Ashton Meeting Place Development Plan Revised to Address Community Comments

-State Delegates Work as Liaison with Community--

Ashton, MD – (May 31, 2006) Nichols Development announced a major design modification to its plans for Ashton Meeting Place, a retail, residential and office community located on at Route 108 and New Hampshire Avenue in Montgomery County.  The modified plans include the removal of two, tall peaks atop the New Hampshire Avenue wing of the center.

“We have been working very closely with the community and community leaders to solicit thoughts and ideas and have made revisions that reflect their interests and desires,” said Fred Nichols, of Nichols Development, the lead developer of the project.  “The state delegates that represent Ashton, who also happen to be our neighbors, have been instrumental in acting as a liaison with the community and we thank them for their assistance.”

Nichols also noted that Delegates Karen Montgomery, Anne Kaiser and Herman Taylor have worked with his team to persuade the State Highway Administration to add countdown crosswalk signals for pedestrians at the Route 108 and New Hampshire Avenue intersection, further enhancing the safety of that intersection. The intersection is scheduled for significant improvements in conjunction with the construction of Ashton Meeting Place, which is contributing land to allow for lane widening.

* * *