The History of New Mark Commons

The History of New Mark Commons
by Rose Krasnow

"From the first view of the lake on entering New Mark Commons, continuing along New Mark Esplanade, its single main thoroughfare, to the village center, the resident or visitor will be aware of being in a different kind of residential environment, one which provides pleasing views at every turn, with a broad range of conveniences and attractions normally not found in a residential subdivision."
– Montgomery County Sentinel, January 26, 1967

New Mark Commons, a 96-acre development built by Edmund J. Bennett Associates, has been a unique development from its inception. Designed to be a "new mark" upon the landscape, the community was one of the first planned unit developments (PUD) to be approved under an ordinance adopted by the City of Rockville in 1964. The City’s planning staff recognized that the city could no longer afford to provide a desirable level of amenities for the influx of population that it was experiencing, so the ordinance allowed a developer to build at higher densities in exchange for the provision of open space and recreational facilities. Bennett quickly saw the possibilities this allowed. The community was conceived by Edmund J. Bennett, a native of Bethesda-Chevy Chase, whose firm had already received over 35 national and local awards for innovative architectural techniques, building design and site planning… but New Mark was his first PUD.

Bennett purchased the site, formerly known as the McConihe tract, in 1964. He employed the firm of Keyes, Lethbridge and Condon to handle the design and land planning. A major objective of the builder was to preserve as many trees as possible. To that end, a complete tree survey was undertaken before design commenced. Since the site also contained a small stream and several springs, Bennett decided to create a small lake to serve as a focal point for the community. The original vision also called for a village center containing shops, a restaurant and convenience store, to be located near the pool and clubhouse.

New Mark Esplanade, the main thoroughfare, was the only street in the community designed for through traffic. The original street plan called for three access points to the project, including one from Maryland Avenue, one from Potomac Valley, and one from Monroe Street. However, as more residents began to move in, they did not relish the thought of cut-through traffic, so the Monroe Street entrance was dropped at their request. This change probably had a lot to do with a later decision to abandon plans for the commercial center.

Open space is one of New Mark’s primary amenities. About 15.6 percent of the total site is open space, including the 4.5 acre lake and the pedestrian walkway system. The recreational facilities occupy 2.5 acres in the center of the site and includes a 25 meter swimming pool, a wading pool, two tennis courts, a basketball court, picnic tables, tot lot and a clubhouse.

The first models at New Mark Commons opened in January 1967. At that time, Rockville’s population was exploding, increasing from 16,000 in 1960 to over 40,000 by 1966. Originally, the developer hoped to complete construction by the summer of 1969. However, the project was only 50 percent complete by 1971, and recreational facilities were not completed until 1974. Bennett felt that sales were slow because the concept was so new. New Mark Commons was the first major contemporary design project in the area, and the siting did not, for the most part, accommodate the traditional front door facing the street and backyard extending from the rear of the house. In addition, there was a general downturn in the housing market in the early 70’s as a result of interest rate increases. As a result, Mr. Bennett ended up selling two parcels of property to other builders. The colonials and most of the homes off of Scandia were built by other developers but were incorporated into the community association. In 1985, Charles Burgdorf, who purchased the land that had been set aside for the village center, received approval to build an additional 13 contemporary townhouses. This raised the total number of units in the community to 384, consisting of 198 townhouses and 186 detached homes.

Edmund Bennett once said, "With the planned residential unit it is now possible to put first things first, by designing a complete community which can have integrity and charm and be at one with the land, reversing the usual process in which a community only emerges, if at all, as the haphazard end product of a series of unrelated actions." Some thirty years later, New Mark continues to be a vibrant and desirable place to live with a strong sense of community, and for that we can thank the developer for his vision and determination to see the project through.