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Rapid development and a changing vision for Burtonsville have left the area's master plan outdated and in dire need of a face lift, many county officials say. But in a year full of pressing budget issues, planning board officials say the area may have to wait in line.

Last month, debate over the construction of a new storage facility in the area highlighted issues with the current Fairland Master Plan. At an East County Citizens Advisory Board meeting, board members agreed on one thing as they discussed zoning issues around a future Burtonsville location of ezStorage—the need to examine the possibility of reopening the master plan early.

"You really have to make a determination of what type of community you want," said board chairman Bill Strassberger. "Is the type of community that was developed years ago when the master plan was developed still compatible with the area today?"

The most recent Fairland Master Plan was completed in 1997 and is supposed to be updated every 18 years. With the area barely recognizable from 12 years ago, it is already time for a revision, some say.

"It's no secret that I'm not a big fan of the current master plan," said board member Tom Aylward last month when talking about ezStorage construction. "It's not this one issue. It's the whole master plan."

Aylward says Burtonsville needs more affordable housing. For Strassberger, it's a large wholesale chain like Costco or Sam's Club. Board member Eric Luedtke wants to make sure existing Burtonsville businesses are better displayed from the road so the area is more pedestrian-friendly.

Most admit that redeveloping a master plan takes time and money that the county just doesn't have right now. Board members acknowledge that the budget crisis will likely prevent an overhaul in the near future. Urgent plans for the Purple Line and Gaithersburg West, for example, trump the need to revisit the Fairland plan, according to Claire Iseli, a legislative aide for Councilmember Marc Elrich. Iseli closely followed the creation of the current master plan for late Councilmember Marilyn Praisner.

"I know the planning board would like to move to a place where they can be more nimble in reviewing master plans, but they're not there yet," she said, adding that areas throughout the county are always competing to have their master plan worked on first.

Still, the County Council is discussing plans for a Route 29 Corridor Mobility and Land Use Plan, tentatively set for mid-2011, which would look at transportation options and land uses along the Route 29 corridor near the Food and Drug Administration.

"What's going to be important from my perspective is that it needs to stay true to the idea of what the community wants, ...whether that happens through opening the master plan or some other method," Luedtke said. "It should take a couple years. We really need to look at our priorities and what Burtonsville wants."

Interested in efforts to revitalize Burtonsville? The East County

Citizens Advisory Board meeting

at 7:15 p.m. tonight will include a presentation by Roylene Roberts, chief of neighborhood revitalization for the Montgomery County

Department of Housing & Community Affairs on the Burtonsville

Revitalization project.