Diverse community rises from agrarian past at Rockvilles King Farm

By Laura Barnhardt Cech March 6 at 11:01 AM

W. Thomas Curtis could be considered a pioneer.

Curtis was among the first residents of King Farm, in 1999, when there were still acres of vacant fields left from a closed dairy farm.

I remember all the dust, says Curtis, a financial planner. It was being kicked up by the all the construction crews. Wed have to clean the front porch almost every day.

From its dusty, agrarian beginnings, the planned 430-acre community now has 3,200 single-family houses, townhouses, condominiums and apartments, with about 8,000 residents. In addition to 3million square feet of office space and a Sheraton hotel, there is also 125,000 square feet of retail space in the Village Square.

The whole area has matured, Curtis says. Even the little twigs planted during construction are now trees.

Diverse community: Construction in the planned, mixed-use community began in 1997, the year after it was annexed into the city of Rockville.

The community has a civic board called the King Farm Citizens Assembly, and the Board of Trustees manages the community with a management staff employed by the Assembly. An activities director helps organize community events, including movies on the lawn in the summer, concerts and seasonal festivals.

Theres something for everyone, says Gail Sherman, president of the King Farm Citizens Assembly.

Residents like the mix of housing types, too, Sherman says.

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Diverse community rises from agrarian past at Rockvilles King Farm