Community Engagement Report highlights the initial outreach process, data, and findings for the Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan.

The Montgomery County Planning Department presented the Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan Community Engagement Report to the Montgomery County Planning Board at their February 3, 2022 meeting. The report offers a summary of the initial community outreach and engagement activities, preliminary findings, and next steps for the plan.

Throughout the process, planners have engaged residents, business owners and other stakeholders through a series of in-person and virtual options. Materials and listening sessions were translated into different languages to encourage equitable participation with the area’s population. To date planners have:

• Received comments from more than 700 residents in the plan area.
• Held a speaker series, call “CommUNITY Conversations in Fairland” that highlighted people-first planning Fairland and the work of neighborhood influencers.
• Hosted four listening sessions to gather information on community concerns and document individual stories.
• Partnered with Everyday Canvassing to knock on over 3,850 doors to conduct in-person interviews.
• Conducted a pedestrian audit of the plan area to highlight opportunities for the plan to make recommendations to be more friendly to walk and roll.
• Reached out via online surveys, formal and informal community meetings, mailings and other tools.

Read the Community Engagement report.

“The overall outreach and engagement strategy has been a focused on putting people first,” said Upcounty Master Planning Supervisor Don Zeigler. “The community is the backbone of this plan process, and we have been happy to have been able to speak to so many residents in the plan area.”

Next steps

Planners will continue to engage the community throughout the process. Continued efforts include focus groups, business and property owner canvassing, a pedestrian audit toolkit and a public photo contest. As the plan shifts to other phases, the Working Draft of the plan will be presented to the Planning Board sometime in Fall 2022.  A public hearing for the plan will be held in late 2022 or early 2023.

If you are interested in the Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan, sign up for the plan’s eletter or contact Project managers:

[email protected] or [email protected]

About the Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan

The Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan is an update to a portion of the 1997 Fairland Master Plan and will establish a clear vision for an equitable, just, and prosperous future for the Fairland community, mirroring the county’s long-term priorities, which include a vibrant economy, equity for all residents, and a healthy environment. The master plan boundary consists primarily of property and communities of Fairland and Briggs Chaney along the US 29 Corridor from near Paint Branch on the south to Greencastle Road on the north. The update will examine and provide policies and recommendations on existing and future land uses and zoning, housing inventory and needs, transportation systems, historic preservation opportunities, area park facilities, and the environment. This master plan will take cues from the equity framework in the update to the county’s General Plan, Thrive Montgomery 2050, which describes how places with equitable access to opportunity produce strong, successful communities. Goals of the Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan include:

• Complete Community: Identify and correct past inequitable development policies to make the Fairland and Briggs Chaney communities more whole and connected by integrating centers of housing, retail, and office development with parks and open space to make 15-minute living a reality for as many people as possible.
• Resilient Economy: Promote economic development and job growth within the plan area and surrounding communities.
• Housing: Promote racial and economic diversity and equity in housing to help rectify past discriminatory housing policies in every neighborhood.
• Arts, Culture and Environment: Support arts and cultural institutions, through parks, open space and environment, recreational programming, and development, to celebrate our diversity, strengthen pride of place, and make the county more attractive and interesting.
• Corridor Growth and Connectivity: Promote and prioritize public and private investment along the Route 29 corridor and neighboring communities to leverage and attract future private investment in community facilities and redevelopment, including a safer, more comfortable network for walking, biking, and rolling that connects the corridor communities.

Featured photo by @DronifyDMV

Christopher Bolton, a lifelong MoCo resident who currently resides in Fairland, has announced his candidacy for County Council in District 5 (a new district in East County that spans from White Oak to Spencerville, Burtonsville, and parts of Leisure World).

Bolton is a Democrat who served in the navy for 5 years. He joins Brian Anleu, Fatmata Barrie, William “Chip” Montier, Daniel Koroma, Kristin Mink, and Jeremiah Pope in the District 5 race.

More information below, from Christopher Bolton:

“Lifelong East County resident Christopher Bolton joins the New East County Council race. Bolton a former Chair of the East County Citizens Advisory Board, current Parliamentarian of the East County Citizens Advisory Board, Co-Chair on the Reimagining Public Safety Task Force committee on policy and de-escalation, a member of the Complete Census Count Committee, and a volunteer for Maryland Medical Reserve Corps.

Bolton wants residents to know that “He has been doing the work for years to get East County heard by Elected officials”. Bolton also states that he “will not participate in public funding, nor accept money from PAC’s and Special interest groups”. “If I am going to get elected, I need to learn to use what I have, you know do more with less”. Bolton runs a Free and Reduced lunch program for 3 non-public Charter schools in Maryland and DC. 

