By 2034, there will be more adults who are 65 or older than children under the age of 18 for the first time in our nation’s history. People over the age of 80 will surpass 10% of the national population for the first time. In Montgomery County, estimates are that before 2040, 1 in 5 residents will be 65 or older and today, 1 in 3 are 55 or older with 9,000 people turning 65 each year. At the same time, the number of young adults without children is also growing. Although many residential zoned neighborhoods near and outside our urban centers might have benefits, they often present some challenges for aging in place with oversized houses and yards, … Continue reading
Planning
FAQ: Curious about our proposal to relax single-family zoning? We’ve got answers.
By Montgomery Planning staff
This fall, the Montgomery County Council will consider modifying single-family residential zones to help address the county’s severe housing shortage. In June, the Planning Board offered a set of recommendations to the County Council that would allow duplexes, triplexes and other small multi-unit buildings in neighborhoods now restricted to single-family homes. Called Attainable Housing Strategies, the recommendations are an effort to meet the county’s growing demand for housing at different price points and types for all.
The County Council is seeking community feedback at a series of community meetings as part of its review of the recommendations.
Montgomery Planning developed Attainable Housing Strategies. Here are answers to some of the questions we’ve heard most since … Continue reading
Montgomery Planning Board Chair Artie Harris explains why the bi-county Commission matters
Chair Harris will serve as Chair of the M-NCPPC over the next year and provided remarks on July 17, 2024
Montgomery Planning Board Chair Artie Harris provided remarks from the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission’s (M-NCPPC) Wheaton Headquarters dais on July 17, 2024, about starting his tenure as Chair of the Full Commission. Each year, the M-NCPPC Chair position rotates between the Chair of the Montgomery Planning Board and the Chair of the Prince George’s Planning Board. When both planning boards come together to meet once a month, they are known as the Full Commission.
Charting our course for the next five years
Montgomery Planning’s strategic planning will advance the goals of Thrive Montgomery 2050
By Jason K. Sartori, Montgomery Planning Director
While I had worked at Montgomery Planning for nearly eight years before being appointed director in November 2023, stepping into this role has provided me with a fresh perspective on the department and the communities we serve. I have enjoyed building deeper relationships with Planning staff, Planning Board members, County Council, other government stakeholders, and members of the community who collaborate with us on a range of neighborhood plans and land use policy issues. As I wrote in January, I am optimistic about the opportunities ahead for our county.
One of my first priorities as director was to embark … Continue reading
A Productive 2024 Legislative Session on Housing
By Artie Harris, Montgomery County Planning Board Chair
Montgomery County has not been immune to the nation’s housing crisis. Addressing this multi-faceted issue requires interventions at every step — from project review through construction.
The Planning Board has sought to accelerate housing development through a variety of avenues. Among the thousands of bills introduced this legislative session, four bills stand out to us that will help us address the housing crisis.
Accelerating early project stages
Accelerating the development review process is one way to help get new residences built in the county.
Two bills, both sponsored by Delegate Lesley Lopez, HB 0989 Montgomery County Subdivision Plats – Conditions and HB 1003 Montgomery County Clerk of the circuit Court – … Continue reading
Montgomery Planning’s approach to engagement: audience-centric, data driven, and focused on building trust
By Bridget Broullire, Acting Deputy Director
Community feedback is foundational to developing successful, sustainable plans. Combined with internal and external expertise and data sources, community feedback significantly informs our planning recommendations. However, stakeholder input has sometimes historically flowed from just a small portion of the community with the time and resources to participate in the process. That often led to communities of color, non-native English speakers, low-income residents, and others being excluded or marginalized from having their voices heard in community planning.
Montgomery Planning’s updated approach leverages a more equitable, transparent, and effective community outreach and engagement process to reverse historical trends and make it easy for all residents, business owners, property owners and leaders to understand and … Continue reading
Progress on Process – An Update on the Development Review Process Workgroup Recommendations
By Robert Kronenberg, Montgomery Planning Deputy Director
A central focus of Montgomery Planning’s work plan for 2024 is housing. Like many places across the country, Montgomery County’s housing shortage has meant rising rents and housing prices. We’re committed to collaborating with our county and state government partners, the development community, and residents to find ways to expand our housing supply and make the county a more affordable place for everyone to live. A major part of making that happen is streamlining the review and approval process for new development in the county to become a reality quicker.
Last year, under the leadership of Maryland Delegate Lesley Lopez (District 39), representatives from Montgomery Planning, Montgomery Parks, Montgomery County government, developers, … Continue reading
Opportunities and Optimism: A Look Ahead
As the newly appointed planning director, my new year is defined by two key ideas: opportunity and optimism.
I am humbled by the opportunity to lead a nearly 100-year-old institution as it plans for our county’s future. Building on the work of my predecessors and the ideas codified by the Planning Board and the County Council in Thrive Montgomery 2050, Montgomery Planning will remain focused on developing plans that advance equity, economic growth, and environmental sustainability.
We will also seek opportunities for meaningful innovation. From policies and urban design practices that emphasize our county’s commitment to affordable housing to our equity-centered community engagement strategies, we will propose and embrace strategies that welcome new residents and improve the quality of … Continue reading
Montgomery Planning: A national and regional industry leader
By George Lettis
In October 2023, Montgomery Planning showed why we continue to be a thought leader in the Washington, DC region and the nation for our independent, innovative, and inclusive community planning. The American Planning Association (APA) – the largest membership organization of professional planners and planning leaders and experts – consistently recognizes our expertise and work products that exemplify the best in planning principles, creativity, and effectiveness and solidify Montgomery County’s status as Maryland’s economic engine and a national model for enhancing quality of life for current and future generations.
Two cases in point: Montgomery Planning won a prestigious national Award of Excellence from APA’s County Planning Division and the National Association of County Planners (NACP) and was honored to … Continue reading
The Search for Montgomery County’s Lost Burial Grounds
Searching for Lost Cemeteries
Montgomery Planning maintains the Montgomery County Burial Sites Inventory, a listing of over 300 cemeteries and burial sites around the county dating from before the arrival of Europeans in Maryland to burial grounds still in use today. However, there are 80 burial sites in the inventory that are no longer visible, and historical records only tell us approximately where they were. This may be because the graves were never marked, or the markers have been moved or have deteriorated. We are looking for these lost burial grounds, and we hope to get some help from modern technology – ground penetrating radar (GPR) – to recover this part of the county’s hidden past.
What is GPR? … Continue reading
Sign up for our newsletter
The contact information you provide may be subject to release under the Maryland Public Information Act.