The developer of Clarksburg Town Center, a 1,300-unit

The developer of Clarksburg Town Center, a 1,300-unit project being built in Montgomery County, Maryland, is feeling the sting of a resident backlash. Homeowners who, based on marketing literature, had expected the development to include a traditional, pedestrian-oriented town center became upset in the summer of 2004 when Newland Communities presented plans for a retail center arranged around a 300-car parking lot. Disgruntled residents formed the Clarksburg Town Center Advisory Committee and pored for months through development records. One of the discoveries they made was that buildings containing more than 400 townhouses and condominium units had been constructed higher and closer to the street than initially allowed. That revelation spurred the resignation of a county planner and prompted an investigation of how the county oversees development. To mollify residents, Newland has since revised the plan, offering to place some small shops along sidewalks. But some residents remain unhappy. “Giving retail centers a Main Street feel while attracting tenants who often prefer the ease automobile access of suburban strip stores has been one of the most daunting challenges for new urbanist planners,” Peter Whoriskey reported in the July 31 Washington Post.