Bolton also stated “That there is too much money in politics and that is why he is running. You call your elected officials, and you don’t get a response until something tragic happens”, “residents feel as if they aren’t important here in East County”. Residents for years have stated they must compete with the affluent parts of the county for attention” 

“You have Candidates who are raising 5 to 6 figures in donations, Bolton states. Residents ask me “who are they going to owe when they get in office, always a favor for a favor, will all that money have an impact when it’s time to get our needs heard”? Bolton states that won’t be the case with him as he will use what little money raised to make an impact and get his message out.” “You won’t have to worry about me owing anyone if I win this election.” 

Bolton also stated that Transparency will be the corner stone of his campaign, “I have nothing to hide, I am running an open campaign, not a lot of money but any information from my campaign that a voter or another campaign wants they can have it, that’s how confident I am that I am the best to represent the District.”

This morning we were told by a reliable source that Chipotle would be moving in to the recently closed Little Caesars location in the Briggs Chaney MarketPlace shopping center.

Little Caesars closed the Briggs Location early this past summer and many local residents have wondered what would be taking its place. We are told the location would be a walk-up/drive-thru only Chipotle, which isn’t common in the area.

This move hasn’t been confirmed, as Saul Centers has told us that they cannot provide us with any information on this potential move at the moment.

Adarash Market moved into the shopping center in the spring and two new restaurants, Island Cuizine and Karen’s Seafood, moved into the shopping center just over a year ago.

Featured photo courtesy of Google Maps.

In 2020, a number of Burtonsville residents realized many underprivileged children in the community would not experience the same holiday experience many local children have due to the struggles many had during the pandemic.

A number of Burtonsville residents decided to do something about it– they organized a group of volunteers to collect toys for children in need.

Local restaurant Squisito Pizza and Pasta jumped at the opportunity to support this effort. By Christmas of 2020, the group had collected 580 toy donations at the restaurant that they were able  to distribute to 260 children in Burtonsville. A significant donation was also made to Children’s Hospital.

This year, Squisito is again sponsoring the effort and providing anyone who donates toys a free slice of pizza and soft drink. The collection box is located inside the restaurant, and donors can receive their free slice of pizza and soft drink by notifying a cashier they have a toy to donate.

The Burtonsville community asks you to consider helping to bring joy to a child this holiday season by bringing a new, unwrapped toy to Squisito and placing it in the donation box.

Santa and his elves will wrap and distribute toys to children in need from the Burtonsville area on December 18th.

Unable to visit Burtonsville Squisito? Visit the Official Burtonsville, MD Facebook Group (2.0) on Facebook at and learn more about how you can help.

9/18 Update: The Briggs Chaney Popeyes is Now Open

Back in November 2020 we let you know that Popeyes will be taking over the old Pizza Hut location in the Briggs Chaney shopping center (13886 Old Columbia Pike).

The old Pizza Hut was demolished and cleared back in March and construction on the new building started soon after. No opening date, but we would not be surprised to see an early fall opening.

The photos below, by Dave Golden (founder of the Burtonsville 2.0 Facebook page), show a lot of recent progress.

Popeyes has recently expanded within MoCo, recently opening up a location in the Kentlands and planning to open a new location in Downtown Silver Spring (construction has recently started there too).

The Briggs Chaney shopping center is an interesting selection for the fried chicken chain, as local chain Hip Hop Fish & Chicken arrived at the same shopping center over a year ago.

The Party Place has opened its second location, officially opening its Burtonsville location earlier this week.

The store is located at 15632 Old Columbia Pike in the Burtonsville Town Center next to the newly opened Tobacco Hut.

They will offer a varied list of services including balloon arrangements and delivery, birthdays and general party decorations, gift-wrapping supplies and general party supplies for individuals, businesses and all social events including graduations, barmitzvah’s, weddings, engagements and all national holiday events.

The Party Place also has a location in Derwood.

After being forced to cancel the parade last year due to the pandemic, Burtonsville Day will be returning this year on September 25th (rain or shine).

The annual celebration includes food trucks/vendors, activities for children, a parade, live music & performances, public services, and other attractions.

As of now, you’re able register for the parade or sign up to volunteer at the event.

More information is available on the Burtonsville Day website.

During its July 29th meeting, the Montgomery County Planning Board will review the design for the renovation of Columbia Local Park at 14900 Old Columbia Pike in Burtonsville.

Per the planning board documents, the recommended facility plan converts the two existing tennis courts into a dog park. The dog park consists of an 8,200-square-foot large dog area and a 2,700-square-foot small dog area, both accessed via a central, double-gated vestibule that allows owners to safely leash and unleash their dogs before entering or exiting the park.

