffic signals would be changed to accommodate the new lanes.

DPWT staff is looking for comments and suggestions, said spokeswoman Esther Bowring. A public meeting to talk about the design process and to discuss residents’ questions and concerns has yet to be rescheduled, she said. A meeting last week was canceled due to inclement weather.

Final design will be completed in the fall of 2008. Construction is scheduled to begin in spring 2010 and end in spring 2011.

Residents interested in receiving information in the mail about the project should call Marsha Wheeler-Christ of the DPWT’s Transportation Planning and Design Section at 240-777-6174.

Brookside hostsseed exchange

Brookside Gardens will host the Third Annual Washington Gardener Seed Exchange 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the gardens, 1800 Glenallan Ave., Wheaton.

Washington Gardener Magazine, based in Silver Spring, created the event three years ago but this is the first year it will take place at Brookside.

At the seed exchange, gardeners will trade seeds, exchange planting tips, hear speakers, and receive bags of gardening items. Participants also should bring their used garden books and garden catalogs to trade. All leftover publications will be donated to the National Agriculture Library in Beltsville.

Silver Spring resident Kathy Jentz, editor of Washington Gardener Magazine, said the event, which is always held the last Saturday in January, has spread to areas like New York, Chicago and Ohio. She also said this is the perfect time for people to trade seeds.

‘‘The timing is optimal for getting your seeds to start for the next season,” Jentz said. ‘‘This is also the time everyone receives their seed catalogs in the mail.”

Jentz said people are encouraged to bring their seeds to the event because unique heirloom varieties are available that are usually not found in catalogs or in stores. The seed exchange was a good way of saving money and being environmentally friendly, she added.

‘‘I might have a plant that gives off 100 seeds and I might only be able to use five of those,” she said.

Jentz said she expects about 125 participants from around the Washington, D.C., area. The fee is $15, but members of the Friends of Brookside Gardens or subscribers of Washington Gardener Magazine receive a $5 discount.

For more information, call 301-588-6894.

— Kristina Gawrgy