Each enclosure is concrete paved and contains a pet turf play mound. Several benches line the perimeter of the dog park and each dog area has its own drinking fountain and trash receptacles. A shade structure spans the two enclosures, and additional trees will be planted around the exterior of the dog park, providing shade on hot days. A five-foot-tall chain link fence surrounds the dog park and each enclosure contains a double-leafed gate to allow maintenance access.

The large, abandoned paved area will be converted into one tennis court, four pickleball courts, a soccer court, and a small gathering area with shade structure. The tennis court and soccer court will each be surrounded by a ten-foot-tall chain link fence. Each court will have direct access for players as well as a double-leafed maintenance gate to facilitate leaf removal and other maintenance activities.

The pickleball courts will be separated by three-foot-tall fences and contain openings at the corners to allow players access to the courts from the east and the west. Based on the strong advocacy for pickleball expressed in the 2021 Open Town Hall Forum comments, the pickleball overlay on the tennis court was added back to the plan and will provide two additional pickleball courts when tennis isn’t being played.

The paved area just south of the soccer court and west of the pickleball courts will contain a drinking fountain, benches, picnic tables and a shade structure. This area provides a space for players to congregate while waiting for a court to free up or to socialize after a match.

The plan recommends painting the existing large shelter south of the proposed dog park and adding additional picnic tables to renew the facility. Proposed improvements also include enhanced pedestrian access to this portion of Columbia Local Park.

Within the parking lot, two existing parking spaces will be converted into ADA-compliant accessible parking spaces, and the parking lot will be renovated.

To connect the park to the neighborhood to the north, a set of stairs or ramp will be built into the steep slope just north of the proposed dog park, connecting the existing path that terminates there to the parking lot. The existing pathway between the old tennis courts and baseball field will be renovated to provide accessibility into and between the new amenities.

Progress at Popeyes in Briggs Chaney

Back in November 2020 we let you know that Popeyes will be taking over the old Pizza Hut location in the Briggs Chaney shopping center (13886 Old Columbia Pike).

The old Pizza Hut was demolished and cleared back in March. The photos below show the recently erected frame of the new Popeyes. We expect the restaurant to continue to make progress over the summer and could possibly be ready to open in the last quarter of the year.

Popeyes has recently expanded within MoCo, recently opening up a location in the Kentlands and planning to open a new location in Downtown Silver Spring.

The Briggs Chaney shopping center is an interesting selection for the fried chicken chain, as local chain Hip Hop Fish & Chicken arrived at the same shopping center over a year ago.

Adarash Market Opens Fourth MoCo Location (Briggs Chaney Marketplace)

Adarash Market opened in late April at 13842-B Outlet Drive in the Briggs Chaney Marketplace shopping center.

It has taken the spot formerly occupied by Tropical Grocery, which was an “African, Caribbean, and Latino market.”

Adarash Market is an international market with a focus on Ethiopian food and products. They offer food, coffee, fresh injera, utensils, and more

The market now has four locations

Hours: 9:00AM – 10:00PM Everyday

Adarash Market Location #1 (Silver Spring, MD)
8706 Flower Ave, Silver Spring, MD 20901
(240) 863-3057

Adarash Market Location #2 (White oak, MD)
11249 New Hampshire Ave Silver Spring, MD 20906
(240) 641-5164

Adarash Market Location #3 (Rockville, MD)
200 B Veirs Mill Rd Rockville MD, 20851
(301)-339-8761

Adarash Market Location #4 (Briggs Chaney Plazza, MD)
13842 B Outlet Dr Silver Spring Md, 20904

Fryer‘s Roadside has taken over the old Chopaan Kabob House location in the Meadowood Shopping Center on New Hampshire Ave (the same strip as Dominic’s). The restaurant will offer farm-fresh fried chicken, hand-cut fries, coleslaw, fried rice, soft-serve ice cream, and snowballs.

Their sauces will all be made in-house and will feature mumbo sauce, a Memphis style hot sauce, and habanero sauce with the habanero and jalapeño peppers grown in the garden behind the restaurant. All of their rolls will come from nearby, and locally legendary, Woodmoor Bakery.

We spoke with owner Steve Englehardt who told us he wanted to bring something unique to the area. Englehardt has been in the restaurant industry for decades, partially responsible for TGIFriday’s success in Rockville in the mid/late 90s and more recently the pub manager at McGinty’s in Downtown Silver Spring.

Fryer’s will have a walk-up counter in the front, will walk your food right to your car for curbside pick-up, and will offer tables on their outdoor patio as well. “You can even get your food and head over to Meadowood Park” Steve told us, in reference to the park right next to the restaurant.

Fryer’s also plans on having cornhole boards that they’ll let customers use for free at Meadowood Park in exchange for a drivers license.

They hope to open by the end of May.